The Best Vintage and Second-Hand Markets in London
Second hand clothing fair
Whether it’s mid-century modern chairs you want, or you’re after a vintage hat, London has thrived on selling second-hand merchandise and vintage fashion for decades. Here are our favourite places to have a good old rummage.
Vintage clothes, antiques and odd knick knacks—it’s all here on Sunday mornings in Brick Lane. Get up early, grab a salt beef bagel and trawl the stalls for bargains. You’re guaranteed to find something you’re excited to take home.
Although Old Spitalfields Market is open daily, Thursday is antiques day. There are stalls that flog a mix of everything and ones that have particular focus on one type of antique, such as taxidermy or medals. There are often themed markets, as well, at weekends in second-hand vinyl or vintage clothes.
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Portobello Road is perhaps London’s most famous second-hand market, with traders lining the long street in Notting Hill every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here, locals and tourists mingle to find antique and vintage bargains. There’s been a market here for more than 200 years, but it only became famous for second-hand wears after World War II.
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Alfies Antique Market
Church, Market, Store
Alfies Antique Market in Marylebone is an insider secret. The cavernous warehouse holds more than five floors with 75 different antique traders who specialise in 20th-century furniture and other items. It’s a lot to take in, so when you’re ready for a break, there’s a rooftop restaurant to keep you going.
Greenwich has a vintage and second-hand market every weekend. It’s separate to the food and craft market that’s opposite the Cutty Sark, tucked away on a smaller street around the corner. Here, East End banter fills the air between stalls while you pick up the odd bargain.
There’s an antiques market in Bermondsey Square every Friday morning. This is one where it’s best to get up early–around 5am–and jostle for space with serious collectors who are after china, glassware, homewares and paintings.
Frock Me! Vintage Fashion, London | Photo by Jennifer C. Smith-Parker
Every other month, Chelsea Old Town Hall is the place to come for serious vintage fashion as the Frock Mefair rolls into town. Think 1920s flapper dresses, ’50s tea dresses and designer labels–this isn’t exactly a jumble sale, and things aren’t cheap, but they will be unique.
