Every other Thursday, FADER style contributor Bethany Cosentino crosses boroughs, counties and states to find us fine thrifted and vintage pieces on the cheap for her column, Thrintage. This week she traveled to Los Angeles to check out Value Center in Sylmar. Read her thoughts and peep the steals after the jump.
The best part about coming home to Los Angeles for the week is knowing I'll have a chance to get some serious thrifting in. Not only do I get to see my dog, my parents, and eat Mexican food that is overwhelmingly better then any spot in Manhattan, I also get to search for great items to stuff into my suitcase and take back East with me. Most thrift stores that sit in the middle of the city are overpriced and overly picked through, which is why I always venture outside the city for my finds. For this trip, I headed out to Value Center thrift store in Sylmar, a city just north of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley.
Located in the back corner of a strip mall, Value Center is huge and packed with awesome finds—from shoes and dresses to great books and jewelry, this place has it all. The store is organized in two sections, the left side dedicated to men’s shoes and clothing, and the right to women’s. It’s a fairly organized store, each isle is dedicated to one specific genre of clothing and that made it easier to find some really great pieces—like a blue and white knit poncho with pom-poms for only $4, as well as a crocheted shawl for only $2. I also got a super cute, and super comfy fleece zip-up hoody that will be great for the last of these winter nights. And just to remind myself that summer is somewhere around the corner, I snatched up two brightly colored sundresses.
In the men’s section, I found an amazing over-sized vintage Raiders jersey, as well as a vintage 49er's starter jacket that's perfectly small and snug. I also got a great pair of lace up combat style boots for $6 dollars, and another Mexican print blouse to add to my never ending collection. Plus, I got them all while jams from KEARTH 101 (LA's best oldies radio station) pumped through the aisles, making the shopping venture that much more authentically vintage.
Itemized Purchases:
Pink floral dress: $5
Pink Hawaiian dress: $1.98
Mexican print blouse: $1.98
Fleece zip-up: $3
Blue and white poncho: $4
Crocheted shawl: $2
Brown scarf: 50 cents
Raiders shirt: $2.50
49ers jacket: $3.98
Black boots: $6
Value center thrift is located at 13227 Gladstone Ave. Sylmar, CA 91342