Living in DC
Thrift Shops, Consignment Stores, and other ways to buy secondhand goods in the Washington DC Area
Foreign Service families make good use of the bountiful secondhand market in the DC area while setting up their households and afterwards! Check out these resources contributed by AAFSW members.
Thrift Stores
Consignment Stores
Other Ways to Buy Secondhand Goods
http://www.narts.org
The National Association of Resale Professionals. Click "Shopping Guide" to search for thrift and consignment stores by merchandise offered and/or ZIP code.
http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/dpwes/recycling/thrift.htm
Fairfax County offers an extensive list of consignment and thrift shops on this page.
http://www.salvationarmy.org
The Salvation Army operates some of the best thrift stores in the
DC area. Enter your zip code to find the store nearest you.
http://locator.goodwill.org/
Goodwill Industries operates several stores in the Washington area, include one very close to NFATC on Arlington Boulevard. Also selling online at http://www.shopgoodwill.com/
http://nvfs.org/clocktower.htm
Northern Virginia Family Services operates several thrift shops in the Virginia suburbs.
http://uniquethriftstoremd.com/
Very large, well-run thrift "department stores" operated by Value Village. Locations in Falls Church, VA, and Silver Spring and Wheaton, MD. Smaller Value Village stores are located throughout the Washington DC area.
http://www.theclosetofgreaterherndon.org/
Operated by United Christian Parish, The Closet in Herndon, VA sells pretty much everything except furniture. The store is small and crowded, but offers well-organized items in very good condition.
The Bargain Loft (information on this page) in Herndon, VA. Sells gently used housewares. Operated by Herndon-Reston F.I.S.H., an organization which helps people with emergency needs such as money for rent, utilities or medicines.
http://www.mocothrift.org
Montgomery County Thrift Store in
Bethesda, MD, is a charitable non-profit organization that sells used and vintage clothing, jewelry, books, CDs, household goods, and small furniture.
http://www.communityforklift.com/
Community Forklift is nonprofit thrift store that specializes in home improvement items, building materials, hardware, tools, and lawn & garden supplies. Donations accepted onsite or picked up. Located in Hyattsville, MD.
http://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx
Habitat for Humanity ReStores offer furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances, and accept donations of all these items. Several locations in the Washington, DC area.
http://wiggleroom.biz/
Maternity and childrens' clothing consignment shop located in Bethesda, MD.
http://www.smallchangeconsignments.com/
Small Change Consignments, located in Reston, VA, is an especially nice children's consignment shop that has been in operation at Lake Anne Plaza since 1981.
http://www.nvce.com/ The Northern Virginia Clothing Exchange (NVCE) is a children's consignment sale held three times per year by private owners in Arlington, Virginia.
http://secondi.com/
Upscale womens' consignment clothing in DuPont Circle, Washington, DC.
Paddington Station (no website),
448 Maple Ave. E, Vienna
703-938-0378 . Childrens' consignment clothing.
http://www.frillyfrocks.com/
Frilly Frocks in Ashburn, VA, features womens' and childrens' consignment clothing.
http://kidtokid.com/
Kid to Kid is a chain of stores that buy and sell childrens' clothing. Local store in Centreville, VA.
http://www.antiques2new.com/
Consignment Furniture Gallery located in Beltsville, MD, buys and sells gently used furniture, art, and collectibles.
http://upscaleresale.com/
Upscale Resale located in Falls Church, VA, buys and sells gently used furniture, antiques, and art.
http://www.annandale-umc.org/420418.ihtml
The Preschool of Annandale United Methodist Church in Annandale, VA, has consignment sales twice yearly. Clothing and equipment for children up to age 14.
Other Ways to Buy Secondhand Goods
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/ Craig's List, a free online classified service, has a regional site for the Washington, DC area. Search for furniture, appliances, cars, yard sales, etc. and sell items when you depart for overseas posts.
http://www.ebay.com
Many Foreign Service families buy and sell household goods on eBay when arriving or departing from the Washington, DC area. Also an excellent source for children's clothing, sporting goods, and gear of all kinds while posted overseas or stateside.
http://www.freecycle.org "Freecycling" or simply giving items away using email offers, is very popular in the DC area. Find a group close to you, offer your items to those who can use them, and occasionally receive something you might need for your home.
The Washington Post Classifieds list secondhand goods, yard sales, and estate sales.
Send your suggestions for useful websites to webmaster@aafsw.org.