Furnishing an apartment on a student’s budget can be daunting, but fortunately there are a variety of options to choose from.
House of Vintage
3315 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
503-236-1991
www.houseofvintage.net
House of Vintage, located on Hawthorne Boulevard, rents retail space to over 55 independent dealers. The large open space feels like an indoor rummage sale, and the variety provided by the many different dealers is unmatched anywhere else in town. Vintage furniture from every decade is available at very reasonable prices, as well as other household items and clothing. The only downside to shopping here is the sheer size of the place and the amount of furniture to look at, so give yourself plenty of time to wander around.
Village Merchants
3360 SE Division St.
503-234-6343
Located on Division, the Village Merchants is a consignment thrift store selling furniture, household goods and clothing. Part of the furniture selection is set up in front of the store, but the real collection is located behind the store on the patio. However, don’t let the word “patio” fool you. This is a covered multi-roomed patio full of vintage and new furniture at great prices. Village Merchants provides tag sales each month, so you could get 25 to 50 percent discounts.
Rerun
707 NE Fremont St.
503-517-3786
www.portlandrerun.com/store
Located on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Fremont, Rerun is a consignment thrift store selling clothes, household goods, toys, craft items and furniture. While it offers a small selection of furniture, it has several interesting items, including vintage pinball machines, chairs shaped like hands and ‘60s Formica tables. The store also offers a consignment program, and it provides monthly tag sales for 25 to 50 percent off of certain items.
City Liquidators
823 SE Third Ave.
503-230-7716
www.cityliquidators.com
Open since 1977, City Liquidators has three floors, making it one of Portland’s largest furniture stores. The first floor is devoted to household items like blenders and dish racks. The next two are packed full of new, used and discount furniture for every room in the house. It also sells Elvis statues, rain walls, light-up pictures and other unique home furnishings. Even if you walk away with nothing, a trip through the three floors of CL is always interesting.
Buy Right Outlet
3570 SE Division St.
503-232-7540
www.buyrightoutlet.com
The Buy Right Outlet on Division is a furniture-only store that has some of the least expensive furniture in town. It has furniture for every room, and has especially good deals on couches (starting at $100) and mattresses (starting at $99). BRO also has an amazing selection of modern furniture, and for the prices the quality is very good.
The Goodwill Outlet
1750 SE Ochoco St.
Milwaukee, Ore.
503-230-2076
www.goodwill.org
The Goodwill Outlet, also known as “The Bins,” has more than just bins of clothing to pick through. Though its furniture selection is small, it is very inexpensive. The staff will also help you load any purchase into your car. As long as you have a way to transport your purchases, the Goodwill Outlet can be the best bargain in town.