The Ins-and-Outs of Thrifting in Ithaca, NY

Serendipity Boutique on Aurora St. | Source: Kathryn Ksiazek for Ithaca Week

What Are Our Options?

Like many college towns, Ithaca, NY is quite the hub for thrifting. With several thrift shops and consignment shops in a 10-mile radius, the small city doesn’t lack places to find cheap, sustainably-sourced clothing. Just to name a few, Ithaca is home to Serendipity Boutique, Plato’s Closet, Thrifty Shopper, Ithaca ReUse Center and a Salvation Army thrift shop. While they all attract customers both local and regional, some are more popular than others.

“I usually like to go thrifting at the Salvation Army in Ithaca downtown,” said Maddy Vogel, a student at Ithaca College.

Paige Farrington, one of the young workers at Petrune, a local Ithaca boutique, seems to share Vogel’s appreciation of the local Salvation Army, saying, “I do [thrift in Ithaca], but not as much as I would like to. I still haven’t even gone to the Salvation Army, which I hear is kinda the best spot in Ithaca to go thrifting from what my friends have told me, so I want to go there sometime this week.”

Salvation Army is a staple thrift shop in many towns and it seems you simply cannot beat the classics. The Salvation Army seems to have the most love in the Ithaca area.

What Happened to Trader K's?

What’s left of Trader K’s | Source: Kathryn Ksiazek for Ithaca Week.

Trader K’s used to be one of the most popular thrifting spots in Ithaca. It was cheap, well stocked, and easily accessible to students both with or without cars. Unfortunately, after 26 years in business, Trader K’s was closed after the owners decided it was time for a change of pace.

With Trader K’s being right in the center of the Ithaca Commons, it got a lot of foot traffic. And the bus that runs to the Commons at least every hour from Ithaca College gave students a great option for getting to a thrift shop. Now, with Trader K’s closed for good, students have a harder time finding a place to thrift.

“I think we should have more [thrift shops] that are more accessible to campuses because I feel like without Ubering or having a car you can’t really get to the thrift stores that we have,” said Vogel.

Farrington, however, who never got a chance to go to Trader K’s before its closing, has mixed feelings about the thrifting scene here in Ithaca post-Trader K’s.

“I like [thrifting in Ithaca] a lot more than at home. I come from Cape Cod and it’s not like a thrifting scene there at all, so coming here, it was really nice to have thrift stores,” she said. “But from what I’ve heard, Ithaca thrifting still isn’t as good as other places, but based on my experience, it’s been pretty nice.”

It seems that while Trader K’s will be missed by many, newer generations are coming into Ithaca and bringing a fresh perspective on thrifting in the area.

Why Do We Thrift?

Thrifting is such a personal experience to many people. Thrifting is a way to find unique clothes or to save money. It could be a necessity or it could be for your own enjoyment. Thrift stores are truly a place for all sorts of people to connect, even if they don’t realize it.

“I think it’s really good for the environment and it’s also really cheap and accessible to most people,” said Vogel. “So I think that if it has that positive impact on the environment, then it’s worth it.”