Are you a thrift shopper? If So, Then Wheeling is Just The Place For You.
By: Christina Fisanick
Long before Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ smash hit, “Thrift Shop,” debuted in 2012, picking up used clothes and housewares had been in style. Starting in the 1950s with the influx of synthetic clothing and mass-produced everyday items, shoppers turned to secondhand stores to find well-made, gently used items at deeply discounted prices. In the decades that followed, the trendiness of thrift store shopping waxed and waned. The 1990s, for example, witnessed a rise in thrifting through the hipster movement. Most recently, the social media app Tik Tok led the charge for users to scavenge through the piles of discarded items at thrift stores and share their “hauls” with their followers.
For some regular shoppers, though, purchasing used merchandise for a good price has long been their preferred way of adding to their wardrobes or replacing their small kitchen appliances. In addition to saving money on clothes for her children, Wheeling resident, Stacy Nixon, enjoys shopping at thrift stores because they “repurpose lots of things. Our landfills are filled with clothes and other items, and I hate that there’s so much waste in the world.” Given that researchers at Boston University have found that people in the United States throw out more than 34 billion pounds of used clothing yearly, shopping she’s not wrong in thinking that our landfills are overflowing with discarded items that could be repurposed.
Thankfully, Wheeling is blessed with a variety of both thrift stores, which sell items donated to them for free, and consignment stores, which sell used items for their clients who keep a percentage of the profits. Below is a guide to the best of both experiences in the Wheeling area.
Thrift Stores
St. Vincent DePaul
Located at 225 McCulloch Street in the former Cornet Foods building in Fulton. Profits from sales go to help people in need. Shoppers can find anything from clothing to vinyl records to furniture at St. Vinny’s, as it is colloquially called.
Best Find: A brand new German beer stein as a present for a friend.
Salvation Army
Located on 16th Street not far from Wheeling Clinic. Profits from the Salvation Army go to their services for people in need. The store gets new arrivals daily, including clothing, toys, housewares, and books.
Best Find: Department 56 A Christmas Carol-Dickens’ Village.
YWCA Y-Not-Repeat Boutique
Located inside the YWCA at 1100 Chapline Street. The Y-Not-Repeat Boutique sells gently used women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories to the community and helps provide free business attire to women in need.
Best Find: Tommy Hilfiger crossbody bag.
Hidden Treasures Appalachian Outreach Thrift Store
Located at 3643 Jacob Street in South Wheeling, the Appalachian Outreach Thrift Store sells a large variety of housewares, furniture, and other goods. Appalachian Outreach is a network of partnerships that distributes gently used items to victims of poverty and disaster in West Virginia, Tazewell County, Virginia, and Carter and Pike counties in Kentucky.
Best Find: A wooden lap desk for working at home.
House of the Carpenter Thrift Store
Located at 200 S. Front Street on Wheeling Island, the House of the Carpenter’s thrift store serves everyone in the community. Clothing, shoes, hats, accessories are all $0.25 each. (Only $0.10 each on Tuesdays.) They also sell gently used household items and furniture.
Best Find: A brand new wool sweater complete with store tag.
Consignment Shops
Ditto Boutique
Located at 1143 National Road near Whisk Bakery. Shoppers can find both new apparel, gifts, and jewelry alongside upscale gently worn clothes, purses, jewelry, and shoes.
Best Find: One-of-a-kind ginkgo leaf earrings.
Peyton’s Pretties Boutique
Located at 1090 East Bethlehem Boulevard across from Charhouse. Inside a former bank building, this shop sells women’s clothing and accessories from casual to formalwear. Shoppings can find gently used jewelry, shoes, handbags, and a broad range of gifts as well.
Best find: Black beaded handbag for a night on the town.
REStyle Consignment
Located at 2215 Market Street across from Coleman’s Fish. According to the store’s Facebook page, REStyle is an upscale consignment shop selling quality items at non-department store prices. Like shopper Stacy Nixon, owner Rebecca Stahl confirms that “more people are buying into the idea of reducing their environmental footprint. Both consignors and shoppers are finding value in the secondhand clothing market.”
Best Find: Vera Bradley backpack in a retired pattern.
SIBS Antiques and Quality Furnishings
Located at 348 National Road near Generations, SIBS is a multi-story consignment shop that sells a large variety of items from many different sellers. In addition to selling items on consignment, SIBS sells antiques and collectibles and specializes in estate liquidations.
Best Find: A vintage Snoopy Halloween costume for a friend’s birthday.
Bullfrogs and Butterflies
Located at 2153 National Road in the Elm Grove area of Wheeling, Bullfrogs and Butterflies specializes in new and consignment items for babies and children. In addition to clothing, shoes, and accessories, shoppers will find an ever-changing selection of toys, books, and even children’s furniture.
Best Find: A brand new safety vest for boating.
