The “Constitution State” may be best known for its critical role in the birth of the U.S., but today, we the people know (and love) the state for another reason. If you’re an outta-towner, we’ll fill you in. The best thrift stores in CT are helping folks form a more perfect union (with low-waste fashion), establish social justice, ensure fashion circularity, and, well, you know how the rest of the song goes…
They are where Nutmeggers (CT locals) go to find fashion-forward, casual, dressy, and business attire, as well as jewelry, accessories, and knick-knacks for any style and space.
In close proximity to the NYC thrift scene, Connecticut’s thrift stores are a best-kept secret for those on a budget looking for designer duds and treasures.
So let’s grab a lobster roll, school-up on our thrift shopping tips (or catch our video below), and peruse CT’s finest secondhand shopping scene.
Contents: Connecticut Thrift Stores
- Hand To Hand Thrift Store Jump to store
- The Clothes Tree Jump to store
- Your Closet Or Mine Jump to store
- Karma's Closet Jump to store
- Hole In The Wall Jump to store
- Safe Haven Jump to store
- Second Chance Shop Jump to store
- Consigned Designs Jump to store
- Deer Hill Thrift Shop Jump to store
Hand To Hand Thrift Store
Hand to Hand Thrift Store offers a helping hand for those seeking upscale clothing, jewelry, and housewares.
Sure it’s easy to find a Goodwill in CT, but popping over to Hand to Hand won’t disappoint with their super organized and categorized bargains that are just as unbeatable, especially on the dollar rack.
Their proceeds support Hand to Hand Direct Care Ministry, a faith-based nonprofit that donates clothes, furniture, household items, and other essentials to those in need.
Price: $-$$
The Clothes Tree
The Clothes Tree is a low-cost thrift store in Connecticut that boasts thousands of items of clothing, books, housewares, and toys organized across five rooms.
Consignment options are also available.
The nonprofit store uses all proceeds to support Civic Family Services and its mission to aid families and children in need.
Price: $-$$
Your Closet Or Mine
And the award for one of the most creative CT thrift shop names goes to: Your Closet or Mine.
No surprise it’s often considered one of the best thrift shops in Connecticut, especially for those frothing for fringe.
If you’re a self-confessed treasure-hunter, rejoice because their 3,000 square foot space is filled with clothes for the whole family, accessories, toys, jewelry, housewares, books, and pet supplies.
This vast collection goes further with everything from vinyl records and vintage band memorabilia to saddles and horse tack.
Price: $-$$
Karma's Closet
Newington Chamber of Commerce named this Connecticut thrift store “Best Clothing Store” now six years running.
Karma’s Closet is a consignment boutique with a unique bent.
Why?
We’ll, we’re not talking about just the clothing, shoes, and accessories (for men, women, and kids) or the home decor and furniture.
We’re talking about their other offerings, like a craft fair for local artisans in the parking lot, as well as stocking local handmade goods.
They’re also known to host pop-up events like free yoga classes so you can find your vinyasa after a good thrifting spree.
Price: $$-$$$
Hole In The Wall
As Guilford’s oldest and only nonprofit thrift and consignment shop, Hole in the Wall curates clean, well-organized men’s and women’s quality clothing, as well as jewelry, shoes, housewares, books, and seasonal items.
Clever displays of rotating outfit pairings provide a little free outfit inspo on top of the bargain tier prices.
Proceeds go in full to the Guilford A Better Chance program which invites academically talented women of color to attend Guilford High School and help lessen the educational divide.
Price: $-$$
Safe Haven
As far as thrift stores in Southbury CT go, Safe Haven Thrift Shop is consistently a top pick.
You can find women’s clothes, shoes, and accessories, but they also have many household items, small appliances, and both vintage and modern furniture.
Chances are, you’ll also get to say hi to one of the adorable shop dogs that frequent the store—and act as their product models!
All proceeds support the programs of Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury. These include financial coaching and assistance, court services, counseling, advocacy, emergency crisis intervention, and housing.
Price: $-$$$
Second Chance Shop
With a thrift store in West Hartford CT as well as locations in Simsbury, Suffield, and Glastonbury, Second Chance Shop is a short trip away for anyone in the state.
Their shops are clean, well-organized, and stocked with adult’s and children’s clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelry, collectibles, and household items.
Items are vetted for quality and condition, and are offered at affordable prices.
Operated by more than 500 volunteers, all proceeds support The Village.
Over the past 50 years, more than $6 million of the shop’s proceeds have contributed to mental health and wellness programs, school funding and support, foster care and child welfare, and addiction and recovery support—to name a few.
Price: $-$$
Consigned Designs
If you’re hunting for upscale thrift shops in Greenwich, be sure to include Consigned Designs in your shopping day designs.
As one of the more luxury thrift stores in Connecticut, they sell women’s high-end designer and contemporary clothing, handbags, jewelry, shoes, and accessories.
Expect to be shocked by the affordability of guaranteed authentic items from names like Hermes, Chanel, and Gucci.
Options to consign are available, too.
Price: $$-$$$
Deer Hill Thrift Shop
You know what they say about leaving them wanting more, and this shop certainly does that.
They’re only open on Saturdays from 10 am -2 pm, but Deer Hill Thrift Shop is still one of the most well-loved thrift shops in Danbury, CT.
Blending the best of both worlds, the thrift shop looks like an upscale boutique—but with prices that are extremely thrifty.
They boast a range of high-quality clothing, eveningwear, shoes, accessories, electronics, books, music, and unusual items. Word has it they sold a real harpoon once.
They also offer a unique costume rental service.
Proceeds support outreach programs offered by the First Congregational Church of Danbury.
Price: $-$$
Why Support Thrift Stores in Connecticut?
Thrift shops in CT aren’t just charming spots to find great deals, they’re powerful tools in avoiding fast fashion and reducing waste. Every year, Connecticut disposes of around 96,500 tons of textiles, even though about 95% of those textiles are reusable or recyclable. That’s a huge volume of potential savings for the environment and for taxpayers.
Connecticut towns are stepping up with new textile recycling programs, making it easier than ever to keep clothes out of landfills. For example:
- In Lebanon, expanded textile recycling at the town’s Transfer Station now accepts a wide array of clean, dry textiles — including bedding, jackets, linens, and accessories, even those with rips or stains.
- Norwich now has multiple drop-off sheds for clothing, shoes, and other textiles through a partnership with Apparel Impact. This is removing barriers so residents can recycle unwanted items locally.
- In Trumbull, there’s a partnership with Helpsy to offer free home pick-up of clothing and household textiles.
Each of us has a role in shifting the burden away from landfills. When you choose thrift over new, you help cut textile waste, reduce the environmental cost of clothing production, and support reuse systems that benefit your town.
So next time you clean out your closet, consider donating or recycling. Check whether your town has textile bins or home-pickup services. When you shop, hit up thrift stores first. It’s not just good for your wallet, it’s doing good for Connecticut.
Final Thoughts
It may be the third smallest state in the United States, but the number of secondhand shops in Connecticut is impressive. This means you can embrace both seersuckers and slow fashion at the same time.
For out-of-staters not planning a trip to the Mark Twain House and Museum anytime soon, you can get your secondhand fix from online thrift stores. If you know someone scouting the local Yale University, send them this list of the best thrift stores in CT to help curb those college fees.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in May 2022 and has been updated several times since. The last major update was in October 2024, and in September 2025 we checked it for accuracy and made minor updates.
Aarron was introduced to how humans played a role in the environment when a friend explained the impacts of the wolves in Yellowstone. Since then, he has tried to reduce his impact through sustainable swaps, minimizing waste, and eating clean. He hopes writing about sustainability will encourage readers to make small sustainable changes to their lifestyles.
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