Things I Learned in Berlin, Pt. 2:
4 Tips for Finding Second Hand When You Travel

Let’s face it: thrift stores aren’t exactly in the tourist parts of most towns. They aren’t in guidebooks, either. And, because many of them have bizarre names, odd hours and are off the beaten path, even if you do track one down it’s hard to know exactly how to get there or if they’ll be open, especially if you don’t speak the language.

Here are MY four tips for tracking down thrift stores when you travel — in your own country or abroad.

1. Define second hand. People call second hand shops different things. Resale shops, thrift stores, clothing swaps. Flea markets have different names in different parts of the country, too.  I still can’t wrap my mind around the Californian “swap meet,” which to me sounds like I have to barter rather than buy, but a swap meet is just a flea market with palm trees.  If you’re traveling overseas you have the biggest challenge. Even in English-speaking countries thrift stores have different names (in Australia they’re “op shops,” for instance), so get familiar with the local lingo or foreign tongue and define what you’re looking for. And keep in mind you may have to differentiate from antique shops and other high end markets.

2. Ask a native. The best way to get information about what you’re looking for is to ask someone who lives there. This may sound obvious, but here’s another trick: don’t wait until you get there to do so.  Do some research beforehand.  If you’re staying with someone, tell them you want to visit a thrift store (or swap meet, or op shop) so they can start to do research about where such stores are located and when they operate (I mean — not everyone you visit has a flea market schedule or thrift store map tacked to the back wall of their frontal lobe).

Don’t know someone in the town you’re visiting? Harness the power of the Internet. TheThriftShopper has a pretty good guide to thrift stores in the U.S. Or Google “thrift stores South Dakota,” use Yelp, do a blog search for “Copenhagen second hand” — whatever you have to — to find real people talking about real experiences thrifting in the city you’re about to visit.  And reach out to them.  I get an email a week from someone visiting Chicago — or another city I’ve thrifted in — asking for advice on where to go.  I’m always happy to give it.

3. Plan, plan, plan your trip. Rick Steves writes a really cheesy guidebook to Paris and Jem and I were embarrassed to break it out on the Metro while we were over there two years ago, but without Rick we never would have found the Paris flea market Marche aux Puces St-Ouen de Clignancourt, because his guidebook had explicit instructions: what train stop, which way to turn, how far to walk along a wall, where to cross the street, where to cut into the vendor booths and how far to persevere through the Looney Tunes sweatshirts and turtle foot keychains before you hit upon the good stuff.  You need this kind of information, especially if you’re without the aid of a native, especially if you don’t speak the language.  (You can read about our Paris adventure and see photos of the original flea market here.)  So prepare a map with detailed instructions and bring it with you.

Also — plan ahead which day you’re going to attempt your second hand adventure and make sure the destinations are open.

4. Ask the shopowner. Once you find what you’re looking for it’s sometimes useful to ask the owners or employees of one shop to direct you to more shops like them.  This is probably easier in the U.S. or wherever you speak the language, but if you learn a few words beforehand and carry a street map and a pen you could probably get information to help you in other countries, too.  (Oh — and you know everyone speaks English anyway.)  Your native friends and the Internet can provide a lot of information about the second hand scene, but those who live it every day can probably provide a lot more.  It’d be a pity for you to travel halfway across the world to one thrift store only to miss the other thrift store just around the corner… only because you didn’t ask.