Wednesday, September 24, 2014

5 Favorite Denver area thrift stores

(Is five favorites still a thing? I'm so tired, and it seems easier than writing something meaningful or intellectually stimulating, so yay for lists.)

I thought I'd share some of my trade secrets since a couple local readers (hi guys!) asked, so here you have it, my top 5 picks for thrifting in the Mile High city:



1. Goodwill Glendale (behind Super Target and, um, Shotgun Willy's in Glendale. Awful.)


This is the holy grail of the big blue G. A veritable smorgasbord of Target rejects and overstock, and guaranteed to be bursting at the seams with practically the entire displaced population of Mexico if you venture in on a 50% off Saturday in the am. Se hablo espanol. Not even kidding a little bit.

Totally worth the drive for: home goods, furniture (really, really great for furniture. The best I've seen in the whole Denver metro), Target overstock with tags still on and everything, women's shoes, home decor.

2. Saver's Littleton (Littleton Blvd. and Windermere)


My regular stomping grounds. Sign up for a Super Saver card and everything is 30% off on Thursdays. Bring something to donate and receive a 20% off coupon in return. Saver's is like Bed Bath and Beyond in that there is always a coupon you can use and you're an idiot if you don't have one. Seriously, I will bring in like a single outgrown polo shirt and some ratty jammie pants to toss in the bin and receive a lovely little green coupon in return. Simple.

Stokke high chair for $3.00. 
Good for: men's, women's and children's shoes (seriously, I've found multiple pairs of Sperry's, J Crew, Stride Right and Converse), toys (see Lightening McQueen) kitchen ware (pyrex, baking sheets, mixing and serving bowls), art and wall decor, and the odd piece of furniture, women's clothing and kid's clothing. The BEST selection of kid's clothing in town. Children's Place, Crew Cuts, Baby Gap, Carter's, Tea Company, Janie and Jack (occasionally) ... they have a huge selection. I've bought almost the entirety of our boy's wardrobes at this Savers.

3. Saver's Highlands Ranch (C-470 and, um, another street. It's next to Babies R' Us and Lodos)


This location is much nicer and newer than Littleton, but their selection isn't quite as good, at least for kid's clothes. It's still pretty good though. A decent women's selection too, and fantastic books and linens (curtains, fabric, etc.)

4. Goodwill Highland's Ranch (Broadway and County Line)

Another Super Target scrap heap, loaded with Nate Berkus, Dwell Studio and Threshold items still wearing their orange clearance tags, and home to the not-so-occasional set of pristine sheets in various sizes. Also great for curtains, pillows, linens, bedding, lampshades, frames, and some furniture. Their clothing sections are sub par, but their home goods more than make the trip down south worth it.

5. Goodwill (Hampden and I-25)


This is probably the most hit or miss of the bunch, but we did find our family room couch and recliner there for $30 and $35 respectively, and I've found a few other great pieces of furniture there in the past year (IKEA kids' table and chairs, radio flyer tricycle, patio chairs, coffee table). They have a great women's shoe selection as well, and a new toy section that is slightly better priced than going straight to the big box stores. Their seasonal decor (the store's actual decor, not what's for sale) is straight up traumatizing around Halloween (read: now) so consider yourself warned if your kids are sensitive to blood and gore and, um, severed limbs. Joey is still scarred from last year's trip around this time, so I try to avoid taking the kids to this location.


Hope this fuels a fun thrifting weekend for some of my Denver readers. Just leave anything with the initials J. Crew for me, m'kay?

12 comments:

  1. I have *obviously* been going to the wrong places. Will have to correct this now!

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  2. If we ever make it out there to visit Mike & Lizzie I'm bringing a U-haul and hitting up each one of those places. But I promise to lay off the J. Crew. ;)

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  3. I don't live in Denver, so this doesn't really apply to me, but I wanted to recognize you for your generosity in sharing all your "secrets"!

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    1. Me, too! I already have my next trip to Denver planned out, thanks to you!!!

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  4. You're the best! I see a trip to south Denver in my future. While I'm down there, I pretty much HAVE to go to Ikea, right? I mean, I'm sure there's something I need.... ;)

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  5. I doubt you know this but I was wondering if there was any way to find out which stores Target donates to...I've been to several Goodwills in my area and no such luck. Wondering perhaps if it's only to stores in a bigger city??

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  6. Goodwill Highlands Ranch is my old stomping grounds. I miss that store! My nearest Goodwill is an hour away, making thrifting. ... not thrifty! I've used ThredUp a few times but online thrifting is just not the same.

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  7. I love Savers in Littleton. They are the best for quality name brand clothing!

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  8. Dang, now I feel I need to drive from Canada to Denver to get me some deals! ;)
    I LOVE thrifting, but I find the selections of both stores and "stuff" here, at least in my neck of the Canadian woods, wanting. Salvation Army is just...ugh. Value Village, which is the same as your Saver's, is ok...but I rarely find things for my kids or myself there...things are too worn, and they almost never have things in my daughter's size (she's 11 and a 12/14). Books however, I usually score well on there, and canning/Mason jars. Furniture...fuggedaboutit. There is a Goodwill here in Ottawa, but...it makes me want to stick my fingers in my eyes and run screaming out of the place. It's SUCH a dump.
    So, I try and find things on sale...and if I find the odd thing thrifted, it's gravy. My 2 beefs about Canada and shopping: we don't get the sales and coupon deals like you all do, and our thrifting sucks. Eh.

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  9. why did i read this list? i don't live in denver. although i have a lot of family there, so maybe a road trip to visit them AND thrift. how is it that we have a goodwill super close to target and they never get castoffs?! i'm gonna ask next time i go. the tripp trapp chair totally killed me!

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  10. I'm super jealous of the crazy amazing thrift stores in your area! Ours mostly suck, though I just searched for a Saver's nearby and found there's an affiliate store like 7 minutes away! I'm cautiously hopeful!!

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  11. Thanks so much for posting this. I've lived in Highlands Ranch for a year and haven't been to a single thrift store yet!

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