- St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County Thrift store and organization headquarters at 2890 Chad Drive, 541-687-5820. Fifteen retail outlets in western Oregon include several thrift stores and a used-car lot in Eugene. SVDP.us.
- Buffalo Exchange 131 E. 5th Avenue, 541-687-2805.
- Goodwill Industries of Lane and South Coast Counties Eleven locations in western Oregon, with five in Eugene, including a computer store. Headquarters and thrift shop at 1010 Green Acres Road. 541-345-1801. Goodwill-oregon.org.
Of all the thrift shops in Lane County, why did Best of Eugene voters pick St. Vinnie’s as Best Secondhand Shop?
We don’t know the answer to that question, but we’ll offer our professional opinion anyway. (Hey, we’re alt journalists at Eugene Weekly. We get to have opinions.)
First, there is the matter of quality. We’ve been known to shop for used wonders from time to time, and we agree — St. Vinnie’s has the best selection of used clothing, furniture and books. It’s like a secondhand version of a New York department store in the 1950s.
Second, you can buy a car there. As part of that, St. Vinnie’s makes it really easy to donate your car. If you’re looking for a way to get rid of that beater in your driveway and feel good about the transaction, just call 541-607-4541. They’ll even come get it.
Finally, there’s the steady work that Terry McDonald, executive director of St. Vinnie’s, and his organization have done for the homeless of Lane County. Where local government has so often failed, McDonald and his forces have stepped up — providing jobs, providing food and shelter and helping tip the difficult local politics around homelessness from exclusion to compassion.
We can’t think of a better place to shop, and neither can our readers.