Vintage Clothing Stores in Southern Maine
While many places around the country offer various options to discover those rare gems that all collectors of vintage clothing long to find, there is no place in the country that is as much a diamond in the rough as Southern Maine is.
Any traveler who has been to various regions of the country will recognize the typical boutiques the usually line the business district of tourist traps – along the seacoast or within the cities. However there exists a unique market of vintage clothing that remains hidden within piles of otherwise ordinary used clothing.
Maine offers tourists the usual fare of boutiques along the coast, however further inland and north, the clever traveler will discover hidden jewels that are scattered throughout Southern Maine.
Heart’s Desire (207-282-6957)
Heart’s Desire is a consignment shop located at 191 Main St in Saco, Maine. It is just next door to the famous “Rapid Ray’s” – a fast food burger & hot dog restaurant that has become virtually a landmark within the town of Saco. At Heart’s Desire, you will discover a quaint consignment clothing shop tucked into a beautiful historic building.
Entering the front door, you will immediately notice a very well organized and clean shop, which maintains the historic feel of the building. The shop offers a variety of styles and types of clothing – overall a mix of both contemporary and vintage. The vintage clothes are isolated into one section of the store so that shoppers who are interested in only vintage clothing do not have to sift through hundreds of contemporary clothes to weed out the vintage gems.
This 1700 square foot shop on main street also includes vintage accessories and jewelry. The reputation of the shop has been built on quality of merchandise, and no clothing is accepted that is of poor or soiled quality.
Prices at this shop range from $29.99 and up for vintage clothes.
Hours are currently Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am-5pm, Thursday from 10am to 6pm, and Saturday from 9am to 4pm. These hours may change slightly during the approaching summer months.
Another Chance Animal Rescue Thrift Shop (207-676-9330)
Another Chance Animal Rescue is located at 37 Market Street in North Berwick, ME. Shoppers can browse an assortment of items, not only clothing but also vintage items and collectibles. However we absolutely love thrift shops, because older folks very often will donate an entire collection, even an attic full, of some of the most amazing vintage clothing you’ll find anywhere. While thrift shops such as this take more time to locate those special discoveries – most often the sheer value of the discovery in comparison to the price makes it well worth the effort. We’ve seen WWII vintage clothing, as well as 1920’s and 1930’s era skirts, dresses, and jackets – all for sale at such Thrift stores.
In addition to digging for treasure – if you have time, we strongly suggest that you visit the animals at the Animal Rescue shelter, an experience few shoppers will forget.
In addition to finding some wonderful vintage clothes, shoppers can feel good about the fact that 100% of all of the proceeds benefit the animals in the care of the Another Chance Animal Rescue.
Prices at Another Chance range from $2 up to $15.
Hours are currently Monday 10am-5pm, Tuesday-Friday 11am-4pm, and Saturdays from 10am-2pm. The shop is also open on Sundays from 12pm to 4pm during July and August.
Make sure to visit Another Chance Animal Rescue on the web at: http://www.acanimalrescue.org
Salvation Army Thrift Store (207-286-1494)
The Salvation Army Thrift Store located at 435 Elm St in Biddeford, Maine is another location where the unexpected treasure can be found. The Salvation Army thrift stores accept donations of gently used clothing from the community. These stores also offer other items and collectibles, however are for the most part are loaded with gently used clothing. In much the same way as other thrift stores – there are many older members of the community who donate a large number of items to the Salvation Army. New items arrive every day.
And it is also a place that features an amazing assortment of clothing from used contemporary clothing in moderate condition, to vintage, and some times antique items in meticulous condition. It is a virtual treasure hunt. Additionally, you can feel good about your purchase – all proceeds from the sales fund the adult rehabilitation program, which assists over 216,000 individuals every single year.
These stores are generally run by volunteers and often have an unorganized low-end department store feel to them. However if you can ignore the environment, and don’t mind sifting through hundreds of pieces of clothing in order to discover one of those amazing and rare vintage pieces – this store can sometimes be a goldmine.
Priced at the Salvation Army range from $1 up to $10.
Store hours are from Monday through Saturday, 9am to 6pm.
The Good Cause Thrift Store (207-772-4903)
The Good Cause Thrift Store is located at 693 Congress Street in Portland, Maine is a very unique thrift store that is operated by Sister Mary Quinn of the Catherine McAuley high school. This thrift store also offers used clothing and an assortment of other items for the antiques hunter.
The shop is run for the most part by volunteers (about seventy of them), and all proceeds provide students with financial aid.
In an interview published on line, Sister Mary Quinn commented about what the store means to the students and the customers alike:
“May I just say, though what we do for Catherine McAuley High is measurable, what we do for our customers is beyond measure. Some come several times a day, perhaps for sociability. Many come in daily perhaps for a kind word, a hug, a warm smile or to ask for a prayer for a deceased loved one, a sick child or their impending surgery or health crisis.”
When asked where the merchandise comes from, she responded:
“It’s all donated. We have wonderful people come in. It comes from estates, people moving, downsizing, and so on.”
What this means is that not only do you have an opportunity to help the students of Catherine McAuley High school earn scholarships and other financial assistance, but you stand a very good chance of discovering a unique, or maybe even rare vintage item from any of the local estate sales that may have ended up at this unique store. The merchandise at this store, in general, is somewhat higher quality that what you will find at Goodwill or Salvation Army.
Prices at The Good Cause range from $1 up to $15.
The Good Cause Thrift Store hours are Monday-Friday 10am to 5pm. Saturday 10am to 2pm.
Goodwill (207-878-1763)
Goodwill, located at 1104 Forest Avenue in Portland Maine is another non-profit business whose mission is to “enhance the social and economic independence of people with disabilities. Goodwill has advanced over the years, and offers a more clean and organized environment – often attracting fairly wealthy, yet thrifty, shoppers who are looking for quality clothing at reasonable prices.
Goodwill offers a wide range of apparel, footwear, children’s clothes, accessories – and like many other thrift stores, they do offer other assorted household and collectible items.
These stores also accept donations of gently used clothing from the community, however we’ve noticed that they are a little more selective in which clothes end up on the rack, and how well organized the clothes are. For the same reason other donation-based stores offer a unique opportunity to locate valuable vintage clothing, Goodwill does as well. New items arrive every day, often by the truckload.
These stores are generally run by employees and are more clean and pleasant to shop than many other thrift stores. Goodwill can also prove to be a virtual goldmine when it comes to discovering rare and unique vintage clothing.
Prices at Goodwill range from $1 up to $20. They also sometimes offer new items from surplus.
Store hours are Monday through Saturday, 9am to 8pm and on Sundays from 11am to 5pm.
