7 Coolest Vintage Stores in Portland

Where does shopping end and entertainment begin? Sure, you kinda need an outfit for that thing you have coming up, but that’s not really the point. Portland’s vintage stores are at least as much about marveling at the technicolor jumpsuits, beaded flapper dresses, and velvet smoking jackets. With around 40 vintage shops to choose from, it can be hard to know where to begin. I went to over 20 of them and narrowed down the best starting points, focusing on variety and interesting finds. I gave extra credit to stores with older things and those in walkable neighborhoods near other thrift and vintage stores. Bargain hunters, collectors, romantic seekers of nostalgia, and everyone struggling to keep up with what we’re supposed to be boycotting right now, here are Portland’s most fabulous vintage stores.

1. Memory Den

Great for: Variety

Memory Den is a newer addition to Portland’s vintage shopping scene, and it feels like an idea whose time has come. In a city with so many rainy days, the vintage mall is a great excursion on a drizzly afternoon. First, the space is huge. Over 100 vendors, makers, and artists fill the two-story former warehouse that spans a city block. Each booth has a unique feel reflecting its creator. Products include just about everything you might need besides groceries, like books, accessories, furniture, art, decor, artisanal soaps, games, toys, taxidermy, and clothing ranging from flannel shirts to ballgowns. Stop at the register to pick up the checklist for the scavenger hunt. After shopping, look for the pool room, games area, and reading room. On weekends, the bar is open upstairs.

Address: 499 SE 2nd Ave, Portland, OR 97214

2. Hollywood Vintage

Great for: Sunglasses and eyewear

Hollywood Vintage is a delightful hodgepodge. Quality vintage wool sweaters? Yes. Gorilla masks? Probably also, yes. Old uniforms for somewhere that doesn’t exist anymore? Many, yes. This longtime Portland staple of the secondhand is best approached with an open mind. It’s known for its large collection of vintage eyewear. There are over 1,000 frames, some of which have never been worn despite being decades old. You can also find tons of clothes ranging from practical to quirky to downright bizarre. I’ve bought last-minute white elephant gifts here, as well as my kitchen chairs. The prices are a little all over the place, but you can find deals if you search. I bought a Pendleton rug once for $40 that my cat cannot destroy despite her best attempts. Out of love or hate, I can’t tell. I doubt she knows herself.

Address: 2757 Northeast Pacific Street, Portland, OR 97232

Honorable mentions nearby: Across the street from Hollywood Vintage, Looking Sideways is a small shop with fun vintage clothing and some screaming deals. The look is Grandma meets punk rock. Perhaps, the grandmas of the future. I bought a dress here once from a 1980s designer for $15 that sells for around $100 online.

3. Xtabay

Great for: Dresses

Shopping at Xtabay is like visiting an art gallery for women’s clothing. Compared to most vintage stores in Portland, it’s less about bargain hunting for everyday looks and more about finding something unique for a special occasion. My sister bought her wedding dress here. Celebrities have visited to buy outfits for events. If you think in those terms, it really is a bargain, with most outfits being in the $100-300 range. The clothes and accessories are from decades past in like new condition. You can feel the quality of the seams and fabrics absent in clothes made today. It’s a place to see and try on beautiful things.

Address: 2515 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202

Honorable mentions nearby: Head east on Division to find a cluster of vintage shops, like Tiger’s Den, Artifact Creative Recycle, and Really Good Stuff.

4. Hello Sunshine

Great for: Lifting your mood

Hello Sunshine is my vote for the most cheerful vintage store in Portland. If you’ve ever been put off by the fluorescent lights and mothball odors in so many secondhand shops, this one’s for you. Everywhere you look is color, from the squeaky clean bubblegum pink floor to the rainbow hues on the racks of men’s and women’s clothing. There’s plenty to see despite being one of the smaller vintage shops on the list, and the prices are low enough to have impulse-buy potential. Several vendors choose the clothes, accessories, handmade art, and decor to make the space bright and welcoming. I’d call the vibe kooky grandma meets queer chic. It’s hard not to smile while you browse.

Address: 3022 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214

Honorable mentions nearby: Several other small vintage shops are within easy walking distance. Goodbye Horses and Banshee are gems. Hollywood Vintage and Looking Sideways are nearby, too.

5. House of Vintage

Great for: The hunt

If you find most of Portland’s secondhand shops a little too curated, try House of Vintage. This sprawling maze of rooms and racks is set up for finding hidden gems rather than browsing a pre-sorted collection. The goods are mostly men’s and women’s clothing with a smattering of accessories and decor. The clothes tend toward the modern end of the vintage spectrum, especially Y2K. The prices are, to my eye, almost aggressively random. Many are cheap enough for painless impulse purchases. Several dozen vendors sell in House of Vintage, contributing to the variety.

Address: 3315 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214

Honorable mentions nearby: Portland’s Hawthorne Blvd is ground zero for vintage shopping. Head in any direction on either side of the street. In the immediate vicinity, Telephone Vintage (so many jeans!), Kissing Booth (charming but pricey), and Alien Mermaid Cove have good browsing potential. Red Light (#6) and Magpie (#7) are also within easy walking distance.

6. Red Light

Great for: Costumes and curiosities

Red Light Clothing Exchange is the kind of store that makes you turn to your friend and say, “Be honest, can I pull this off?” And, of course, you choose which friend to ask based on the answer you want. The men’s and women’s clothes here tend toward the quirky. Expect bright colors, rhinestones, and ruffles. They’re interesting to browse but can be hard to wear with a straight face you had in something similar in middle school. The clothes span the decades, leaning into the 1980s through the Y2K era. It’s a great place to look for a Halloween costume or an outfit for a themed party. If you’re around 20 years old, wear it all. I’m the friend telling you that you can pull it off.

Address: 3590 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214

Honorable mentions nearby: Just keep walking west on Hawthorne. Most stores will be vintage stores.

7. Magpie

Great for: Finding your next statement piece

Of Hawthorne Blvd’s many vintage shops, I’d call Magpie the cutest. It falls on the small and carefully curated spectrum of secondhand shops. The men’s and women’s clothing are solidly vintage, many pre-1980. The store is especially strong in dresses, jackets, and accessories. It’s worth spending some time at the jewelry counter to browse the large collection of baubles from 1970s costume jewelry to Victorian-style broaches.

Address: 1960 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214

Honorable mentions nearby: About a block or two away from Magpie, Midtowner Market has a similar vibe, just with merchandise that’s more Y2K than groovy 70s.

Specialty vintage stores in Portland

Find the escutcheons of your wildest dreams at Hippo Hardware

I kept the list pretty general interest so far. In case you’re looking for something more specialized or just different, here are some of Portland’s more niche vintage stores.

• Hippo Hardware is a multilevel store devoted to vintage hardware, lighting, and plumbing. If you’ve ever yelled at home improvement shows that the remodelers are destroying the house’s original character, this one’s for you.

• Lounge Lizard has tons of retro, vintage, and rehabbed furniture. Think Midcentury Modern from the 1950s and 60s, not just styled like it. Vintage Pink, a little down Hawthorne Blvd, has a similar vibe. They’re close enough to be easy to check out both.

• Blue Moon Camera is a vintage camera shop specializing in film photography. Besides selling cameras and supplies, they also develop film.

• Crossroads Records has over 50 vendors selling records, CDs, and music posters, including rare and hard-to-find vinyl.

• Gem Set Love sells vintage and antique jewelry, a go-to for wedding rings.

Best neighborhoods for vintage shopping

Telephone Vintage on Hawthorne has an impressive collection of jeans

Hands down, Hawthorne Blvd is the best Portland neighborhood for vintage shopping. I went to check out a few shops for this article and stumbled on about ten more just by walking around. It feels like the street has more vintage and thrift stores than all the other stores combined. There’s a good variety, from the chaotic jumble at House of Vintage to small and curated shops like Magpie and Midtowners Market to specialty shops like Lounge Lizard.

The Kerns neighborhood is a strong runner-up. Starting with Hollywood Vintage as an anchor, you can easily walk to about half a dozen smaller boutique shops, like Looking Sideways, Goodbye Horses, and Hello Sunshine.

For other good vintage shopping areas in Portland, try the Central Eastside (Memory Den feels like its own neighborhood), Alberta Street, or Sellwood.

Best vintage stores in Portland, the summary:

1. Memory Den

2. Hollywood Vintage

3. Xtabay

4. Hello Sunshine

5. House of Vintage

6. Red Light

7. Magpie

Happy hunting in Portland’s vintage stores!

With love,

Emma

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