Thrift Shopping Adventures in Altoona and Tyrone, PA
I’m very lucky, not only does my husband enjoy thrift shopping adventures but my sister does too! In fact my sister is probably one of the best thrift shoppers I know. She has an amazing eye for vintage clothing and accessories and loves to re-sell her finds at flea markets like the Philadelphia Flea.
So, I was pretty excited to finally have my sister show us some shops she had found in the Altoona, PA area. We had a fun day exploring a new area of Pennsylvania but had mixed results with visiting the thrift stores out there. One store was closed earlier than the hours on the door stated and another was completely out of business. We did luck out and find a neat little yard sale along the way.
Our first official stop was at a large, well organized Salvation Army on Plank Rd (old Route 220), not far off exit 31 from route 99.
Stop #1
Salvation Army Thrift Store
2440 Plank Road
Duncansville, PA 16635
814-942-9355
Hours: Monday-Saturday 9:00am – 7:00pm
Sunday- Closed
Map
*Restrooms available
The day we visited the Salvation Army there was a steady stream of shoppers but the store did not feel crowded. This is a large well-lit store. The three of us scattered as soon as we got inside. My husband took off to check out the electronics and to search for turntables and speakers, while my sister started hitting the many racks filled with clothing. We spent around 40 minutes shopping. I didn’t fnd anything but my sister came a way with a few pieces of clothing and my husband did manage to find some speakers.
Stop #2
Saint Vincent dePaul
2223-8th Ave.
Altoona, PA 16602
814-943-1981
Hours: Monday – Tuesday- Thursday – Friday 9:00am – 3:00pm
Saturday 9:00am – 2:00pm!!
Call be fore you go!
We got there at 1:40 on a Saturday and the door was locked and the person working inside was ignoring us – how rude! So disappointing, especially after I had read reviews on Yelp that said this was a really good thrift store. Oh well, I’ll have to take their word for it.
Stop #3
Humane Society – Fresh Bark Thrift Store – OUT OF BUSINESS
1836 East Pleasant Valley Blvd.
Altoona, PA 16602
Stop #4
Goodwill
207 Park HIlls Plaza
Altoona, PA 16602
814-946-0902
Hours: Monday -Saturday 9:00am – 9:00pm
Sunday 1200am – 5:00pm
Map
*Restrooms available
The Goodwill thrift store is just down the road from the Salvation Army and we had better luck here – they were open! I found a nice black cashmere v-neck sweater and my sister found a cool little vintage purse. I really liked this Goodwill, they organized the clothing by size.
After had some lunch we decided to drive north up to Tyrone and circle back to Harrisburg through State College. I have never been to this part of the state and really enjoyed the ride. I had forgotten how pretty Pennsylvania can be in the autumn.
Tyrone, PA
Stumbling across the unexpected little sale or shop is all part of the fun when out having thrift shopping adventures. I never feel like we’ve wasted our time or a trip. Just being out an about taking in the sights and accepting the unexpected is what makes for a good time.
In Tyrone we visited I-99 Antiques, a 2 story group shop. Group antique shops are not usually the first stop when out picking for items to re-sell, as the prices are a bit higher. It’s to be expected, after all the folks selling have to pay the over-head (rent, percentage of sale, etc.)of being in a shop. If you are looking for something specific for your own collection, these types of stores are worth the visit, as there are often vendors offering sales like 20% off everything in their booth.
The afternoon was slipping by quickly and we were all in need of coffee or a snack so we headed downtown. We were also looking for a shop my sister had visited several years earlier. We couldn’t find the thrift shop, we later learned it closed, but we did stumble upon a small store that was being used to hold a pop-up type garage sale!
*photo credit: TyroneHistory.org
A few doors up we found Gardners Candies which has been around for over 100 years! We had some delicious ice cream which was the perfect treat to celebrate a fun day out on the thrift shopping trail.
Till next time!
Go have an adventure and leave us a comment we’d love to hear all about it.
