1st Place: Savers
2nd Place: Hope Gospel Mission (tied)
2nd Place: Goodwill (tied)
3rd Place: My Best Friend’s Closet

The Chippewa Valley is a proverbial powerhouse of secondhand shopping. And if the Valley is the Roman Empire of frugal spending, then Eau Claire is Rome itself. It has massive amounts of garage sales, but its joie de vivre is the thrift stores. Savers (2833 Mall Dr) tops your list of favorites, likely due to its clothing options or the revolving colored tags that dictate your savings. Hope Gospel Mission (2511 W Moholt Dr), tied for second, is a juggernaut of selection with a furniture showroom, tons of clothes, and walls of home décor. Goodwill (3605 Gateway Dr, Eau Claire, and 2500 Hils Ct), also tied for second, may look small in comparison to Hope Gospel, but don’t let that fool you; there are some serious gems waiting to be discovered here. My Best Friend’s Closet (3001 London Road), a fairly new store to Eau Claire, placed third, and I’m told it’s the place to go if you’re looking to buy (or sell) name-brand clothing. – Trevor Kupfer