Best Thrift Store

Last Chance Thrift Store offers an opportunity the convenience of technology has damn near made extinct: the chance to hunt for hands-on bargains. Clothing, household wares, LPs, etc. each have their designated spot. Well, sort of. But that seriously makes the visit even more fun. Come with an open mind and similar schedule and you might just leave with a darling 1960s cocktail dress for $7 or a stack of pristine wax for even less. www.lastchancethriftstore.com. less...

The opening of a new thrift store is cause for celebration. If you're a weekly or even every-other-weekly thrifter, your old tried-and-true spots tend to get to a point where you can flip through the racks and recognize the very same clothes you saw last time. It's a bummer. The Goodwill on Northside Drive (just west of Atlantic Station) has been a welcome - and spankin' new - addition to our thrift rotation. Opened in March, the familiar chain of charity shops' new location is huge and has Goodwill's standard flat pricing. (Men's shirts are a flat price, dresses are a flat price, etc.) So, you can occasionally find high-end, designer pieces hidden on a rack next to a bunch of Fruit of the Loom "Spring Break '98" T-shirts - and for the same exact price. Shoes are the exception to the rule, so designer pairs in good condition will likely end up on the fancy rack with individual prices based on their fanciness. Also cause for celebration: By simply spending money, you're helping people with employment issues get their lives back on track. Used clothes. New store. New lives. less...

Everyone else's trash is your treasure at VALUE VILLAGE. A dogged dig through the seemingly endless racks and aisles will turn up hip plaids, tweed suitcases, and a killer selection of vintage shoes. Pickings are pretty good at all 11 of metro Atlanta's VV's, but we've had the best luck at the Memorial Drive outpost. Of course, now that the secret's out, you might as well try them all. 3503 Memorial Drive, Decatur. 770-840-7283. And other metro Atlanta locations. www.valuevillageatlanta.com. less...

Not all thrift stores are created equal. Some are basically indoor flea markets with dozens of shoppers picking through crowded racks and overflowing shelves. We like those places, too, but sometimes you want a thrift store that’s more like a boutique, with a quieter vibe and better merchandise. The NEARLY NEW SHOP, operated by the Junior League of Atlanta, is pricier than Goodwill, but where else are you likely to find Kate Spade bags, Ferragamo shoes, Brooks Brothers suits and Thomas Pink dress shirts? Like any thrift store, the stock turns over constantly, but since Nearly New has a highfalutin donor pool, it’s not unusual to walk out with secondhand haute couture for a steal. 1715 Howell Mill Road. 404-355-3547. www.jlatlanta.org/nearlynew. less...

In these hard times, yard sales are a great way to inexpensively furnish your house, find a new bike, build your record library or simply get a bunch of cool crap. You’ll see yard sales all over town, but VIRGINIA-HIGHLAND is nearly always worth the drive. It’s got a wonderfully broad range of demographics: a good mix of upscale houses and itinerant apartment-dwellers; a dynamic blend of young hipsters and estate-sale seniors; acquisitive newcomers and eccentric old-timers. Best of all, on a good weekend, it has the highest yard-sale occurrence per capita of any place in Atlanta, so you won’t waste half your time in the car. less...