Grapevine’s Best Of 2017: Best Secondhand Shop

While high prices mean Reykjavík isn’t really thought of as a shopper’s paradise, there are still plenty of great local products you can only get here. Whether you’re hunting for a piece of Icelandic design, searching for hard-to-find vinyl by an Icelandic artist, stocking the fridge of your Airbnb, or hunting down the perfect hand-knitted lópapeysa, this guide will get you on the right track. Most of the winners are located in downtown Reykjavík, but a few are scattered throughout the greater Reykjavík area, giving you a good excuse to get out of the city centre hubbub and do some exploring. Happy shopping!

Winner

Spúútnik
Laugavegur 28b and Kringlan
With our previous winner Kólaportið increasingly turning into a market for cheap imported goods rather than interesting secondhand jumble, vintage clothing paradise Spúútnik moves into first place. This well-curated clothing emporium is more like a second hand boutique than a charity shop, and has all the clothing sorted by colour, style and size for easy browsing. “It’s expensive,” said the panel, “but it’s all imported stuff you won’t find anywhere else. They’re particular with the selection—after sorting through maybe sixty shirts, they’ll be determine that just one is good enough to go onto the shop floor.”

Runners Up

Red Cross
Laugavegur 12b & 116
There are a handful of Red Cross locations in Reykjavík, the most popular of which is a small store on Laugavegur. “When you go secondhand shopping you want something cheap and unique,” said the panel, “and the place to go for that is the Red Cross.” If your thirst for thrift knows no bounds, there’s a second, larger store near Hlemmur.

Fatamarkaður
Laugavegur 118
Further up the street from Spúútnik sits its sister store, Fatamarkaður. It’s similar in style but cheaper in price—while the tip-top best items are to be found in Spúútnik, if you’re on a tight budget you’ll probably be able to find something close in style and quality here.

Previous Winners

2015: Hertex
2014: Spúútnik
2013: Spúútnik
2012: Fatamarkaðurinn

You can buy a copy of the full Best Of Reykjavík 2017 magazine, posted worldwide, at gpv.is/buybestof.