One of my favorite hobbies is thrifting in higher-income areas. Compared to thrift stores in lower income areas, items are better quality and prices are lower. At first, this idea may sound crazy—why would prices be lower if many customers in the area can afford items at higher price points? 

What is this wealthy-area thrifting phenomenon?

There are some ethical downsides of thrifting, including overconsumption (which causes prices to go up), and the sad truth is that those who may not need to thrift are the ones with access to the best deals. But, this definitely doesn’t mean you shouldn’t thrift from these areas. In fact, choosing to shop from a thrift store like this one, over one in an area with a lower cost of living, benefits everyone because it prevents price inflation in areas where people may thrift out of need. 

I recently visited Sister Thrift, which is located in Framingham (one of the wealthiest towns in MA, according to Patch) and is about a 30-minute drive from Northborough. I will admit this wasn’t my first time visiting Sister Thrift, but it would feel like a crime not to share this hidden gem. 

Let’s get started!

Styles: 7/10

Honestly, I think I saw a little bit of everything in the store. There were definitely some vintage items, but also modern styles. Like the thrift store I visited in my last blog post, there was a large variety of sizes. However, the large variety of different styles and sizes means that there is a limited quantity of each style in each size.

Condition: 10/10

I don’t think there were many items that were new with tags, but everything appeared to be clean and in good condition. 

Brands: 9/10

Unlike many other thrift stores including Savers and Goodwill, I saw a minimal amount of fast fashion items. The brand that was most abundant in the store was White House Black Market, which typically retails anywhere from $50-$100. 

Price: 6/10

Sister Thrift sets a base price for each category of clothing (with some obvious exceptions), which means everything is a hit or miss. Personally, I’ve never left empty-handed, but this does make some items a better deal than others. My favorite rack is the $1.99 clearance rack, which (unlike some other thrift stores) has the same brands and quality items as those on the regular merchandise racks. A trend I’ve begun to notice with local thrift stores is that they donate a portion of their profits to a charity, and for Sister Thrift, this charity is the MetroWest Humane Society.

Customer Service/Environment: 10/10

The friendly atmosphere in locally-owned thrift stores continues to amaze me. The staff are always relaxed and willing to help.

Overall: 9/10

Overall, I would give Sister Thrift a 9/10. If you have the time to go and are willing to make the drive, I could not recommend it more. I only wish it were closer to home!