1. St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County, 2890 Chad Drive, 541-743-7117, Eugene, and 199 Q St., Springfield, 541-746-7784, as well as a dozen other sites in and around Lane County. SVDP.us.
2. SARA’s Treasures, 871 River Road, 541-607-8892. SarasTreasures.org.
3. Ghost Town Outfitters, 1040 Tyinn St. and 365 E. 13th Ave., 541-654-6876. Instagram @ghost.town.outfitters.
St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County is, among other things, the biggest used book store in Lane County. It has — count them — more than a dozen brick and mortar retail outlets as well as online sales. Add up all that commerce, and St. Vinnie’s, as the private nonprofit is known, is selling more than a million books a year. St. Vinnie’s, of course, sells far more than just books; you can buy furniture, musical instruments, men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, and a vast assortment of used tools, kitchenware and sports equipment. You can even buy used cars. One of the growing chain’s newest outlets, which opened in Cottage Grove this year, is essentially a thrifting super store.
Perhaps because of its excellent charitable work helping the unhoused population, St. Vinnie’s easily won a category with plenty of smaller, more specialized stores. SARA’s Treasures, which took second, bills itself as a “gift, thrift, and cat adoption center” operated by Shelter Animal Resource Alliance. Ghost Town Outfitters is putting out a younger, hipper vibe with vintage clothing on the racks and original artwork on the walls. — Bob Keefer