ABOVE: State Street Thrift and Vintage
By Erasmus Baxter
Unique, funky styles seem to abound on Western’s campus and throughout Bellingham. If you’re looking for “mad props” on your outfit without having to travel to the hinterlands of Bellingham, here are a few options within walking distance of campus.
LifeGate Christian Ministries Thrift Store (LCM)
Champion St. south of the bus station
Bellingham’s holiest thrift store would have to be LCM. Run out of a small storefront on Champion street, it raises money for LifeGate Christian Ministries to help homeless and needy women. It is staffed entirely by volunteers, and the store is stocked by donations.
If the name didn’t give it away, LifeGate is a Christian charity and the store reflects that. Clothing tags say “God Bless You” on the back, and Christian talk radio plays constantly in the background. As an additional bonus, if you recite a bible verse while you’re checking out (John 3:16, to be exact) you get a discount. Don’t have it memorized? It’s conveniently framed next to the register.
Mild proselytization aside, LifeGate provides good deals on a wide variety of donated goods. While the most expensive thing I saw was a leather jacket for $30, I got a funky patterned button up for only $5. There is also a $1 bargain rack located out front.
As well as clothing, there is an interesting selection of books, dishware and an animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex. All one would need for a well-stocked home or dorm room!
The only downside is the limited size of the collection. Relying on donations, and having a small storefront, means there’s only so much for sale. For some reason they do seem to have an astonishing selection of black corduroy pants.
Mad Hatter Clothing
1327 Railroad Ave
Slightly more expensive and a bit larger, a block and a half away on Railroad Avenue is Mad Hatter Clothing. Due to increased rent Mad Hatter is going out of business so most of the store is currently 30 percent off. As an added bonus, if you ever dreamed of owning your own clothing rack or display case, most of them are on sale too.
Mad Hatter offers a vast selection of hats and a costume section in the back. The owner says that the store will stay open through Christmas and will eventually offer discounts of up to 50 percent. Check it out before it’s all gone!
Wise Buys Thrift Store
1224 N State St, Bellingham, WA 98225
A couple of minutes’ walk from the center of downtown will bring you to Wise Buys. Run by the local non-profit Lydia’s Place, this shop’s sales support anti-homelessness programs. It has a much larger collection, but the prices are comparable with LCM. As an additional benefit, on Wednesdays anyone wearing blue or carrying a Western ID gets 50 percent off one item.
Recorded nature sounds offer a soothing ambiance for perusing the store. In addition to clothes, they sell housewares, cameras and a shocking number of Mariners posters.
Buffalo Exchange
1209 N State St, Bellingham, WA 98225
Let’s be blunt about it. Buffalo Exchange has some really cool clothes. Definitely some of the coolest pieces of any of the thrift stores. And there’s a reason for that. Unlike the charity stores that rely on donations and volunteers, Buffalo Exchange is able to pay for much of their inventory, and thus create a collection curated by employees hired for their sense of style.
However, buying clothes and hiring staff costs money. As a result, patrons are going to be paying much more, up to three times as much, as some of the other stores. Since Buffalo Exchange isn’t a non-profit, all that money is going to the company instead of directly to a good cause. Definitely check it out if you’re willing to shell out some extras bucks for some neat clothes, but maybe also check Wise Buys, conveniently located across the street, or State Street Thrift and Vintage, a block south of Buffalo Exchange, first.
