A Thrifter’s Guide to Greater Lynchburg

Thrifting is part treasure hunt, part budget shopping and, sometimes, an exercise in patience.

You might walk into a secondhand store looking for a pair of jeans and walk out with a vintage lamp. Or you could spend an hour digging through racks and leave empty-handed only to find exactly what you were looking for on your next visit.
For Lynchburg-area shoppers, there are plenty of places to look.

Start with the big thrift stores
Mission Thrift has four Lynchburg-area locations — Rivermont, Forest, Waterlick and Wards, making it one of the area's most extensive options for traditional thrift shopping. The stores carry clothing, shoes, housewares, furniture and other donated goods and the organization says income from the stores supports local and global programming.

Goodwill also has several locations around the Lynchburg area, including stores on Wards Road, Timberlake Road, and Forest Road. Like Mission Thrift, Goodwill can be a good place to browse a little bit of everything, from clothing to household items.

The key to both types of stores is to go in without specific expectations. Inventory changes constantly, and the fun is often in finding something you weren't looking for.

Looking for clothes? For shoppers more interested in fashion than digging through every aisle, Lynchburg has several resale and consignment options.

Plato's Closet, at Woodberry Square, focuses on clothing, shoes and accessories geared toward teens and young adults.

Uptown Cheapskate at 3700 Candlers Mountain Road specializes in current styles and recognizable brands. Its inventory includes everything from jeans and dresses to activewear, shoes and purses, with brands such as Lululemon, Levi's, Free People and Nike among those it lists as sought-after brands.

For a more curated consignment experience, On Second Thought has moved to 201 Gristmill Drive in Forest. The locally owned shop has women's clothing and accessories as well as home décor and furniture.

Downtown's Threaded Collective is another option for shoppers interested in curated secondhand fashion.

Don't forget the kids
Parents have plenty of opportunities to save money on things children quickly outgrow. Once Upon A Child in Forest buys and sells gently used children's clothing, shoes, toys, books and baby gear.

Where the Kids Things Are, at 3405 Waterlick Road in Forest, specializes in children's clothing, toys and other items for growing families.

And for parents willing to shop an event rather than a permanent store, Kidz Kraze holds large children's consignment sales in Lynchburg featuring seasonal clothing, shoes, toys, books, baby equipment and children's furniture.

Shopping for your house? Secondhand shopping isn't limited to clothing. Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a good stop for furniture, home improvement materials, appliances and other household items. Proceeds support Habitat's local mission.

For furniture and décor, On Second Thought and Next Time Consignment in Forest offer another avenue for finding previously owned pieces. Estates & Consignments in downtown Lynchburg is another option for antique, vintage and estate-style furniture and décor.

Lynchburg-Area Secondhand Shopping Guide

Traditional Thrift

Mission Thrift — Rivermont
2303 Bedford Ave., Lynchburg
Clothing, housewares, shoes, furniture and other donated goods. Mission Thrift uses proceeds from its stores to support local and global programs.

Mission Thrift — Forest
18366 Forest Road, Forest
A spacious Mission Thrift location offering clothing, housewares, furniture and other secondhand finds.

Mission Thrift — Waterlick
3412 Waterlick Road, Suite S, Lynchburg
Clothing, home goods and other donated merchandise.

Mission Thrift — Wards
2505 Wards Road, Suite A, Lynchburg
A convenient Wards Road location offering clothing, housewares, furniture and other thrift-store finds.

Goodwill — Forest Road
19325 Forest Road, Lynchburg
A large Goodwill store with clothing, household goods and other donated merchandise. The location includes more than 12,000 square feet of shopping space.

Goodwill — Timberlake Road
22103 Timberlake Road, Lynchburg
A broad selection of donated clothing and household merchandise.

Goodwill — Wards Road
2420 Wards Road, Lynchburg
Clothing, household goods and other donated merchandise near the Wards Road shopping district.

Clothing & Fashion

Plato's Closet
1033 Woodberry Square Place, Suite B, Lynchburg
Buy-sell-trade store specializing in clothing, shoes and accessories geared toward teens and young adults.

Uptown Cheapskate
3700 Candlers Mountain Road, Suite 44, Lynchburg
Contemporary resale shop carrying recognizable clothing, shoe and accessory brands.

On Second Thought Consignment
201 Gristmill Drive, Forest
A large locally owned consignment shop featuring women's clothing and accessories as well as furniture and home décor.

Threaded Collective
1212 Main St., Lynchburg
A curated secondhand-fashion shop downtown featuring clothing and ethically made goods. The store buys gently used clothing for cash or store credit.

Pandora's Closet
3831 Old Forest Road, Suite 10, Lynchburg
Consignment shop featuring women's clothing, formal wear and accessories.

The Style Exchange
3622 Old Forest Road, Lynchburg
Locally owned resale shop offering women's clothing, dresses, denim, shoes, bags and other accessories.

Children & Baby

Once Upon A Child
18013 Forest Road, Suite D01, Forest
Buys and sells gently used children's clothing, shoes, toys, books and baby gear.

Where the Kids Things Are
3405 Waterlick Road, Forest
Locally owned resale shop offering children's clothing, toys, furniture and other items for growing families.

Kidz Kraze Consignment Events
Lynchburg
Twice-a-year children's consignment events featuring seasonal clothing, shoes, toys, books, baby equipment and furniture.

Furniture, Home Décor & Vintage

Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity ReStore
360 Alleghany Ave., Lynchburg
Furniture, appliances, home accessories and building materials, with purchases supporting Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity's housing mission.

On Second Thought Consignment
201 Gristmill Drive, Forest
Furniture, home décor, accessories and women's clothing in a large consignment shop.

Next Time Consignment
4700 Waterlick Road, Forest
Pre-owned furniture, home furnishings, housewares, lighting and decorative pieces.

Estates & Consignments
139 12th St., Lynchburg
A 4,000-square-foot downtown shop offering antique furniture, vintage clothing, estate jewelry, home décor, books, fabrics and other finds.

Peddler's Antiques
1165 Burnbridge Road, Forest
A multi-vendor antique shop for browsing furniture, vintage merchandise, collectibles and home décor.