This store use to be THE BEST, I would have actually made it my first 6 star review but since they…read morehave had to move the clothing Oxfam store from down the road and combined it with this fab book and vinyl it has become a little cluttered and manic. This was the place to get you holiday reading from, starting at 20p a book you can't really go wrong, even if you don't enjoy the story. It was also a fantastic place to pick up vinyl that your mum would love and you know that you shouldn't like. I think I have several of my Dolly Parton and Disney records from here. One thing that does upset me about this place is the way that stuff that's left outside just gets ransacked if the store isn't open to take it in, come on guys, this is for charity! Seriously!

I had heard and read so many things about Dalston's Oxfam that I had to check it out for myself…read more Apparently Channel 4's Miquita Oliver is a regular and found a vintage Chanel bag there. Having grown up in Hackney I was surprised to learn that there was a fashion mecca in Dalston. I headed down there with high hopes of finding a vintage Dior clutch or maybe a YSL smoking jacket. After much fifling through rails I saw a few items but no Dior clutch or YSL blazer. With slight disappointment I left with an art deco frame (£5) and a small stained glass mirror (£7). So I might not have discovered any designer vintage pieces but my frame and mirror would have been at least twice the price in Habitat. If you wander in there without a wanting anything specific you may be surprised but otherwise you might leave disappointed.

Think you can open a new vintage shop eh? Think you're special do you? "Vintage Heaven indeed!" I…read morewas prepared to scoff after leaving this new store. I had to eat these words before they even came out of my mouth. Vintage Heaven does live up to its name by being not only very competitively priced but also stocked to the brim with goodies. They even have bloomers and although some people might draw the line at second hand pants, I say if you're going to do it, do it right. You could actually get an entire outfit here from bloomers to coat and hat for under £100 although you might be put off trying it on in their skanky cupboard of a fitting room. Despite that little inconvenience, I have to say, I am rather impressed and this shop might even make it possible on a rainy day to knock off walking all the way down Cheshire Street to Beyond Retro.

"I started wearing vintage as I'm a cheapskate" - A quote made by one of my friend's. Ah yes 'tis…read moretrue I am I am I am a c.s lol A simple shop with a touch of vintage, this shop IS what it said it is "Vintage Heaven" (excluding the white fluffy clouds, golden pavements and Angel's). They sell/stock classical menswear, ladies wear, kids wear and accessories at reasonable prices. The members of staff are polite and very helpful. If you want to experience the true essence of vintage then Vintage Heaven is the place to be.

Packed with interesting paraphernalia, this little store is an essential visit if you are in Lower…read moreClapton. I have always found something of interest at this little store, and usually don't walk away empty handed. The selection of jackets and books out the front are always worth going through. Looking through second hand books can be tiring, but I have never found it to be a fruitless endeavour at this place. It is the kind of place that has old and interesting wallets, bags and other accessories. I picked up a little coin purse here once that I still love and use. Overall, it is definitely one of the best charity shops in Hackney.

As far as chazzers go this one is cracking!…read more It's tiny for one with such a huge collection of stuff it's like Aladdin's Cave with shoes, electrical, baby stuff and handbags galore. It's also one of the cheapest charity shops I have ever been in. I once bought a pair of boots in here, real leather I'll have you know, for £3.50. The fact they were a size 7 and I'm a size 4 is irrelevant when it comes to s fine specimen of footware. They guy who works here too is a dream, even let me use his loo once when I was caught short while browsing. What adds to the joy of this place is that no one actually knows how good it is as there is so much crap falling out the main entrance that it can be daunting.

This massive charity shop on Kingsland Rd is one of my favourite in the area. It is HUGE, with huge…read moreglass windows for you to look into and suss out your bargain. There's rows and rows of clothes and shoes, i had my eye on a fabulous dress in there in the summer, i went in one Saturday and decided not to buy it, come Wednesday when i changed my mind and returned to purchase it, it was gone! Which highlights the popularity of this shop. There's not only clothing goods, but mounds of books, furniture and electrical equipment. This is a pretty safe bet if you need to deck out a room on a budget. They also have shelves and shelves of videos and cd's, and they're cheap. I shamefully bought about twenty Friends and Ab Fab box sets from here a while back for the cost of a mere £5?! Fantastic shop, pop in and have a browse.

In my family home my Dad has an expression" there are two types of people in this house, the quick,…read moreand the hungry". Same goes for this place. As soon as they get stock in the "twats" come out and raid the place. I have a vintage hot pink wiggle dress from here that cost £3 - BARGAIN! They have a brilliant selection of second hand furniture, not all of it tasteless, and they deliver it too. Also, if your really lucky, the portly shopkeeper will trap you in in an awkward conversation about what you do for a living and what colour knickers you've got on - not an unpleasant experience but definitely entertaining. I give this place 5 stars because I love it, you may not but I really do, it has an east end charm that you have to embrace.

Its pricey but fun for a browse, just to look at random stuff to add to your house for a fun…read morechange, or to get an eccentric present. That should sum up the variety of stuff that you can find in the store. I went furniture shopping with a friend, and we stopped by just to have a look as they had a wide range of furniture just outside the store front. We walked away with a small bamboo coffee table, that looks great to this day. It was a great buy, and there are many more to be found here. Something for everyone, like s suitcase for Felix, a mannequin for Prudence, or just some chutzpah for yourself.

Past Caring is a surprisingly cool vintage store on Essex Road, just a short stroll from Angel Tube…read moreStation. Filled from floor to ceiling with nick nacks galore, it boasts a great range of crockery, cutlery and other bits and bobs for your home. But it's the furniture out the front which always draws my attention - cane chair, awesome old chests and glass coffee tables are just some of the pieces you'll find out the front - rather reasonably priced too.

Do I like this shop? Yes. Do I think it is a little overpriced? Yes…read more So being the queen of vintage that I am, I have my eye out for good quality, affordable retro clothes. Soho Vintage, well, it kinda ticks my boxes. It's not huge but it has a decent enough selection. It also seems to stock some great men's wear. Need a leather jacket? You'll find one here boys. The shop is hidden off a back street and can be missed but if you're in the area it's worth popping in. The lady behind the counter was very friendly and helpful if a little distracted by the phone. Vintage enthusiasts, check out this space!

Yesterday I happened upon a perfectly respectable little vintage store hidden away on an an…read moreotherwise abandoned and un-trafficked corner of Soho. Encouraged by an easel sign on the busy Broadwick Street, I headed down the quiet Ingestre Place to the open door (and arms) of Soho Vintage. The tiny space was filled with a plethora of styles. From an antique Victorian skirt to the 80s off-the-shoulder sweatshirts that are all the rage right now, Soho Vintage represented all. The prices were a bit on the dear side but, considering its prime location in Soho, not surprisingly so. If you find something you absolutely must have, a little light haggling might work for you here, since the shop is so small - rue the fact that those vintage boots are £35 and you might get them for £30. Overall, this proved to be a solid vintage store with a wide variety of items (at a variety of price ranges) that belied the shop's size.

If the plague were to start ravaging the world tomorrow, I think I would probably gather a decent…read moreamount of food and water and then hunker down in Beyond Retro, because I'd want to spend the last of my plague-free days treating Beyond Retro as my personal closet. (Yes, I have been told that I need to reevaluate my priorities.) Beyond Retro is honestly the best thrift store I've ever walked into. It's tucked away on a side street just a stone's throw away from the bustling Brick Lane Market. My first impression was that the store was extremely well-organized and clean... like so clean that it could've matched the standards of a soulless corporate chain. But the clothing here was nowhere near as sterile as whatever you can find at your dime-a-dozen Zara. Every single item in here was high in quality and had its own vintage, retro character. Hands down, Beyond Retro has the most well curated, eclectic selection of clothing ever. A lot of thrift stores suffer from the musty, outdated '70s closet syndrome, where you'll have to do a godforsaken amount of digging to find that single diamond in the rough. That won't happen at Beyond Retro. I wish I could have had a shopping spree here, but I guess I'll just have to wait for the next plague.

I've lived in Shoreditch five years and it took a newly made Northern friend to introduce me to the…read morewondrous Beyond Retro not long ago. A sprawling vintage emporium with more of an emphasis on clothing than its obvious rival, Absolute Vintage, Beyond Retro sells vintage from the twenties through eighties at very reasonable prices. Its friendly staff are a breath of fresh air; its resident cat adorable; its stock varied and good quality; and its pricing so right on you'd be forgiven for thinking it was run by a philanthropist. Particularly noteworthy is Beyond Retro's premium vintage section which has a beautiful selection of vintage silk chiffon prom dresses and twenties beaded shifts and its astonishing Kimono rail which will not disappoint. As the name suggests, Beyond Retro is more than polyester sixties frippery and faux-vintage rock t-shirts. This place is the real deal and vintage fanatics would be mad to pass it up.

An excellent vintage shop in Brick Lane territory which has the bet examples, dry cleaned, dated…read moreand displayed nicely. there are two floors of clothes and the ladies in the shop are super helpful. I bought 2 1960s dresses and a handbag for less than a 100 quid. Will definitely be back.

Hands down the best vintage shop in London! It has proper vintage from my favourite eras…read more(1930s-1970s) but also feels really relevant and fresh. I go here at least once a month and I always find a special piece.

I visited this resale shop yesterday, and walked away with a stunning purple Alexander McQueen…read morescarf at a bargain price and a Marc Jacobs sweater--the latter was only £20 and it was a Marc Jacobs piece, not Marc by Marc Jacobs, and it was in pristine condition. The staff was very pleasant and fun to chat with--and they also shop there. There was a great selection of obviously carefully selected pieces including quite a few Alexander McQueen scarves, rare dresses by Vivian Westwood, pieces by Issey Miyake, Marni and so many more, all reasonably priced and all in lovely condition. They also sometimes receive some Chanel pieces, although there were not any in stock when I was there. Be sure to look up at the bag selection hanging from the ceiling, and do a couple strolls around the shop so that you don't miss anything. I was informed that pieces sell quickly, so it is a good idea to at least pop in once a week. You will find both mens and womens items here. As a bonus, there is a decent chinese take-out right next door if you are shopping so hard that you work up an appetite, and then you can take a stroll along the Kingsland Basin afterward.

This is amazing. What a shop. Just full of brilliance. They sell ethnic trinkets, actually quite…read moregood ones. Incense. Jewelry. Retro record players. 70s ashtrays. And a rail of really good (like really good) vintage clothes. Proper, like old Levis jackets. So that side of the shop is brilliant. And then, out the back, is racks and racks of incredible vinyl. Amongst the best I've seen. Just quality reggae, loads of old African stuff. Old Soul. Jazz. 45s. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. One of the best shops I've ever been in.

Tiny wee shop stuffed with vinyl, too many to be honest which means it's not aspleasurable an…read moreexperience as it could be! Still, it's all part of the fun of going to 2nd hand record shops I guess. The owner is really friendly though. You will need a day here!!!