It's hard to say what Tucson, Arizona is known for. We have a world famous Gem Show that occurs once a year, but apart from that it's pretty much just a minimum wage town in the middle of the beautiful Sonoran Desert. But what most people don't know is that Tucson is a goldmine for vintage and thrift shopping. Conditions in Tucson are just right for optimal vintage treasure hunting... lots of elderly folk, not a lot of youths, extremely cheap and very little overall interest in vintage clothing by most citizens. This means that vintage and thrift stores aren't as picked through as thoroughly as stores you might find in L.A. or New York City. As a result, Tucson is filled with huge flea markets, stocked thrift stores and affordable vintage stores. The list of prime vintage shopping in Tucson could go on forever.... so I'll just share my top three...
Desert Vintage
I have lived in New York City for 4 years and have visited San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland, OR many times, but I must say that one of the best collections of vintage can be found at Tucson's very own Desert Vintage. This little store goes back decades on Tucson's historic 4th ave, but it wasn't until a cute girl and boy duo took over and made it to what it is now. It's one of those stores where you walk in and everything you see is worth screaming over, and best of all, it's so affordable!
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| One of the many racks in Desert Vintage. They sell vintage men's, women's and children's clothing and accessories, as well as vintage textiles. |
How Sweet It Was
Just down the road from Desert Vintage, another little shop that is always well stocked with amazing vintage finds goes by the name of How Sweet It Was. You can find almost anything in here... from flapper dresses to fur coats to western boots... this shop will not disappoint.
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| How Sweet It Was sells vintage men's and women's clothing and accessories. |
Betty Blue's Junk Shop
This little establishment doesn't look like much, but inside is a treasure trove of awesome vintage clothing, accessories, housewares and oddities. Tucked in an obscure part of Tucson, Betty Blue's Junk Shop makes you feel like you stumbled upon a secret garden of vintage goods. Best part of all is that the prices are so low that it makes you feel like you're robbing the place.
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| Betty Blue's Junk Shop sells men's and women's vintage clothing and accessories, as well as records, housewares, art, jewelry, odds and ends. |
You can find this post as the first installment in an on going series about vintage at Chantal Loves Vintage
