Flamingo Plaza

Whenever I come to Flamingo Plaza, I wish I could spend more time here.
Thrifting galore, a large Winn Dixie, and a cheap Asian buffet restaurant that is surprisingly decent. I just noticed a new Marshalls, but didn’t have enough time to check it out.
You may need a passport to shop here, but it’s worth it.

I was really disappointed. I am an avid thrift shopper & was excited at the possibility of a thrift store Mecca. But was just a decrepit group of a few stores… There were 3 second hand stores, only 1 of which — the Red, White & Blue had much decent stuff, but they didn’t have a dressing room, neither did 1 of the others. I found a few things I might have bought, but the prices were high enough that I wasn’t going to chance without trying things on. I left empty handed from all the stores, which is pretty unheard of for me.

Update 9−26−13: A new Marshall’s opened here today.
If you shopped here in the 90s, you will not like it now. It is no longer the undiscovered treasure trove it once was. Only two real second hand stores left and prices have gone-​up since they found out what they were selling. Although I am quite content that a once neglected shopping center in Hialeah has been brought back to life, finding bargains are hit or miss these days. You will have to deal with large crowds and long waits to pay if you are lucky enough to find that one item. It’s hit or miss these days. As stated above, only two of the original second hand stores remain. Many newer chain stores have jumped into the action. Before, it was all second hand stores. This is no longer the case. TIP: Lock your car doors and don’t leave anything visible from the outside to any passer by.

I haven’t been in forever, but was reading through these reviews and it reminded me of why I need to go back really soon! This place is NOT easy like a department store or boutique. Thrift shopping takes patience and time, so come with it. You really end up with some nice and unique things.

I had not been here in years. I went this weekend looking for some affordable seating for my living room. This place has seriously gone down hill. The furniture was beat up and seriously overpriced. I was seriously disappointed.

I love this place!!! Found some great pieces for cheap.
If you’re a thrifter in Miami, this place is a MUST!

if i tell you why i love this place, then it won’t be my little secret.

OK, not everything you see on TV is true… or good. I went to Flamingo Plaza to experience this «hidden gem», this Hialeah «treasure» and left less than thrilled.
I expected to find more real stores than thrift stores… maybe I don’t have the patience for bargain shopping. The stores were packed, messy and smelled kinda funky. I tried to suck it up and went through a couple of isles looking for some unseen gems but, alas, to my chagrin, all I found were over-​worn articles, and over-​priced previously owned furniture and home furnishings. I dashed out of that store and made my way to the somewhat promising shoe-​store located next to the Kidney Clinic (no joke) which was equally disappointing.
Tried out a couple more thrift stores but the crowds and mess quickly got to me and I bolted.
The only good places to shop, in my opinion, were the dollar stores, but only for candy and some kitchen articles.
I walked away disapointed by the promise of a treasure that never was and puzzled by the placement of that kidney clinic… quite odd.

This economy has hit Miami hard! So my trips to the malls have been fewer and further between… that’s why I am TICKLED about Flamingo Plaza! I love love love this place — not only because I love thrift shopping, but because there are a bunch of stores to choose from! I recently went on a thrift shopping spree (that’s right… a spree that was only $ 56!) and bought tons of new clothes. Notice I didn’t even put new in quotation marks — that’s because most of my clothes were new, never been worn items with tags still on them! Flamingo doesn’t just have second hand shops but first hand (if you will) shops with brand names at GREAT bargains. These clothes are usually $ 20+ I would imagine and here you can get them for like $ 5. But definitely don’t overlook the treasure hunt of shopping in a second hand shop. I once found a Jordan Marsh coat with mink trim for $ 20 at one of the stores in Flamingo Plaza! After some research it seems like this coat is from the 60’s and it’s in perfect condition… Now, this isn’t going to happen every time, but Flamingo is such a great place you will want to go back. So eventually if you keep looking, who knows what you’ll find!

So sometimes you just want to see what hidden treasures you can find in a thrift store. Here there are a few to check out and yes, they can be grungy and you might find some crazy items you would never think of purchasing, but hey that’s the beauty of the thrift store.
Having said that it is in Hialeah which means that the items found will not be the hidden designer bag that someone overlooked, however we did find a beautiful wool coat with a mink collar for $ 10. Can’t go wrong there can you?
Some do accept credit cards and debit but you might just be able to talk your way into a bigger discount if you are purchasing with cash.

Insert Friend’s Name here: «Oh my gosh you look so cute. Where did you get that?»
Me: «Flamingo PLaza of course!»
9 times out of 10 I have found amazing stuff here. There are about 5 different thrift stores in the plaza. I will say if you are not an avid thirfter be prepared. Bring cash, patience, and a sense of fashion adventure. I have gotten everything from a Vintage Lacoste cardigan for $ 3, to an awesome chair for $ 4, and tons of purses, bags shoes. It is a great place to find nice blouses, especially if you are like me and enjoy them in the retro variety.
Finding kitchen utensils, and other home items is pretty easy. I once found an awesome full size green etch-​a-​sketch!
Drawbacks: you end up spending more money that you might think
because there is so much to choose from. So shop wisely. I find it’s helpful to gather everything you picked up and do a full look through. Check the size, for stains and ask yourself will I wear/​use this?
Be ready to sift through and take your time.

This is the place to go if you are in a Thrift Store shopping mood. There are like 6 different stores and you can start on one end and go into each one until you reach the last store. Me and my boyfriend try to go here once a month for cool old stuff he loves too look for. If you get lucky you can find some amazing deals. I’m amazed at the amount of people that go here.
Location is a little scary but I have not run into any problems. I always keep my purse held tight in case of purse snatchers but that is everywhere I go that it is crowded. I’m glad I was introduced to this place. We always find something cool to take home.

Poor man’s Bal Harbour shops
I’ve never been to Bal Harbour but I can imagine
I came here recently to buy a baseball bat — found a nice chunk of aluminum for $ 8
The suit I wore for homecoming back in ’96– thank you Red, White and Blue
Flamingo Plaza has 5 thrift stores, a baby city, some dollar stores, a Winn Dixie, Bank of America, McDonalds, a video store, some furniture liquidators and HR Block — One could live here for the rest of their lives and I am sure there are couple of folks that are trying to do just that
Flamingo Plaza is legendary