As you get settled into your off-campus housing, now is the perfect time to start brainstorming ideas of how to make your off-campus house or apartment look incredible. Here’s a few of our favorite local thrift stores with the goods to turn your ODU off-campus digs into an Instagram-worthy palace (while on a budget).
In my four years of living at college (and honestly, now that I’ve graduated too), I have developed a deep bond with my local thrift stores. The $16 wingback armchair I got at Best Thrift sophomore year is still my favorite spot to sit. They key is knowing where they are, and what stores have what selections.
To help you get started, here’s your local guide of the best thrift stores near ODU to add to your thrift crawl list. And yes, thrift crawls are a thing…
Good Mojo Thrift Store
Let’s start with a local legend and ODU favorite.
Good Mojo Thrift Store is a little bit closer to campus. They have a smaller selection than Best Thrift, but the prices are kind of unreal! Lots of people go and buy things like dress clothes with “the change in my pocket”.
They usually have some furniture, though not a lot. They specialize more in clothes and “knicknacks”, so if you’re looking for something really unique that no one else will have, there’s a decent chance you’ll find something there. They also have a few hidden gems from time to time that are top-tier thrifting finds. An added perk – it’s a non-profit that helps homeless families!
Best Thrift
Best Thrift is like the Costco of thrift stores – they have pretty much everything. Pro tip – their prices drop every week! My $16 dollar wingback chair was originally $34! This is usually your best bet in terms of trying to find full-size furniture and paintings or pictures for wall art. They have a pretty large selection, and the prices do drop weekly!
They also have a fairly large assortment of clothes, usually with some great steals in guys dress clothes specifically. They also have entire walls filled with individual pieces like accent pillows, retro kitchen containers, and lots of other items to add some personality to your space.
Thrift Store USA
Thrift Store USA is another larger thrifting destination a few minutes from campus. This place has more clothes than you could ever look through, but as far as decorating your off-campus digs, this is a good spot for decorative accent pieces and other hidden gems.
They usually have some decent furniture selection, but they also have a rare gem for apartment decor: throw rugs! Throw rugs are a great way to add some style and comfort to your space, especially if you have hardwood floors. They’re worth checking out!
Union Mission Thrift Store
I actually first found out about the Union Mission Thrift Store as a volunteer, helping sort their inventory for a day. They run this thrift store to support a men’s homeless shelter that also includes job training. Between getting to sort through their awesome stuff and getting to pick a few items out for free, Union Mission became an instant favorite.
Their store is on the larger end, and they have a great selection of items to decorate your off-campus house or apartment with. Their furniture is relatively well kept and there’s usually plenty of it!
They also have a TON of other neat items and clothes. For many, this is the only thrift store they need, and it’s not hard to see why!
Pro Tip: Their prices are a little bit higher than other thrift stores, but they have crazy sales that bring it down all the time. You can find them at the bottom of their web page under “View Our Monthly Specials”. If you’re a college student, you will always have a discount, but there are some crazy ones on top of that!
Hope House Foundation
Hope House Foundation Thrift Store is another non-profit thrift store that boasts an amazing selection of decorative pieces. Their overall selection can fluctuate based on what’s come in recently, but there’s just about always something awesome to be found.
Their furniture selection in particular can vary depending on when you go, but they usually have some surprisingly stylish accent pieces. You can usually find a great statement piece and a few classy odds and ends for really low prices.
Looking for more fun ways to spend your time around ODU? Check out some of these local favorites!
