The Dunn Area Thrifting Trail

If you like the classic thrift-store experience where the fun comes from looking through a little bit of everything, start at Beacon Thrift Store. Clothing, shoes, books, toys, artwork, home goods and plenty of unexpected finds fill the shop, with new donations continually changing what is available. Recent shoppers especially mention the amount of merchandise packed inside and the opportunity to find everything from brand-new clothing to unusual pieces perfect for costumes or themed events.

What makes Beacon different is where the money goes. Beacon Rescue Mission was founded by Gene and Betty Love in 1988 after the couple began opening their own home to people who had nowhere else to stay. The need eventually grew so large that they purchased a home in Dunn to operate as a shelter. When funding became difficult, the family launched its thrift-store ministry, which today remains one of the primary sources of support for the mission. 

That means the shirt, lamp or stack of books you take home does a little more than score you a bargain. It helps support shelter and assistance for people in need throughout the community.

Boleka’s is what happens when a thrift store and a neighborhood coffee stop get rolled into one. Instead of one uniform inventory, the shop includes vendor spaces filled with an eclectic mix of clothing, furniture, toys, glassware, collectibles, records, books, jewelry, home décor and plenty of things that are difficult to categorize. Shoppers regularly describe it as the sort of place where you need to slow down and look because there is so much tucked into the store.

There is also a coffee and snack component, which gives Boleka’s a personality all its own. Grab a drink, wander through the vendors and see where the hunt takes you. 

If your favorite thrift stores are the ones where you can spend an hour and still feel like you missed something, Boleka’s deserves some extra browsing time.

Some thrift stores have a little vintage. The Gettin’ Place leans into it.

Inside, shoppers report finding antique dishes, glassware, collectibles and household pieces, with years’ worth of accumulated merchandise creating the kind of store where nostalgia seems to be sitting on nearly every shelf. Reviews frequently mention the sheer amount to explore and the fair pricing.

If you collect old glass, dishes or pieces that remind you of your grandparents’ house, this could become one of the longer stops on your trail. There is a difference between shopping and rummaging, and The Gettin’ Place gives you permission to enjoy a little of both.

This is the stop for the thrifter whose wish list is bigger than a new shirt or vintage plate.

Habitat ReStore specializes in new and gently used furniture, appliances, home accessories, building materials and home-improvement supplies. Inventory depends heavily on what has recently been donated, so one visit might uncover a dining table or sofa while the next turns up cabinets, lighting or supplies for your next DIY project.

The store is operated by Habitat for Humanity of Harnett County, and proceeds help Habitat’s work to build and improve affordable housing. That gives bargain hunters a particularly satisfying excuse to bring home that piece of furniture they suddenly realize they cannot live without.

Parents, grandparents and anyone shopping for little ones should make time for Lilypad’s.

Rather than trying to cover every thrift category, Lilypad’s specializes in baby, children’s, juniors and maternity resale. Alongside consigned pieces, the shop also carries new merchandise including dancewear, children’s shoes, smocked clothing, hair bows, diaper bags, baby gifts and accessories.

That specialization is what sets it apart from the broader thrift stores on the trail. Instead of digging through adult housewares and furniture to find the kids’ section, this entire stop is built around growing families. It is especially useful when children seem to outgrow clothing almost as quickly as you can buy it.

This is thrifting with a little more polish.

My Best Friend’s Closet focuses on women’s consignment and resale clothing, with an emphasis on nicer brands, apparel, accessories and jewelry rather than the anything-goes inventory found in a traditional thrift store. Recent shoppers continue to praise the shop for good jeans, fashionable finds and friendly service.

It is a particularly good stop for shoppers who love secondhand prices but prefer a more curated clothing experience. Think less digging through miscellaneous donations and more searching a friend’s very good closet for the piece she is finally ready to let go.

Saks Thrift Avenue brings a vendor-style approach to the trail. Instead of shopping inventory selected by just one store, visitors can browse merchandise offered by multiple vendors, creating the possibility of very different styles and finds from one section to the next. Discover Dunn describes it as a consignment thrift shop with numerous vendors and plenty to explore.

That makes this a stop where browsing is part of the experience. Take your time, check the shelves twice and remember the first rule of thrifting: if you love it, you probably should not assume it will still be there tomorrow.

At Sharing His Blessings, secondhand shopping directly supports young people.

The store is a program of Falcon Children’s Home and Family Services, and proceeds support Falcon Christian Academy, which serves at-risk youth and helps students develop the academic and social skills needed for life after high school.

That mission gives this stop a distinct purpose on the trail. Browse donated and secondhand merchandise knowing that what you spend is being put back into programs serving young people in the region. For travelers who like their bargain hunting to come with a tangible community connection, this is an especially meaningful stop.

The Erwin Beacon location brings the same community-centered mission found at the other Beacon stores to the heart of Erwin.

Expect a traditional thrift-store mix where clothing, household pieces and other donated merchandise can change dramatically from visit to visit. Daily sales and affordable pricing are part of the appeal, which makes Beacon the type of place where repeat visits can turn up completely different finds.

Like its sister stores, this location helps support Beacon Rescue Mission. The organization grew from Gene and Betty Love opening their own home to people who needed shelter, eventually developing into a formal mission supported heavily by its network of thrift stores.

Here, finding a bargain and supporting a neighbor can happen in the same transaction.

Cotton Row feels right at home in a town with deep textile roots.

The family-owned and operated shop specializes in unique finds and décor, making it a good stop for shoppers interested in pieces that add personality to a home rather than racks of mass-market merchandise.

The name is especially fitting in Erwin. The community was once known as the “Denim Capital of the World” because of the massive textile operations associated with Erwin Mills, Burlington Industries and later Swift Denim.

Whether the name was intended as a direct nod to that history or simply fits the community by coincidence, browsing Cotton Row while exploring Erwin gives the stop a sense of place that you will not find in a national thrift chain.

Southern Paradise is for the shopper who likes secondhand finds but prefers them with a little presentation.

The store describes its approach as turning secondhand shopping into a more upscale antique experience, and shoppers frequently comment on its organized environment, reasonable vendor pricing, furniture and home pieces.

That makes it a nice contrast to the dig-and-discover shops elsewhere on the trail. You can still chase the thrill of an unexpected find, but in a setting geared more toward antiques, décor and pieces you might immediately picture in your own home.

Give yourself time here if vintage furniture and home decorating are your weak spots.

Coats Beacon is a particularly good stop for bargain hunters looking beyond clothing: housewares, furniture, name-brand items and seasonal merchandise, along with affordable pricing and an organized sales floor. The constantly changing donations mean there is no dependable shopping list here. That unpredictability is exactly the point.

This store is part of the Beacon Rescue Mission network, so profits help provide shelter, food, clothing and assistance to people experiencing difficult circumstances.

If you have already visited Beacon in Dunn or Erwin, do not assume you have seen what this one has to offer. Different donations mean different treasures.

Abby & Bella’s proves that a small-town resale shop can have a big heart.

The shop carries new, gently used, like-new and vintage merchandise, with clothing and home pieces sharing space with the kind of unexpected finds that make thrifting fun. The Coats Area Chamber of Commerce describes it as a locally rooted thrift and consignment shop with something for a wide range of shoppers.

But what really sets Abby & Bella’s apart is its mission. A portion of sales is given back to local animal rescues as well as families in need.

So if you leave carrying a bag in one hand and wondering how you ended up buying something completely unexpected with the other, at least you can say your thrift-store impulse purchase helped support the community.

Diamond Thrift keeps things refreshingly simple: it is a local thrift and consignment shop where the inventory is driven by what comes through the door.

That makes it a good wildcard stop on the trail. When there is not a tightly defined specialty, you get to walk in without a shopping list and let the merchandise decide what catches your attention.

In a town where several thrift experiences are within a short drive of one another, Diamond is an easy addition to a Coats treasure-hunting loop.

The name may say Fantastic Finds, but the story behind this shop is even more important than what is on the racks.

Fantastic Finds is operated by SAFE of Harnett County, a nonprofit serving victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The organization began as Rape Crisis Intervention in 1987, changed its name to Sexual Assault Family Emergency, or SAFE, in 1989 and opened its shelter in 1995.

The store accepts gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, household goods, furniture and appliances, with proceeds helping cover the cost of SAFE’s services.

For visitors, that creates an easy-to-love combination: affordable shopping, constantly changing inventory and a purchase that directly helps an organization serving families in Harnett County.

If you want to see Beacon on a larger scale, make this your stop.

The newest and largest Beacon location, housed in a former furniture showroom. That extra space means plenty of racks and shelving, with new merchandise continually making its way onto the sales floor. With ever-changing selection of clothing, household goods, furniture, toys and oddball finds, with the staff working to keep the large volume of donations organized.

Like the other Beacon stores, proceeds support Beacon Rescue Mission’s shelter and community work. If you only have time for one Beacon location and want the biggest hunt, Lillington makes a strong case.

Mama’s House gives the phrase “shopping for a cause” a very literal meaning.

The nonprofit thrift store uses charitable donations and store proceeds to help provide food, clothing and other supplies to local families in need at no charge. It also works to support and grow its food-bank efforts.

One of its more unusual features is the setting itself: descriptions of Mama’s House note a two-floor house-style thrift-shopping experience, which gives browsing a different feel than shopping in a conventional retail space.

Come for the hunt, but remember that every donated piece and every purchase helps the organization put resources back into the hands of local families.

Prices Right is built for shoppers who enjoy variety but want something a little closer to a consignment marketplace than a traditional donation-based thrift store.

The family-owned and operated business mixes consigned merchandise with new furniture and mattresses. Shoppers can encounter furniture, home décor, clothing, accessories and branded decorative pieces, with inventory supplied by a large pool of consignors. One current business profile reports more than 800 consignors, which helps explain why the selection changes so frequently.

The furniture selection is an especially important difference. You might arrive looking for a small decorative piece and find yourself mentally rearranging the living room around a sectional.

If your version of thrifting leans more toward collecting, add Vintage Thrift to the list.

Rather than trying to be everything to every shopper, the store is primarily identified as an antiques and collectibles shop, making it a natural stop for people who enjoy older pieces, nostalgic finds and items with a little more age and character.

Inventory at stores like this is part shopping trip and part scavenger hunt. Look closely. The item you remember from childhood may be sitting beside something you have never seen before.

Hidden Treasures earns its name by leaning into the unpredictable side of thrifting.

Shoppers report finding everything from video-game systems and power tools to bicycles and miscellaneous household items, making this one of the better stops for someone who wants more than clothes and décor.

Business listings identify Jody B. Underwood as the principal associated with the shop.

This is the kind of stop where having something specific in mind can be useful, but going in with absolutely no plan may be even more fun. You never know what somebody else decided they no longer needed.

The Pack House mixes old finds with Southern home style.

Visitors can browse antiques, home décor, patio furniture, children’s clothing and toys, along with bath and body products, handmade aprons and seasonal décor such as wreaths, candles and signs.

That mix makes it different from a pure thrift shop or traditional antique store. There are secondhand finds, but there are also giftable items and pieces selected specifically for decorating a home.

It is the kind of place where the person who says, “I’m just looking,” has a very good chance of leaving with a candle, a piece of furniture or both.

The Corner Thrift Shoppe built its following around an eclectic combination of used, new, vintage, antique and collectible merchandise. Earlier accounts also described vendor spaces carrying gifts and home décor, making it the sort of store where shoppers could encounter a different style around each corner.

Farmhouse Vintage Treasures was known for its mix of antiques, vintage pieces, collectibles, handmade crafts and especially vintage glassware. Owners Dan and Lisa Stahl operated the business in Benson for approximately eight years and earned a reputation among shoppers for their knowledge of glass and vintage merchandise.