One of my favorite things about shopping secondhand is that you usually don’t know exactly what you’re looking for until you find it.
Auburn and Opelika have a surprisingly good mix of true thrift stores, antique booths, vintage clothing, collectibles and used home pieces. If you enjoy furnishing a house with things that don’t look like they all came from the same showroom, there are several stops worth knowing.
For the biggest treasure hunt: Angel’s Antiques & Flea Mall
Angel’s Antiques & Flea Mall is the place to go when you have some time. The Opelika shop covers about 68,000 square feet with hundreds of individual vendor booths, so one aisle may have antique furniture and dishes while the next has vintage clothing, records, collectibles or something completely unexpected.
This is not a quick in-and-out stop. The fun is in wandering.
For a little bit of almost anything: Almost Anything
Almost Anything is a different kind of secondhand stop. This is where I’d send someone looking for vintage video games, comics, vinyl, toys, trading cards and other pop-culture collectibles rather than traditional antique furniture.
It is one of those stores where what catches your attention may be something you had absolutely no intention of buying when you walked in.
For curated English and French country pieces: The Fig and The Wasp
The Fig and The Wasp in Waverly is a more curated stop, especially if you love English or French country style. The shop includes furniture, accessories and a room of rugs, with pieces sourced during buying trips.
It is a good destination when you want the character of an older piece but prefer a collection that has already been thoughtfully edited.
For a longer antique-shopping trip: Longleaf Antique & Flea Mall
Longleaf Antique & Flea Mall is in Alexander City, not Auburn or Opelika. It's a separate outing, with two buildings of vendor booths offering furniture, home décor, collectibles and vintage finds. If you're willing to drive farther, it's another option for a treasure hunt.
For practical thrift-store browsing
The local Salvation Army thrift store, Harvest Thrift, America’s Thrift Stores and Goodwill are the practical stops for clothing, housewares, books and the occasional piece of furniture. Inventory changes constantly, which is part of the appeal.
A couple of rules I use when shopping secondhand
I try not to shop for one extremely specific thing. That is usually when you come home empty-handed.
Instead, know your measurements, know roughly what you need, and stay open to something that is a little different from what you pictured.
For furniture, check the construction before the finish. Paint can change. Hardware can change. Upholstery can change. A solid piece with an ugly finish may be a much better find than a trendy piece that is poorly made.
And if you really love something, don’t assume it will still be there next week. Secondhand inventory has a way of solving that decision for you.
Hours and inventory can change quickly at resale and antique shops, so check with individual stores before making a special trip.