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They say (okay, we say) the best way to get to know a city is through its thrift scene. Hop aboard a party bus, tour van or private car with a local guide on a thrifting tour, and discover the vintage shops that make a place special
True thrifters know that few things satisfy like the dopamine rush that comes with a secondhand score.
A vintage suede jacket (that actually fits), or a luxury handbag someone accidentally priced below $10 can provide a high like no other. So much so, that you often want another hit — er, to visit multiple stores in one run.
How about lacing up your sneakers and hopping on board a party bus to do just that?
Thrifting tours harness that feeling of elation and keeping the good vibes going, stretching it across a few hours with a curated route, a coffee break or two, and a new group of like-minded strangers excited about each other’s hauls.
Across North America and beyond, these organized outings (also known as thrift store tours, vintage tours or vintage shopping tours) are growing in popularity, and not just with people looking to shop sustainably.
They're also catching the attention of vintage sellers, stylists and tourists who want a new way to explore a new city, meet people and potentially snag a piece of fashion folklore.
Cari Weinberg and Mark Roberts are a wife-and-husband duo and owners of Dallas, Texas tour company I See Dallas.
They didn’t set out to become thrifting experts.
Their first foray into local tours involved ghost stories and Christmas lights, but when Cari started noticing just how many people, especially Gen Z, were thrifting socially, she had the idea to turn secondhand shopping into a curated tour featuring some of the city’s best vintage, thrift and secondhand stores.
“We take all the ugly work out of it,” Cari says. “We pick the route, we handle the traffic, we find the stores — you just show up.”
Each of their thrifting tours is five hours long, including a 45-minute break, and runs through a carefully planned Dallas route.
Knowing the appeal of variety, from high-end thrift to places that invite you to roll up your sleeves and dig, the partners offer something for everyone.
Cari helps guests spot good deals and Mark acts as security and bag-watcher on the bus for anyone who snags something to bring home — and if it doesn’t fit in the bus, serious shoppers can still make it happen.
One such attendee found wall-sized artwork that required an Uber XL just to get it home. “She Ubered to the house, dropped it off and then Ubered back to rejoin the tour,” Cari laughs. “It was that good.”
While treasure hunting is the main draw, community building is a fun incidental occurrence as well. “People start the day as strangers and end it by swapping numbers and following each other on Instagram,” Mark says.
In Ontario, Canada, Juanita Metzger, founder of Stroll Walking Tours, approaches her thrifting tours by weaving in storytelling and regional pride.
With options for a curated thrift experience in Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge, Juanita combines secondhand shopping with a gentle dive into urban history.
More locally focused than big-city thrift tours, these offer plenty of secondhand shopping magic and opportunity for treasure hunting.
“Connection is at the heart of what I do,” Juanita says. “Not just to vintage items, but to the people and places behind them.”
Each three-hour tour is thoughtfully paced, starting with a cafe, and including stops for books, records and clothing, alternating between store types to keep things fresh.
For some extra fun, Juanita also includes trivia, a best-dressed contest and a curated list of local shops handed out at the end of the tour to act as a thrift map for your future self.
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Juanita notes that her clientele tends to be women aged 35–65 who already thrift but whowant to branch out beyond their usual haunts. “A lot of folks live in one city but never explore the next one over,” she says. “This gives them a reason to cross town.”
For vintage sellers, her tours offer insight into what makes a store stand out: thoughtful merchandising, clear organization, a clean, inviting atmosphere and even great washrooms. “It's funny, but it's true,” she adds. “If your store smells weird or feels chaotic, people won’t want to bring that energy home.”
And the finds? “One guest discovered the perfect event outfit days before her party," says Juanita. “Another, scouting for glee club costumes, found a shop that will now outfit their entire team and it supports domestic violence survivors. Wins all around.”
Across the pond in London, Gwendolyn Faker is taking thrift tours in a more radical direction.
Their business, Fake Productions Co (formerly known as Golden Mile Tours), offers personalized, one-on-one shopping experiences across London’s secondhand scene. It starts with a style questionnaire and ends wherever the client’s vibe may lead.
“I help guests understand that ‘thrifting isn’t shopping.’ You’re not there to buy the latest trend. Buying something isn’t the goal,” Gwendolyn explains.
Instead, attendees should open themselves up to discovering something new.
Their tours blur the line between fun and philosophy. “Fashion is this prismatic intersection of feminism, climate justice, history, politics, labour, race, class and so much more,” they say. “My tour is political and my goal is to radicalize you.”
That doesn’t mean there’s no room for glamour. Gwendolyn recently scored two dream items: a Louis Vuitton Pegase 45 suitcase for £15 and a pair of Manolo Blahniks for £40, with both now restored to their former glory and comparable to those that retail for over £700.
Their best advice for newcomers? “Come without expectations. Thrifting is totally different from shopping on the high street…at the thrift you’re free. You’re there to have fun, to broaden your understanding, to discover things you’ve never seen before and to let that experience inspire you.”
Whether you're a casual browser or a dedicated deal-hunter, a little prep for a thrift tour goes a long way. Here’s how to maximize your experience:
Check out I See Dallas, Stroll Walking Tours and Fake Productions Co. — and view more on the Shop Secondhand Directory.
The next time you're after the thrill of the hunt, living the slow shopping ethos or just to do something different, book a thrifting tour and expect to enjoy a few hours of community and camaraderie.
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Krista Montelpare is a freelance writer and vintage seller living in Ontario.
