17 thrift shops for your next day trip to bargain-loving Ventura
Ventura is a quintessential beach town — a little rustic, unpretentious and less frenetic than its counterparts in Orange County or L.A. You’re more likely to spot a vintage VW bus and The Dude wannabes in Ventura than people in suits driving shiny new Mercedes or BMWs.
So it’s no surprise that Ventura is also a thrift shop haven. These are not glamorous stores — many are warehouse-sized with well-worn flooring and scuffed-up walls — but that doesn’t seem to deter the throngs of bargain seekers or treasure hunters out for the ultimate thrift-store prize: something that’s selling for way more on Ebay.
Maybe it’s these high-inflation times but Ventura’s thrift stores are busy even on weekdays — mothers holding sleeping babies, rapidly searching through toddler clothes on borrowed time; preteens critically examining skirts or jeans for stains or (hopefully) rips; a young man in cutoffs trying on button-down shirts in a quest for business casual; and my friends, expert thrifters, jubilantly clutching crystal stemless wine glasses — just $4.50 for 3! — and an exquisitely embroidered $40 silk kimono actually made in Japan!
One of my friends, Leslie, lives in central Washington and dresses primarily in pricy labels she scored for pennies on the dollar at her local Goodwill, like a Patagonia puffer jacket and a Lululemon dress in perfect condition. The trick, she says, is to be patient and browse thrift stores regularly.
It also helps to know the value of what you’re shopping for, says my other friend, Bernie — you don’t want to spend more on a curated used item than you could on something similar at an outlet mall, unless the item is so unique it deserves the extra bucks.
Mostly, this guide is focused on basic thrift stores, the kind that sort through the piles of stuff people donate, give usable things a price and put them on shelves as quickly as they can. Luckily, there are plenty of this kind of store in Ventura, supporting a variety of causes from support for battered women to shelters for abandoned pets.
And don’t worry about picked-over merchandise. We visited several stores on a recent Wednesday, and the employees were stocking shelves so fast, some items hadn’t even been priced. Meanwhile we could see other employees accepting bagfuls of new donations.
Before we tackle the list, here are a few final notes:
- Ventura has a fair number of consignment stores or vintage shops where used items (usually clothing or furniture) have been carefully curated and priced accordingly higher. There’s still some bargains to be had, but little chance you’ll find a treasure for a couple of bucks.
- Most of the thrift stores are on or near Main Street in Ventura, either downtown or in Mid City.
- Check to make sure your store is open. Many rely on volunteers or limited staff to keep the doors open, so they don’t always keep regular hours and some are open only a few days a week.
- Almost all these stores accept debit cards, but cash is still king when it comes to bargaining.
- Dressing rooms are nonexistent at the big thrift stores but they don’t mind you trying on clothes in the aisles — as long as you keep your own clothes on.
- Even the most rustic thrift store has a special counter or locked bookcase filled with rare finds. They are priced higher than what you’ll find elsewhere in the store but check out the locked cases — you never know what they may contain.
- If you love thrifting, and can visit Ventura on a Wednesday, don’t miss the Wednesday Swap Meet at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. It’s currently closed for the county fair but should restart on Aug. 24, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $2 and the offerings are extensive — furniture, kitchenware, clothing, musical instruments, toys en masse, comic books .... honestly, if you can imagine it, it’s probably there, with prices ranging from next to nothing to “Are you kidding?” The best stuff goes early, but note that the later it gets in the day, the more willing vendors are to negotiate. They’re mostly a cheerful, welcoming bunch who love to chat with regulars as much as they like to sell.
The high desert may have gone upscale, but don’t worry — it’s still funky.
Showing Places
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
Avenue Thrift, aka Boys and Girls Club of Ventura Thrift Store
Shopping and recreation
Avenue Thrift is a large warehouse store, with so much merchandise it spills outside into the locked display yard, where all the furniture is kept. The worn brick walls emphasize that everything here is used, and there’s likely a find somewhere if you’re patient enough to root it out.
Things feel a little more random and shabby here, which makes it all the more beloved in many diehard thrifters’ eyes. Look for the large rack of women’s swimsuits near the front, the inevitable rows of clothes and along the walls an impressive collection of (mostly) framed artwork plus pots and pans, dishes, small appliances, purses, shoes, books and even a small section of seasonal holiday decor (as of August, they’ve already got the Halloween stuff out).
Outside is an eclectic collection of furniture — some boring and some quite unusual, like a small grouping of old wooden classroom desks fronted by a sagging chalkboard, a sturdy, wide upholstered chair with dark wooden arms ($15) and a small wooden chest carved and painted with images from the story of Noah’s Ark ($75), the perfect rustic toy box for a jillion Legos.
Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Things feel a little more random and shabby here, which makes it all the more beloved in many diehard thrifters’ eyes. Look for the large rack of women’s swimsuits near the front, the inevitable rows of clothes and along the walls an impressive collection of (mostly) framed artwork plus pots and pans, dishes, small appliances, purses, shoes, books and even a small section of seasonal holiday decor (as of August, they’ve already got the Halloween stuff out).
Outside is an eclectic collection of furniture — some boring and some quite unusual, like a small grouping of old wooden classroom desks fronted by a sagging chalkboard, a sturdy, wide upholstered chair with dark wooden arms ($15) and a small wooden chest carved and painted with images from the story of Noah’s Ark ($75), the perfect rustic toy box for a jillion Legos.
Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
Bargain Box Thrift Store (Assistance League of Ventura)
Shopping and recreation
The Assistance League of Ventura’s “upscale resale store” is run by volunteers, women who seem committed to making the Bargain Box a place of beauty, with items so artfully chosen and displayed that it feels more like a fancy gift shop than a used-items store. Translation: Prices probably are a little higher here than at other thrift stores, but you don’t have to search so hard to find treasures — they’re carefully displayed in easy view. Expect to find books, CDs, clothing, housewares, art, purses, jewelry, scarves, belts and other accessories as well as a few pieces of furniture.
Note the hours: It is only open two days a week, on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Note the hours: It is only open two days a week, on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
C.A.A.N. (Child Abuse and Neglect) Thrift Store
Shopping and recreation
This is one of Ventura’s quintessential thrift stores, a vast warehouse-type space with high ceilings, well-worn floors and aisles of clothing, toys, dishes, cookware, purses, shoes, books, albums and, toward the back, furniture. As is the case with most big thrift stores, some days you go and find nothing; other days you need a truck to lug home all your treasures.
It’s a great place to explore, especially since it’s open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Note that the store opens at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for seniors and people with disabilities.
It’s a great place to explore, especially since it’s open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Note that the store opens at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for seniors and people with disabilities.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Maranatos/Los Angeles Times)
C.A.R.L. (Canine Adoption & Rescue League) Boutique Thrift Store
Shopping and recreation
This store in Ventura’s Midtown packs a ton of merchandise into a relatively small space. Look for books, including children’s titles, jewelry, well-made clothes, dishes, cookware, appliances (including an upright vacuum cleaner so vintage it looked like art), holiday decorations (even for Kwanzaa), shoes and luggage. Free parking outside the front door, which is at the back of the store, off Main Street. Open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Maranatos/Los Angeles Times)
Cats Cradle Rescue Thrift Shop & Adoption Center
Shopping and recreation
Cats Cradle Rescue relies entirely on volunteers, so its hours are brief, but the persistent shopper will be rewarded by a well-organized collection of children’s clothes and toys, kitchen and household goods, clothing, books, shoes, sporting goods, linens, jewelry, games, furniture and holiday decor. If you’re planning to adopt a cat as well, be sure to call ahead, since they do adoptions by appointment only. Parking is on the street but there are other thrift shops in the block, so you can browse a while without having to drive.
It’s open Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
It’s open Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
Enid & Edgar Vintage
Shopping and recreation
Enid & Edgar Vintage is 90% clothes and accessories for men and women, with a few books, records and fun vintage housewares sprinkled around the store to keep things interesting. During a recent visit there was a large selection of jeans and vintage wool sweaters, along with jackets, dresses, skirts, blouses and old Boy Scout pants. This is a fun store for browsing, and it’s just a block from Ventura’s famous department store, the Wharf (980 E. Front St.), a 100-year-old community institution that has a vast selection of jeans and other western/outdoors wear (if you can’t find what you’re looking for used).
Enid & Edgar Vintage is open noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Oh, and they promise a sale every Sunday. (“If we forget, just ask us.”)
Enid & Edgar Vintage is open noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Oh, and they promise a sale every Sunday. (“If we forget, just ask us.”)
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
Goodwill on Main Street
Shopping and recreation
Ventura’s Main Street Goodwill is in the center of several other thrift stores, a large and brightly lit store with many of its treasures in the front window, where they’re available only by lottery once a month. But venture inside and you’ll find a good selection of clothes arranged by gender, type and color, shelves of kitchen equipment and housewares (we found a coffee maker in perfect condition for $9), artwork, purses and shoes. You can occasionally find a few odd bits of furniture but best to shop at the Thompson Boulevard store if you’re in the market for big stuff.
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
Goodwill on Thompson Boulevard
Shopping and recreation
Ventura has two Goodwills within a few miles of each other, in Midtown and downtown, and it’s worth visiting both, especially if you’re in the market for clothes. The Thompson Boulevard store is where you can find a large collection of furniture too, as well as art, shoes, purses, toys and dishes. These stores are relatively clean, new and brightly lit, so they don’t have the same “treasure might be waiting on any dusty shelf” feel as some of the other large warehouse thrift stores, but they still have a vast selection, especially if you’re in the market for children’s clothes or outfitting a kitchen with pots, pans and dishes galore.
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Karly Laguna)
Klothes
Shopping and recreation
Klothes is all about vintage clothing, including hats, shoes, belts and other accessories, for women and men. The store is small but artfully arranged with a huge selection of jeans, gauzy blouses, pants, T-shirts, sweaters ... the perfect place to play dress-up. Check out its Instagram page for the latest merchandise.
Open Monday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. or by appointment. Note: The owner, Kayla Laguna, may open late on Wednesdays because she’s also selling at the Wednesday Swap Meet in Ventura.
Open Monday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. or by appointment. Note: The owner, Kayla Laguna, may open late on Wednesdays because she’s also selling at the Wednesday Swap Meet in Ventura.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
Laguna Vintage
Shopping and recreation
You can get lost in Laguna Vintage, a small store full to bursting with vintage home accessories, art, jewelry, shoes, clothing, coats, scarves, belts, hats ... just think all things funky cool and you get the picture. And unlike most thrift stores, it has a small dressing room for trying on clothes. A few doors down (on the same block), Laguna Vintage has a showroom full of furniture, but it’s open only by request, so if you’re in the market for furniture, call or text for an appointment.
Open Monday and Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. (Note that they sometimes open later on Wednesdays because they’re also working at Ventura’s Wednesday Swap Meet.)
Open Monday and Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. (Note that they sometimes open later on Wednesdays because they’re also working at Ventura’s Wednesday Swap Meet.)
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
Local Vintage
Shopping and recreation
Local Vintage has a big presence online where you can browse the current selection of used shorts and sweats “reworked” with thread and paint for $80 to $100, plus old T-shirts, such as a 1980s World Series raglan tee for $48, long white gloves for $35 and a vintage pale pink slip dress for $60 that the original maker probably never imagined would be worn as streetwear. Look for a small but stylish selection of used boots, purses, hats and other accessories too in this light and airy boutique.
The store is open daily, 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 12 to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 12 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The store is open daily, 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 12 to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 12 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Maranatos / Los Angeles Times)
Lynn's Consignments & Lynn's Fun Fashions
Shopping and recreation
Lynn’s Consignment is chock-a-block with furniture and home furnishings, most of which are used or consignment items. Check out the price tags, which go down 20% each month for two months after the item hits the floor, and use the lowest price. The vibe is very upbeat here, with merchandise organized into rooms and by color, with lots of matching pillows, chairs and artwork on the walls. Behind the furniture store, look for a clean, well-lit store selling good quality used clothing and accessories.
Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
Milk Room
Shopping and recreation
The MILK Room specializes in a curated collection of “vintage luxury streetwear” — such as retro T-shirts, vintage sports jerseys or old clothing reworked by L.A.-based artists into new styles, such as a used Golden State Warriors sweatshirt cut and shaped into a stylish crop top ($50). Think of it as part repurposed clothing and accessories and part creative expression.
Open daily from noon to 8 p.m. — come just to check out their store-length mural and the distinctly hip vibe.
Open daily from noon to 8 p.m. — come just to check out their store-length mural and the distinctly hip vibe.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
SPAN (Spay & Neuter Animal Network) Thrift Store
Shopping and recreation
SPAN is smaller than the giant thrift stores, but it has a few things in its favor: Easy parking in the lot out front, easy-to-browse shelves, a quick four-minute walk to Avenue Thrift just a couple blocks away and a solid selection of quality rugs, small appliances, housewares, ceramics, books, art and clothing, including some 1920s flapper-style dresses that came in earlier this spring.
This tidy store is definitely worth a visit, if you can sync up with its hours — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday and Friday.
This tidy store is definitely worth a visit, if you can sync up with its hours — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday and Friday.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
SPARC (Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center) Second Chance Store
Shopping and recreation
This is one of my personal faves in Ventura’s thrift-store world. SPARC is relatively narrow and deep, but it has huge walk-in windows where you can browse furniture and art, and a large collection of dishes, glassware, housewares and clothes inside. I found a gorgeous tall carved wooden hutch here one day, with lots of drawers and nooks, for $475. On another visit, I found three crystal wine glasses, a lime-green L.L. Bean vest, a 1930s era Gladding McBean turquoise platter and a vintage La Soupe poster in a handsome weathered frame. The total cost for all those items? Just $30.
The store’s inventory was depleted after a break-in early in the year but, judging from recent visits, there are plenty of new items to keep thrifters busy and happy.
Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 12 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The store’s inventory was depleted after a break-in early in the year but, judging from recent visits, there are plenty of new items to keep thrifters busy and happy.
Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 12 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
The Coalition Thrift Store
Shopping and recreation
The Coalition Thrift Store is another of Ventura’s cavernous warehouses filled with every kind of used merchandise and people eager to browse and buy. Donations were coming in so fast that employees were nearly running trying to shelve items, some of which hadn’t even been priced yet, and the line to make purchases reached halfway to the back of the wide, deep store, even with three cashiers at their posts.
This store is short on glamour, but if you can’t find something to buy here you really aren’t trying. Toys, furniture, racks of shoes, old 8-track tapes, a huge wall of books, a separate room for housewares and linens and long aisles of every type of clothes, including designer wear chained on the wall (and priced accordingly, such as the ribbed Chanel mini dress made in Italy for $200). I recently spotted a pair of 1930s-era black leather Converse “All Star” basketball shoes in pristine condition for $1,499.99, but you can also get a Hermione doll complete with shoes, socks, sweater, skirt and Gryffindor robe for $9, perfect-condition woven round placemats for 69 cents each, and an 8-track tape of “The Beatles (The White Album)” for $6. If I’m on a mission to find a specific used item, the Coalition is usually my first stop.
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Sunday, when it opens at 10 a.m.
This store is short on glamour, but if you can’t find something to buy here you really aren’t trying. Toys, furniture, racks of shoes, old 8-track tapes, a huge wall of books, a separate room for housewares and linens and long aisles of every type of clothes, including designer wear chained on the wall (and priced accordingly, such as the ribbed Chanel mini dress made in Italy for $200). I recently spotted a pair of 1930s-era black leather Converse “All Star” basketball shoes in pristine condition for $1,499.99, but you can also get a Hermione doll complete with shoes, socks, sweater, skirt and Gryffindor robe for $9, perfect-condition woven round placemats for 69 cents each, and an 8-track tape of “The Beatles (The White Album)” for $6. If I’m on a mission to find a specific used item, the Coalition is usually my first stop.
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Sunday, when it opens at 10 a.m.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
(Jeanette Marantos / Los Angeles Times)
Throwback Junction
Shopping and recreation
If they aren’t already used, the clothing and merchandise at Throwback Junction are made to look like items you’d find from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Most of the T-shirts are replicas, but there are also authentic vintage pieces, like an old Los Angeles Angels wool jacket with logo patches for $68 and a denim pencil skirt by ICHI that zips from waist to hem for $16. There are funky sunglasses, shoes, purses and art pieces too — including a colorful 1967 poster of a very young-looking Grateful Dead.
Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Read All Read Less
Route Details
Subscriber Exclusive Alert
If you're an L.A. Times subscriber, you can sign up to get alerts about early or entirely exclusive content.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
