Encore Exchange

There is a lot going on in this store and a lot of it is definitely junk… however, there are some seriously beautiful pieces of jewelry that are worth the visit. If you like the thrill of finding a diamond in the rough then this is the place for you!

Terribly rude and unwelcoming.

This idiosyncratic secondhand store is the last bastion of vintage in Coolidge Corner, according to the owner, a fabulous woman in her 60s who has been operating her shop for over 40 years with the help of her equally fabulous husband and Yorkie terrier, Dutchess.
Due to rising rents in the neighborhood, many of her colleagues in consignment were forced out over the past decades, and she has moved inside the tiny «mall» between the Brookline Arcade and Fire Opal on Harvard St. My boyfriend and I discovered it while waiting for a table at Zaftig’s across the street, and it made my day – I had been complaining of an unrequited need for a vintage fix (see Unilocal discussion boards – «Aagh!»). I ended up walking away with an amazing mustard-​colored belt and a skirt I had just seen in Anthropologie, and if not for the sizing would have bagged an adorable pinstripe suit for under $ 40.
Not all of the pricing in the store is that competitive (a sure sign of the aforementioned rising rents) and not all of the clothing is that hip (I’d imagine that the fashionistas of Brookline that consign here are mostly over 40). But a find here would likely be a designer wardrobe piece that would last you several seasons: I saw a timeless Chanel skirt for $ 129 that I would have taken had I the extra cash, and an amazing purple Ferragamo belt for $ 79 that would look perfect with anything you’d pick up at Saks today.
It just goes to show you that you should never throw anything away – because it will come back into style – and if you must buy new clothes, buy old ones instead. That Chanel skirt may cost you more than the H&M knockoff, but it will be in style FOREVER. The fact that Encore Exchange has survived in Brookline is proof of that. I’ll definitely be back.