Never-ending racks of clothing that stretch as far as the eye can see. Clothes of every size and style and in every pattern and fabric. The homeland of a shopping addict ... mainly me.
Vintage and thrift stores in Barcelona are not hard to come by. On Carrer dels Tallers alone, there are about six of these types of stores on the same block: Soul Barcelona - Tienda de Moda Alternativa, Navajo Vintage, Flamingos Vintage Kilo Tallers, Bogo Vintage, Urban Vintage Barcelona and Holala! Tallers - unique vintage clothing for unique people.
The appeal of these stores is the conquest of a one-of-a-kind piece — something that no one else has. It attracts people who have a not so mainstream sense of style or those who are looking for trends of the past. It also attracts people looking for long lasting, good quality basics that will last forever -- and they have so far lasted for a long time.
One of these types of shoppers is Rachel Song, a 24-year-old Canadian tourist who visited Spain from May 25, 2022, to May 29, 2022.
“I don’t want to wear what’s trendy right now,” Song said. “I have my own style, and I won’t be able to find what I want to wear at a Zara or a H&M.”
Song describes her style as alternative punk with some Japanese influences. She likes platform steel-toed boots and tights with holes in them. She likes to collect hats in all kinds of colors and patterns. Her favorite outfit consists of four layers: a black bralette under a body chain under a sheer short-sleeved crop top under a cut-out, floral dress.
While visiting Spain, she was surprised to find stores that sparked her interest.
“I don’t need a store that carries everything I want to buy,” she said. “The best part of thrifting is searching underneath all the bad to find those golden pieces.”
Song found her holy grail when she and her friend Carrie stumbled on the streets of
Carrer dels Tallers and Carrer de Valldonzella in Barcelona, where they found vintage store after vintage store with endless supply of pre-owned stylish pieces.
In particular, Song enjoyed the themed store Soul Barcelona - Tienda de Moda Alternativa, which sells unique goth and pinup style clothing.
“It was truly amazing,” Song said. “I had no idea there were so many stores like that here.”
There are a few types of thrift stores spread out all over the city.
Kilo and BOGO stores
On Carrer dels Tallers, Flamingos Vintage Kilo Tallers and Bogo Vintage are great places to thrift in bulk.
Shopping “by the kilo” or “buy one get one free” is a great way to get a bang for your buck.
At Flamingos, there is a set price for one kilo so when they weigh your items you pay accordingly — no matter the brand or style. This means jeans, jackets and shoes will come out to be more pricey, but T-shirts, dresses, skirts and accessories will come out pretty cheap.
At Bogo Vintage, everything is buy one get one free — no matter the brand or style. Of course, the more pricey item will be charged; but if you get similarly priced items, you will undoubtedly get a great deal.
Consignment vintage stores
If you’re looking for pre-owned designer items or trendy retro pieces, consignment vintage stores are the perfect place to find them.
These thrift stores sell high-end items that are often never worn or used before or kept in very good condition.
In Barcelona, Love Vintage is a superb consignment store with lots of great finds.
Christy Floyd, a 48-year-old Michigan tourist, heard about Love Vintage from her daughter who visited Barcelona in January.
“My daughter got this gorgeous Burberry dress from here a few months ago for a great price,” she said. “I thought I might check this place out while we’re here visiting for the weekend.”
Second-hand stores
In the United States, you may have heard of chain thrift stores Goodwill and The Salvation Army. There is usually one of these types of stores in every city. In bigger cities, there will even be a separate store and service building.
These organizations aim to make a profit by selling donated clothing and furniture and donating a part of the profit to charities. They also sponsor employment programs to disabled individuals.
In Spain, HUMANA follows a similar company model.
On Carrer del General Alvarez de Castro, HUMANA has two separate stores: a regular second-hand shop and another that sells more refined, vintage pieces (similar to a consignment store).
The second-hand HUMANA stores aim to sell donated goods for cheap; often, a more affordable option for those looking for basic work wear or children’s clothes.
Personal favorites
After class, this travel blogger had the delight of walking around the Urquinaona station area for hours on end. While browsing the stores around this area, she has found a few favorites.
Upon a walk from the Metro station to the Moco Museum one day, she found a golden vintage store also beloved by the locals.
Akimbo Vintage & Local Designers is owned by two friends who search for the most unique pieces throughout Spain and in neighboring countries, like France and Italy, when they are traveling.
They like delicate, '80s pieces best. Sheer dresses and floral lingerie, as well as colorful jackets and dainty sandals.
Utopia Barcelona on Carrer de Call might not appear to be a vintage or thrift store to most, but this blogger has a suspicion that this hidden gem carries "dead stock" 2000s merchandise -- clothing that was made but never sold.
As someone who has grown up idolizing the looks of Lizzie McGuire and Hannah Montana, she has basically found a jackpot.
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