Do you love the smell of dusty cotton? Do you dig the noise of leather cracking? Are you patient enough to dig through piles of old sweaters to find the right fit? If you’re not too snooty to wear something that five other people in various states of mind already wore, then you’re ready to go.
Mary Scherpe, editor of Pudri Blog and founder of Stil in Berlin guides you through the vintage wastelands …
Lunettes Brillenagentur
Addicted to Glasses
One of the best methods to vanish into the Berlin hippster crowd is wearing huge horn-rims – Lunettes is the place to equip yourself. Primarily they sell excellently conserved glasses from all ages.
Immaculate Heart
Pure Vintage
This store is a cozy one, small room and a small, but nice choice. Still run by it’s owner the atmosphere is really relaxed. They always have a sales rack, which is rather rare at vintage stores.
Cash
High Class Second Hand
This store is dark, small, shabby and chaotic. Doesn’t sound like an enjoyable shopping experience. Still they sell clothes from past seasons by Raf Simons, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Marc Jacobs and other big names for a fraction of the original prize – which doesn’t mean you’ll get them for peanuts, of course.
O.F.T.
Ohne Frage Toll
Take your time to explore this store that looks more like Aladdin’s Cave of vintage than an actual store. It offers beautiful items and the owner is really helpful.
Flea Market Boxhagener Platz
Junk in the trunk
This is a good market for bargains, due to the vast amount of students selling their belongings to pay the next rent. You should not feel disturbed by strolling dogs, their legacies as well as by music brought to you for free by self proclaimed artists to enjoy this place.
Calypso
Shoe Collection
The queen of shoes reigns this store. It’s simple, either she will like you, or she won’t. At best she offers you the perfectly fitting shoes you will wear the rest of your life or at least until the end of the season.
Made in Berlin
Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!
Best selection of all the Kleidermarkt branches – it’s located in the Mitte of Mitte and flooded by tourists searching for the real Berlin vintage, ignoring the fact that the most of the stuff comes from the US. The owners take advantage of this and sell the flower-printed, high-waisted shorts with 15% extra Mitte-charge.
The Corner
Class & Style: Cornerstones
All about designer brands – no question that this doctrine applies for vintage selection as well.
Humana
More than 2nd hand
Take your time to explore this store. You will need it. Discovering a suiting and good looking piece in this 5 level Humana can be a struggle. But if you love the challenge (and have nothing else left to do in Berlin), go for it!
Flea Market Arkona Platz
Second Hand Goodies
If money is no object and it’s basically just about decorating yourself and your loft with uberhip retro stuff, this is the fleamarket to go. The assortment is great, though often sold way over it’s value.
Garage
Clothes by the Kilo
Sounds great – buying clothing by it’s weight – especially when it comes to airy summerdresses! But be careful – the best selection is offered in the fixed prize area, the items sold by the kilo are rather… trashy. As is the music.
Flea Market Mauerpark
Tourists welcome!
Shopping at Mauerpark means to bargain for a broken Instamatics with the turkish seller, who is enthroned in his ocean of cardboard boxes. This place is massively crowded, although the finds you can make here are rather rare. So come here for what is thought to be a Berlin experience, enjoy the homemade cake and the soap-bubble artists.
California Select
First Hand Second Hand
This is not the place to make a bargain. Shirts start at 20 Euros, dresses at 30. The tags say every piece was hand-selected by their tastemakers, whatever that means. The choice is great though and you will be definitely prepped for the party on the night out in Berlin.
About
Living in Berlin for five years, never having enough money to lean on designer brands and always having too much taste to entirely rely on Haight Street fashion, Mary constantly explores the treasure chests and the sumptuous boutiques.









