Familiar scene for thrift-shoppers of Ann Arbor

Downtown Ann Arbor is full of cute and quirky boutiques that are fun to browse, but aren’t exactly cheap. For college students on a tight budget, buying clothes and outfitting a new apartment probably involve a trip to the mall or shopping plaza, where merchandise is likely to be less expensive. But you’ve been fooled!

As Ann Arbor locals know, downtown is home to some fantastic non-profit thrift shops that are easy on your wallet and good for the community. Even if used clothing isn’t your thing, they’re a great place to find ridiculous outfits for themed parties.

 

My personal favorite, Kiwanis Thrift Sale, only runs on Saturdays from 9 A.M. to 12:00 P.M., but it’s well worth the early morning wake-up. I fell in love with the place when I found a pair of purple and black leopard-print pants hanging in the women’s section. Located near the Blind Pig at Washington and First, Kiwanis offers practically everything you could imagine. Clothes? Well, of course. Records? Definitely. An almost-new dish set for the dining table? Yup!

 Salvation Army, located at 1621 S. State St near E. Stadium Blvd, is a bit of a walk from the campus area, however it’s easily accessible by taking routes 5, 6 or 36 on AATA buses. It’s open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. and from 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. on Fridays and Saturdays. Salvy mostly houses clothes, but you’ll find random houseware and toys too. They have 10 fitting rooms, and as an added bonus, students get a 25% discount with ID on Thursdays.

If you’re feeling philanthropic, both Kiwanis and Salvation Army accept donations.

And yes, I did buy the leopard-print pants.

Rhiannon