Thrift Shopping in Cape Breton

One thing I wish more people around here did was visit thrift stores. Everyone is always shocked when I tell them "I got it at Louis'" or "it's from Value Village". Why not many people take advantage of the cute finds and low prices, I still can't understand. I buy things for my whole family here and it is the best place to shop for babies and children, as they are growing constantly.

I guess this is my mini guide to thrift store shopping in Cape Breton.

First, I avoid Value Village unless I am looking for something specific and can't find it anywhere else. My favourite thrift sore is Louis on Keltic Drive. I would like to give a little background on Louis - their clothes come from Boston, and they are in fairly good condition as residents of Boston receive a tax benefit for giving clothing to charity, so they often buy and donate frequently. Also, on Mondays at Louis there is a 'buy one get one free' sale, so you could get a baby onesie for 85 cents, and another for free. That's insane! They have the coolest vintage dresses, and even carry uniforms, maternity clothes, and bedding. They do not carry household items (dishes, furniture etc) only clothing and shoes. So I urge everyone to go check it out.

The next place is Salvation Army on the way to the Pier. This is a very small shop but you can often find the cutest things here, even sometimes cd players and dishes. The money made here goes to charity so I don't feel bad spending a lot there :)

There is a Frenchy's in Glace Bay that also has fair prices, but i don't go there often as it's sorta out of the way, but... i hear they have good deals and they usually have a bag day. Bag days are common at thrift stores, they will charge a base fee for a big bag, usually a garbage bag, and you fill it with whatever you like. They also have this at Louis.

The store Gala has been around a few times in various locations but it's a good store for mostly late teen and young adults. Also, this store aims to be more like a retail store selling "vintage" clothing and used brand name label clothing. It tends to be slightly expensive (when it comes to thrift stores) but you can usually find some really cute stuff here including scarves, hand bags, shoes, dresses and tops. They also carry mens clothes. I would recommend this to anyone browsing the shops of Charlotte St.

Anyway, I would avoid Value Village mostly as their prices are ridiculous. The only thing that Value Village is good for is the home items. They usually have lots of dishes and kitchen objects, curtains, linens, and furniture.

If I am missing anything, let me know but I encourage everyone to at least go explore a thrift store today, give it a try you will find something you like, I promise :)