In the world of college and COVID-19, saving money may be more imperative than ever. For many, this might mean cutting back on buying clothes, but that doesn’t have to be the case. One solution to save money while keeping your shopping habits is browsing at thrift and resale stores. Thrifting is an often-underestimated activity. It’s fun, ethical and cheap. All thrift shops are not made equal, though. If you’re going to revamp your wardrobe by thrifting, you have to know where to look. Here are some of the best spots for secondhand shopping in Springfield.

Red Racks

Red Racks is a well-known thrift store. There are three locations in Springfield, one each on Battlefield, Sunshine and Glenstone. Red Racks is one of those stores that has a little bit of everything. They have all sorts of clothes, but they also have slews of furniture, house decor, and even more obscure objects like old record players. As far as the selection of clothes goes, Red Racks is reliable. There are plenty of clean, fashionable items to choose from, and you will almost always be able to find something you like. They even have a special section dedicated to vintage clothing, and it’s clear that the employees understand which vintage clothes are considered fashionable. Red Racks is great; however it can be a little more expensive than other thrift stores.

Plato’s Closet

Plato’s Closet is one of those places that is considered more of a secondhand shop than an actual thrift store. Instead of taking donations, they buy second-hand clothes from people and resell them. This means that the clothing items are better quality, but a bit more expensive. However, the extra couple of dollars per item is worth it. Plato’s closet is full of cute, quality pieces for people with all kinds of different styles. They even sometimes have the occasional higher-end items such as Calvin Klein or Tommy Hilfiger. Overall, Plato’s Closet is a great place to find nice clothes for fairly cheap. There is only one location in Springfield, and it is located off Battlefield.

Uptown Cheapskate

Uptown Cheapskate is another resale shop, similar to Plato’s closet. It is certainly more expensive than the other stores mentioned here. It has plenty of nice clothes, however, the style of clothes offered at Uptown Cheapskate is a little more modern and conventional than the ones you can find at other resale or thrift stores. It’s great if you’re looking for cute contemporary clothing, however, don’t expect to see any of the more vintage pieces that you can find at other stores. Basically, Uptown Cheapskate is like a cheaper, more ethical Forever 21. There is one location in Springfield off Battlefield, near the Battlefield Mall.

Goodwill

Goodwill is an oldie, but a goodie (pun intended). Goodwill is one of those places that has it all, and you never know what you might find. It has everything from clothes, to furniture, decor and even movies and books. The clothes at Goodwill are a melting pot, full of all kinds of items from all sorts of people. However, if you have the time and patience to sift through the old family reunion t-shirts and the wedding dresses from the 70s, you might end up finding something truly amazing. The clothes are definitely cheap with the only downside being that they aren’t always the cleanest. As long as you wash them before wearing, your Goodwill goodies will be as good as gold. Springfield has several Goodwill locations, and it will be easy to find one near you.

Knowing where to go is one of the more daunting aspects of secondhand shopping. However, once you know which places are worth visiting, shopping at thrift stores and resale shops can be a fun way to get cheap and ethical clothing. So, go out and support your local Springfield secondhand shops today!

Article by Sammie Ellis