Left it too late to sort a Halloween costume? Vancouver's thrift scene has you covered — and the beauty of second-hand shopping is that you can walk in with no plan and walk out 30 minutes later as a flapper, a vampire or something nobody can quite name.
The most established name in town is Mintage, a vintage staple for more than 15 years. It now runs three spots: the original on Commercial Drive, a newer Mintage Cafe location on Robson Street, and Mintage Mall in Mount Pleasant — the city's first vintage collective. Between them you'll find everything from 1920s pieces to colourful flannels that double as autumn wardrobe additions.
Commercial Drive is also home to Butter & Jazz Vintage and Thrift, which is less grab-and-go, more leisurely browse. There are dressing rooms and cozy seating, plus vintage homeware, art, furniture and books if you want inspiration beyond the costume rack.
Downtown-adjacent in Gastown, Community Thrift and Vintage operates two neighbouring locations (311 Carrall St and 11 West Hastings St) with constantly rotating stock at low prices across men's, women's and unisex items. A nice bonus: proceeds support the PHS Community Services Society, so your skeleton outfit does some good too.
On Main Street, two stops work well together. Front & Company, at 3772 Main, is the one for accessories and oddities — think spooky trinkets, wild earrings, tights or a vampiric dress. A short hop away at 2331 Main, Rewind Resale is small but packed: rare graphic tees, designer belts, crop tops and clubwear that work for costumes you might actually wear again.
If you're on the west side, Rummage Community Thrift at 1854 West 4th St offers good prices and a relaxed, get-lost-for-an-afternoon feel — and it's open seven days a week, so no closed-sign disappointments. For a more polished look, Turnabout leans luxury consignment, with multiple storefronts around the city, ideal when your costume just needs the right belt or hat to come together.
Why it matters: thrifted costumes are cheaper than party-store ones, usually better made, and far less wasteful. And for travellers, these shops double as genuinely good vintage shopping year-round — a Commercial Drive or Main Street thrifting crawl is a fun way to see neighbourhoods most visitors skip.
