Disappointment. I was excited for this store…read more This store has interesting clothing to offer - some vintage some new. The prices were pretty steep. Many clothes were damaged, and the tag did not mention the damaged item. I understand that items are vintage, but it should be disclosed of the condition of the clothing. The v store was very hot and packed with people. I was unable to look at everything because shoppers kept bumping into me or cutting me off unfortunately. The clothes were not very organized either. It was hard to look through them. If they did crowd control and limit the shoppers inside, I may have had a better experience. This has been the most disappointing shop during my Scotland holiday so far.

One of my favorite vintage shops in the world! I look forward to coming here every time I am in…read moreEdinburgh. I have found some really unique pieces for great prices.

Rusty Zip is a spin off of Armstrong's, and has all the quality of the vintage outlet crammed into…read morethis compact shop. Armstrong's is sprawled out in a vast space, but I quite liked being able to pick through the packed railings in here without having to travel too far! Garments are nicely ordered, well displayed (as you would expect from an Armstrong's store) and have the same fun, frilly vintage appeal. There are spangles galore, not to mention a decent selection of beaten up cowboy boots. It's worth noting that the clothes shipped off to this outlet are considerably cheaper than in Armstrong's proper, with sparkly 70s disco boob tubes coming in at a fiver! They had some nice leather jackets cheaper than I've seen elsewhere, and a good selection of clothing for guys. They had some great offers on denim shirts - if you buy a denim jacket you get one for free! The shirts were dirt cheap as it was and with denim making a big comeback this season, I can see their Lee shirts selling out faster than a speeding bullet. The staff were friendly and relaxed, going about their business while leaving me free to browse. It's a bit more laid back than Armstrong's and with more bargains. Love it!

As previous reviewers have mentioned, the Rusty Zip is a little sister of Armstrong's, one of the…read morebiggest vintage clothes stores in the City. The Rusty Zip is quite small but crammed full with garments, trinkets and accessories. I personally am a fan of their leather post man bags.My flatmate loved their shoes, which were in very good condition, and not to mention affordable, considering they were leather boots. Their cashmere jumpers are quite nice, and they have a good selection of men's clothing as well. Prices vary depending on the garment in question, and their are some true vintage pieces in here. Whether or not you would ever wear them, or if you question if vintage shops are just over-priced second-hand shops I will leave that to you. I still like the quirky finds in this shop and it's down-to-earth attitude to it's stock. (they even have 70's disco glitter boots for your Abba fever party- not just brand stuff)

The British Heart Foundation charity store, located on a street full of charity shops, manages to…read morestand out because of its impressive window display of the latest items available in the store. This shop is literally packed with everything you can expect from DVDs to clothes to books and bric-a-brac. As with all charity shops it's ideal to browse, and best if you aren't looking for something particular or else have a vague idea of what you want (i.e a white t shirt for a dress up). The prices are not the lowest on the street but it's still worth a browse around and in both cases that I have been in here the staff have been super friendly!

I nipped in here for a wee browse last week and it really is crammed to bursting. Most charity…read moreshops only have a couple of second hands videos/DVD's but they literally have hundreds here all very well organised and easy to browse. To be fair, if you go to somewhere like Fopp or HMV you will probably get brand new ones for cheaper but I guess you're getting a reasonably cheap item plus you're giving to a good cause so if you're feeling in a giving mood maybe head here. They had a great selection of clothes and if you take the time to browse I'm sure there's lots of pretty items just waiting to be uncovered. They also have an extensive range of knick knacks and I had my eye on a candle holder shaped like an old flip flop, one of the funniest designs I've ever seen, I'm surprised the original owner could bear to part with it.

Amstrongs has always got ripe vintage pickings. It is one of the most famous vintage stores in the…read morecountry, and was impressed to see the sign on this outlet saying it was founded in 1840. 1840! They were living in a time that everything was vintage (to us, anyway). It makes me wonder why they used to sell! However, despite my praise for the other outlet's glitzy displays, this Armstrong's has a bit less pizzaz. Don't get me wrong, it's still a prime target for rummaging, and I don't tend to surface from the shop for at least half an hour. But today I was let down (like in the other store) by vaguely ignorant customer servicem and by finding a few of my clothes on the rails! A 40s inspired Haiwaiian dress, eh? That may be the case, but what the tag failed to highlight was that it was in H&M last season. Not only that, but a fair few items from my wardrobe turned up in there, to the point I felt like I was in the Truman Show. I have a really horrible jumper I wear in bed that makes me look like a creepy kids TV presenter, and was surprised to say the least when it turned up in here (although perhaps not surprised at why it is unlikely to be purchased anytime soon.) Armstrongs is always fun, but I can't deny I was a bit disappointed. But I'm still going to go back because - well, it's Armstrongs!

I honestly thought this was a fancy dress shop when I first walked in here in my first year. Some…read moreof the clothes are just ridiculous, including what looked like technicolous dreamcoats. It's really not up my street and they try to label most of it as 'vintage' when, really, it's just tack. What's more, the strange guy who owns it took a shining to one of my friends and kept demanding that he had a photo taken of her! Pretty bewildering stuff. Nonetheless, if your into interesting and unusal clothing, this is the place to look.

Take an individual piece of clothing out of Aladin's cave it's probably the worst thing you've ever…read morebought. According to everyone who's older than me this is one of the oldest established vintage clothing boutiques in Edinburgh. Lots of animal prints, lots of sequins and polyester, like any second hand shop really. but for some reason Herman Brown seems to be slightly uglier (which as we all know, is a great thing) having never found an excuse to wear a 150kg dress I'm sad to say I've bought NOTHING in the 800 times I've been in but it's still great fun trying stuff on.. Shop owners everywhere are shaking their heads, right?

I got so excited the first time I stumbled upon Herman Brown…read more It's a vintage store with originality, and packed full with well sourced stock. There was granny jumpers aplenty, batwing sweaters, suede jackets and a decent selection for the boys. It's not overwhelmingly busy with stock, leaving you free to browse without your brain being bombarded with a ton of information. There is definitely enough to satisfy your vintage cravings however, and loads of accessories for you to dig into your wallets for. There is a good supply of boots, buckles and bangles, not to mention half a ton of gorgeous brooches in a glass cabinet underneath the cash desk. You can always tell vintage suppliers who hire experienced staff, and Herman Brown has that. They are a very approachable bunch who are informative if you want to find out more about an item. Herman Brown is full of goodies, and being established for over twenty years it's safe to say they didn't jump on a bandwagon - they built it!

FANTASTIC PLACE!! Best shop in Edinburgh by far. Anne was such a great help to me & so friendly!…read moreUnique hand made pieces and beautiful handmade silk scarves at (by American standards) insanely low prices: $37 for a jaw dropping handmade silk scarf which would easily be $137 back home in California. Unique jackets and wraps and stunning handmade jewelry for only $20. Crazy. If I lived closer I'd be here all the time lol! Anne even told me helped me to find a "locals pub" to check out which was a great place. Thanks Anne for all your help!!

This is more vintage than thrift and pretty expensive for both. The woman working there was plenty…read morenice, not a huge selection so don't go in thinking you'll spend a lot of time or dig.

Lovely vintage pieces.. From clothing to toys to furniture and crockery.. This new addition to…read moreLeith Walk is well worth a look see and having a poke around... Tho prices more in line with vintage/antique shops than junk store... Had to resist buying a sideboard or record player..

In my opinion, Carnivàle Vintage is the best vintage shop in Edinburgh! All the dresses are in good…read morecondition. And they are reasonably priced. The owner knows a lot about vintage fashion, she will help you find the best dress! I also like that there are TWO fitting rooms in this shop! I highly recommend this shop, I will definitely go back.

From the owner: Carnivàle specialises in vintage clothing from the 1940s-1970s. We have both menswear and…read morewomenswear as well as furniture, jewellery and accessories. We are passionate about bringing old things back to life and clean and mend items so they can be enjoyed for several more decades to come.

Super friendly staff... Is small but great selection…read more.. Great prices on kilts!

I'll never forget the day I walked past this Shelter shop and spotted a huge gold batik print…read moreopened out as a backdrop for the window display. It. was. beautiful. And it was only £30, which is more than a bargain in anyone's book. Unfortunately, my then boyfriend who I was walking with didn't pick up on any of the ten or so hints I dropped on the way home, even though it was 3 weeks to christmas (!) and so sadly it doesn't belong to me. Whoever does own it, you are very lucky. And you have amazing taste. The moral of my ramble is this: whilst some charity shops' stock is not the sort of thing you'd drool over in the window, this place definitely does not fall into that category. It's like a cross between a vintage clothes shop and a one-off homeware boutique, but at amazing prices. What's not to love?!

Shelter is a charity shop, so I feel a little politically incorrect bashing it, but my complaints…read moreare totally aesthetic. The other ones on the street, namely Oxfam, Cancer Research and Barnado's are so much nicer to look at! One the one hand, the other stores may just be better at concealing the fact that all these products have been owned by someone else (a fact I'm sadly not too comfortable with) but it'd also help if Shelter was a little bit better organised. What it does have going for it is that it's not as strict on what it sells, so you could leave with anything from a tunic made in India (I did!), some cooking utensils, a book, or a colourfully sequined hat!