Archie McPhee, Seattle's best and strangest. Photograph: Amber Fouts  

Fremont Vintage Mall 

Fremont 

You could spend hours in this downtown Fremont basement without being ever the wiser. Dozens of vendors vaguely organized into their own mini shops means there’s something here for everyone, from retro Seahawks gear to midcentury barware to cheeky earrings made by local designers. 

Cone and Steiner 

Capitol Hill, Pioneer Square

Part grocer, part deli, part candy store with a few beers on tap, Cone and Steiner’s Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square locations are one-stop neighborhood shops. 

Pink Gorilla 

University District, Chinatown–International District  

Fans of retro or niche video games should get acquainted with the Gorilla. The U District and C–ID locations specialize in classic, hard-to-find, and imported video games and novelties, with consoles ranging from rare 1980s behemoths to the popular Nintendo Switch.

Evo

Wallingford   

Pop into this Seattle-based ski shop and get so much more than you bargained for: In addition to selling great gear for just about every activity under the rain, Evo brings the community together for avalanche awareness clinics, documentary screenings—and the 6,000-square-foot skate park tucked underneath the store.

Golden Age Collectables 

Pike Place Market 

Located in the depths of Pike Place Market since 1961, Golden Age Collectables is thought to be the oldest comic book shop in the world. Here, each aisle gives way to another just as stocked with age-defying treasures, from a full wall of Funko Pop figures to what feels like an entire franchise worth of Star Wars paraphernalia, to, obviously, rows and rows of comics.

Easy Street Records 

West Seattle 

West Seattle’s storied vinyl shop and cafe has played host to a murderer’s row of iconic bands, from the Sonics to Pearl Jam, earning it a spot on national must-visit lists.

Elliott Bay Book Company 

Capitol Hill 

This expansive independent bookstore moved from its original Pioneer Square location in 2010, but a quick break from lamenting the good old days reveals the same lovely shop—this time, with massive paned windows that let the light in even on the dreariest Seattle days.

Jacob Willard Home 

Columbia City     

Karl Hackett expertly curates and restores the vintage furniture for sale at his Hillman City–area furniture shop. Why scour the internet for impeccable midcentury style when you can have the real thing?

Flora and Henri 

Pioneer Square 

Owner and designer Jane Hedreen launched her children’s clothing line in the late ’90s. Now, a light-filled showroom houses her designs alongside home goods, gifts, and fashions for the whole family (the one whose house always seems to have the sleekest gadgets and tome-stocked bookshelves). 

Georgetown Trailer Park Mall 

Georgetown 

Down in Georgetown, far from the business districts and centers of consumerism, lies an eccentric marketplace where weekend vendors peddle throwback threads, folk art, and a plethora of wonderfully bizarre ephemera that has helped Seattleites change their mall rat ways for the better.

Scarecrow Video 

University District 

To step foot in Scarecrow is to time travel to a recent past, one with far less streaming and far more Cookie Dough Bites. This decades-old U District stalwart offers well over 100,000 titles on DVD, Blu-ray, VHS, LaserDisc—a selection the now-nonprofit advertises as the world’s largest publicly available video collection.  

Glasswing 

Capitol Hill 

Perhaps the most serene of Seattle’s clothing boutiques, Glasswing is all earth tones, canvas, and greenery—outfit yourself in wear-forever pieces from designers like Jan-Jan Van Essche and Evan Kinori while you outfit your home garden (yes, even at the shop’s clothing-centric Melrose Market–adjacent location).  

Indoor Sun Shoppe 

Fremont  

Veer off the Burke-Gilman and into Fremont’s indoor garden oasis to find tropicals like Dieffenbachia, shelves of succulents, easy-to-care-for air plants, and enough hanging vines to turn an apartment into an arboretum—as well as the friendly experts and useful extras to help you care for it all.   

Freeman 

Capitol Hill 

Why trust another city’s maker with your rainwear? Freeman’s made-in-Seattle raincoats and cozy basics conjure up images of an idyllic camping trip without making you look or feel like you’re wrapped up in the tent.  

Archie McPhee 

Wallingford 

The Madison Square Garden of Seattle novelty shops boasts an impressive collection of inspired creations, like a squishable “stress tardigrade,” “handerpants” (yes, hand underpants), and an Edvard Munch–inspired electronic noisemaker that emits your pent-up screams for you.

Feathered Friends 

South Lake Union 

More than just a pile of goose feathers, the down sleeping bags, coats, and vests nesting inside this flagship store are world-class. 

Eames NW

Fremont   

Recognized by Gear Patrol as one of the nation’s best menswear stores, Adrian Eames’s slick menswear boutique treads the line between the latest fashions and timeless, true-to-form Seattle function.

Throwbacks NW

Capitol Hill 

Throwbacks NW is the city's go-to stop for old-school jerseys, pristine snapbacks, and comfy crewnecks in the fonts, colorways, and teams (we miss you, Sonics) of a bygone era.

Prism 

Ballard 

It’s a fitting name for a boutique that brings a much-needed dose of color to a city of blues and grays. But don’t mistake playfulness for trend-chasing. From Girlfriend Collective’s brightest leggings to a rainbow of Rains jackets to shelves of equally beautiful home goods, Prism makes the case for statement pieces that cut through the gloom.

Something Silver

University Village 

With three decades of experience selling unique and frequently local pieces at prices ranging from “engagement ring” to “I’ll buy two,” Something Silver is your cool friend in the jewelry business.

Lander Street Vintage

SoDo   

Pacific Galleries left a warehouse-sized hole in Seattle’s antiquing scene, but local vintage buff Tom Gorz—who got his start as a vendor there—quickly filled it, reopening as Lander Street just over a month later. Plenty of the original booth-runners stuck around, but don’t expect same-old, same-old: Gorz’s eye for furniture extends to setting up shop.

Hitchcock Madrona 

Madrona 

Like pictures, treasures from this accessories shop are worth a thousand words. Instead, here are just three: bold, refined, essential. Whether it’s something delightfully understated like a simple 18-karat gold bar necklace or distinctive like a custom sweatshirt, it most definitely lives here. 

Two Big Blondes 

Central District 

Founded in Georgetown in 1997, this sweeping consignment shop offers an unprecedented selection of plus-size clothing, from 25-cent sale items to $800 designer consignment in styles and sizes that reflect the diversity of its customer base.  

Valerie Madison Fine Jewelry Studio 

Madrona   

With a University of Washington degree in environmental science, Valerie Madison makes jewelry that’s both art and science: Her nature-inspired necklaces, engagement rings, and bracelets are made in Seattle with recycled metals and ethically sourced gemstones.

Pipe and Row

Fremont   

Searching for Seattle’s fashion sense? It’s tucked away on a Fremont side street. Pipe and Row sets the standard with of-the-moment drops from brands like House of Sunny, Stutterheim, and Vagabond Shoemakers.