My Favourite Second-Hand Clothing Stores!

By popular request, here are some of my favourite stores if you happen to be in Victoria, BC, Canada. 

NEW: 

• I've added links for my favourite Sidney, BC stores. Scroll down.
• I've also added links for my favourite Powell River (PR), BC, stores, since I go there and patronize them 1-2 times a year. Scroll down for them. 

Victoria Second-Hand Stores That I Love

Caveats

• This is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all second-hand stores in Victoria - just the ones I shop at regularly.
• All links are 'cause I love - I get nothing but a friendly "hello" when I shop at these stores. There's this thing called "Google" if you want more information.
• My opinions are purely mine, and you may disagree. Shop at your own risk!

In a hurry? Go to Flavour Upstairs, WIN Pandora, and the Patch.

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Consignment - The seller gets a small percentage of the cost of the item after it sells. Selection tends to be curated based on clientele.

The Velvet Crease (link) - 1035 Fort St (10 minute walk from town)
A little on the pricey side (due to the location), and tends to skew towards the older lady. Some higher-end designers. Items are grouped by type and colour, and have size indicators on the hangers. Sizes range from XS-XXL. I shop here 8-10 times a year, buying a couple of nice things. They have a good 50% off rack and frequently run 20% off the whole store promotions. Not open on Sundays.

Rich Rags (FB link) - Harris Green Plaza, Yates at Quadra (near London Drugs)
Cheap consignment; they have an ongoing % off promotion and pretty quick turnover (prices are often negotiable). The original owner, Julia (a slightly crusty Russian lady), has stepped down and her son and partner run it now - and they have a good eye, as the quality of the stock has improved. Stock is sorted by type and size, and they have a good plus-size section (I've found things here for my mom). A small selection of menswear (I have bought L stuff here). I pop in here about twice a month, and usually find 1-2 things - it's a good spot for menswear.

Verve (link) - Government Street (20 minute walk from downtown)
A high-end consignment store with corresponding prices (nothing under $30), but a good half-price rack at the back. All ladies' wear, with a small selection of menswear. Items are sorted by type and size. A good selection of shoes and designer pieces. Two big curtained fitting rooms at the back. Friendly staff is happy to help you. I only go here for L's birthday (in June) and in December (shopping for L), because I always find something for myself - can't afford to shop here more frequently, and it's a bit out of the downtown core. Not open on Sundays.

House of Savoy (link) - Oak Bay Avenue, near the White Heather Tea Room

Emilie and Zenija have done some renovations to made it brighter, and rearranged it so that it feels bigger, and there's even seats opposite the three curtained fitting rooms (much appreciated by husband/mom). You'll find all the 'name' brands here, plus funky styles from BR, J. Crew and even a bit of Zara and H&M (but only the good stuff). A great place to find a treasure. I always scope out the sale rack and the jewelry counter for gems. I consign my own clothes here now. 

Upcycle (link) - lower Fort Street, corner of Langley Street
A spacious well-lit shop in a heritage building in Victoria's downtown core, this shop is squarely aimed at the newly-second-hand consumer, proudly touting their mission of minimizing the impact of fast fashion. A curated mix of men's and women's clothing, with a good selection of shoes, most of the clothing is modern, with some vintage of the 80s and 90s. Prices are moderate, and the 50% discount after an item's been there for 30 days is clear and easy to understand.

MONA (Make Old New Again) (link) - Fort Street, next to the Velvet Crease)

A small narrow shop, with a curated selection of trendy items, mostly a blend of higher-end pieces with some brands like Zara and H&M thrown in. Some new and new-with-tags items. Two good-sized fitting rooms. Target audience is the Aritzia crowd. 

Vintage After Death (link) - Pandora Ave, on the outside of Market Square
This is a curated vintage store. If you don't enjoy pawing through racks of crap for one nugget of gold, then this is the store for you. Lots of vintage, but mostly from the 60s-90s, but the curation is worth it. Target audience is the younger crowd just getting into secondhand and vintage. They have a small clearance section in the back. 

Flavour Upstairs (FB link) - Johnson Street below Government
This used to be one of my top stores, but their selection has dwindled post-pandemic, and stock is sparse. Head up the rickety wooden 100+-year-old staircase beside Flavour on trendy lower Johnson Street ("Low Jo"). Stuff is sorted by type (eg. Hawaiian shirts) but not by size (only with jeans). They also do menswear, and I often find things for L. Fitting rooms are small individual rooms with a mirror. Slowly improving, although I miss the days of the $5.00 rack. 

Turnabout (link) - Oak Bay Avenue next to Ottavio Bakery
A three-level high-end consignment store, specializing in new and trendy designer clothes and luxury items. A great spot to find a one-of-a-kind piece, or to add some new goodies to your current wardrobe. Racks of high-end designer, Aritzia brands, and other "name" brands, with a small jewelry case, and lots of shoes. Menswear has the bottom floor, with a small selection, including shoes. A big fitting room area with massive mirror in the open area, and lots of helpful salespeople. They do spot sales (usually on long weekends), and often have rolling in-store mark-downs where you can find deep discounts (30-70% off). Clearance is on the top floor, and is worth combing through for designer mark-downs. A dangerous store - I have to limit how often I visit!

Vend Collective (Insta link here) - Fort Street between Vancouver and Cook Street

This is what an online consignment store looks like in person! Two storefronts of curated consignment items (all women's wear), with an audience of 20-30+ year olds. I have found a few things here. 

Botched Vintage (Inta link here) - Fort Street between Vancouver and Cook Street

Botched is new, in the old Leka storefront - they have a small curated selection of 1990s (mostly) higher-end designer clothes for men and women. I've found a couple of cool things here. 

Thrift - Stock is received by donation. Thrift stores are run and staffed by volunteers and proceeds go to registered charities. Totally not curated, although most of them have a "boutique" section for designer brands. Also known as "op-shops" and "charity shops"in other countries.

WIN (Women in Need) - multiple locations, but I shop at only two of them

WIN Resale Store aka "WIN Pandora" - Pandora Ave, between Blanchard and Douglas
Located in a giant former warehouse, this is not just a clothing store; it also carries books, housewares and furniture and toys (and kids' clothes). They have a good size men's section (I often find stuff for L), but at least half the store is women's clothing. Jewelry has bee  reduced drastically in the past few years and is all behind the counters; shoes are sorted by size, lots of scarves (often good brands) and bags. Clothing is categorized by type (eg. coats) and then sorted as Vintage (anything from the 90s earlier), Thrift (not a fancy brand) and Boutique (higher-end brands, and some designer). The racks are easy to look at and browse through. They no longer have fitting room, so it's riskier to buy clothing. I can spend 2 hours going through every single item. I buy here a lot - they have a points system (1 per $1 spent) that you can redeem for money off your purchases. Frequent markdowns, and high stock turnover means I visit this store every 2-3 weeks. It's where I take people who need a big wardrobe update.

WIN Boutique aka "WIN Cook" - Cook Street, near Royal Athletic Park
Same as the other WIN stores, but this one is a smaller selection and square footage. A small rack of menswear, some children's wear and toys, a few books and housewares. I go here about once every 6 weeks, just because the prices tend to be slightly higher. No fitting rooms post-pandemic. They also have a small housewares/furniture store in the same building. 

Special Mentions

I find interesting things in all kinds of places, and you'd be surprise where you can find fashionable items. These are some of my favourite non-clothing second-hand shops. 

Charmaine's Past & Present (website) - Fort Street near Cook Street

Charmaine's carries mostly furniture, including couches and sofas, chairs, dining sets, display cases, clocks, lamps, along with an assortment of knick-knacks, collectibles and paintings. They do a small assortment of jewelry, and I've bought a few pieces from them. L and I have bought 2 couches, a chair, and a couple of stools there (and a ship painting!). Stock changes constantly - they are always busy!

Good Things Consignment (website) - Oak Bay Avenue

I always pop in here, as pert of the trifecta of stores on Oak Bay Ave that are within a block of each other (House of Savoy and Turnabout being the other two). Lots of collectibles, housewares, small furniture, books and an excellent selection of jewelry - many Christmas presents and gifts for me have been purchased here. 

Powell River Second-Hand Stores That I Love

Willow Rose Boutique (link), down the stairs off Willingdone Avenue

A packed consignment store, filled with gems. Karen - the owner/operator - has a great eye and has built a clientele who brings her unique and interesting items for re-sale. I find good quality things here - not a lot of vintage or designer - which tend to be the better things from cheaper lines. 

Blue Sky Consignment (link), Marine Ave

A jam-packed little store, filled with a good selection of "middle" brands. No vintage or high-end, but a solid mix of accessories. 

Sidney Second-Hand Stores That I Love

• Dog's Breath Antiques (FB link here)
• BC SPCA Thrift Store (SPCA store page here)
• Beacon Community Services Thrift on Fourth (shop list here)
• Beacon Community Services Thrift Annex (as above)
• Connections Consignment (FB link here)
• House of Lily Koi Consignment (website here)
• Cameron Rose Gifts (website here) - regular retail, but I like this store
• Green Door Thrift (FB link here)