One thing about me that dominates roughly a quarter of my time is that I love going on thrift shopping trips. I used to wake up early and drive to my local charity shop in France and then go to another one (and maybe a third one) if I wasn’t happy with what I had found. First of all, I really enjoy it, and you can find distinct clothes that will fit your style, sometimes for a really cheap price. I usually find t-shirts for a couple of euros! It obviously depends on the kind of shop you’re visiting: vintage stores, charity shops, or even flea markets. In paradox of being a shopping lover, I am quite concerned with the state of our dear planet, and, as a teenager, it was the first conscious eco-friendly thing I was able to do. You can imagine that I’ve thrifted a lot since, and it has almost become a hobby.
Before moving to Rostock, I did research and couldn’t find anything interesting. I thought to myself: “you’ll see when you get there”. I got here, and then my quest started. I’ll go through three different options if you want to buy second-hand clothing in Rostock.
First of all, I found three different shops in the city center, one near the Kröpeliner Street, one in the old town, and one in the KTV district.
The first one is called “A&V trendy Second Hand An- und Verkauf”. It is a small shop with a selection of shoes, purses, and clothes. I would say the clothes are not really trendy, but you could end up finding treasures if you are looking for clothes that were in fashion in the past.
The second one I found was in the Altstadt (old town district) called “Magda & Vintage”, and this time they had a website! The shop is much larger than the first one, with a ground floor and basement. If you are looking for vintage pieces, this is the perfect place. They have a large selection of clothing like tops, pants, skirts, dresses and accessories, like jewelries and vintages purses. If you’re on a budget, you will find this place quite expensive, pants are around €30 to €40, tops around €20 and purses €40. I fell in love with a pair of high-waisted and flared brown pants, negotiated the price and got them for 35e. Small victory!
Another is located in the district west to the city center called “zweite hand – erste Wahl”. I believe it is pretty recent because I hadn’t found it on Google last winter. They are currently creating their website, so the location alone will have to suffice. The shop’s size is just in between the two others. You will find a lot of clothing and even kid’s clothes. Their racks have a smaller selection of clothing, but it is less cluttered than in the other two, and easier to get through. The prices are more affordable than in the vintage store from earlier. You can find tops for €4 and shoes for €6 to €8. They even have tote bags and stickers, with the name of the shop on it, at the register in case you collect them like me.
Another option are flea markets. I think there might be some at the harbor during the summer, but I cannot confirm the info now. So far, I was able to visit one in Warnemünde, which is a city north to Rostock, which you can reach from the central station in 25 minutes. It is not that far, and I assure you, and it is truly worth it. The markets take place a few times a year in the Dock Inn Hostel, and you usually have to pay a couple of euros to be allowed in. Sometimes you will find a professional selling their vintage winter suits or people trying to sell the jumpers and jeans hanging at the back of their closet. The next one takes place at the end of May, on the 25th. The prices can vary. It depends on the kind of sellers there.
The last option you have are online websites or apps. I use Vinted a lot. You can find all kinds of style and clothes you want, accessories and even decorations and books now. The only thing you need when using Vinted is patience, good key words, and again patience. You can shop from home, which is nice if you don’t want to go to actual store and there are many more options. I was used to buying clothes within the app, which meant Vinted was providing the seller with the stamp. However, in Germany, they usually use PayPal and DHL, which can be cheaper. On the contrary, if you buy expensive pieces, you are not covered by Vinted’s insurance. But when you buy t-shirts, there shouldn’t be any problems, if DHL does not lose your packet… It is very rare, you shouldn’t be worried about that.
In the end, I always find ways to find second-hand clothes, and I know you can always buy fast fashion and take care of your clothes in order to keep them for a long time. Sustainability is not always simple, but the smallest effort always makes the difference. Have fun looking for second-hand clothes in Rostock, its surroundings or on Internet!
