Back home in Columbus after a whirlwind week split between Cape Ann and Boston (for fun) and Wilmington, North Carolina (for work). I was delighted by Wilmington’s historic downtown area and compelling food scene, but my tours of Beauport, also known as the historic Sleeper-McCann House, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum really took the cake. Will share more on both of these destinations soon!
After my guided tour of Beauport, I stopped into the gate house on site to ask the staff if they had any suggestions for a good place do some secondhand shopping or antiquing before heading to Boston. The gentleman at the front desk was hesitant to give me a recommendation, but one of his colleagues overheard my question and chimed in.
“Oh, what about that place that Sarah loves? It’s only ten minutes from here!”
The guy at the front desk shot her a look, as if to dissuade her from continuing, but she was completely unruffled. That’s how I discovered a fabulous thrift store called Second Glance, located just a few miles away from the Eastern Point in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Second Glance Thrift Store is associated with The Open Door Food Pantry which served over two million meals to nearly 6,000 local households in 2025. The thrift shop is powered by donations and offers clothing as well as furniture, home decor, kitchen items, and books.
The shop spans two large buildings: one houses mostly furniture, while the other offers a selection of clothing & home goods. The display is merchandised with a different theme each week, and new inventory is constantly being put out to replace things that sold. The shop is a local favorite and it does get quite busy. At one point during my quick visit, the line to check out was wrapped halfway through the store.
Almost immediately, I spotted a set of six handsome vintage maple chairs for just $60 that looked quite similar to a set of tiger maple chairs in the Octagon Room of Beauport! With a little reupholstery, these would be so spectacular.
A set of six French ladderback chairs with rush seats also caught my eye at the fair price of $10 per chair. If I was local, I would have purchased these for my kitchen table — such a steal.
From there, I wandered into the other building and made a beeline for the home goods section. There I found a true treasure trove of high-end kitchenware waiting for me. A 19-piece set of antique Herend was $125, while vintage English serving platters were priced between $10 - $18 each. Waterford crystal wine glasses were $12 each and a lovely engraved silverplate wine coaster was only $1!
With limited space in my carry-on bag, I naturally chose the bulkiest thing I could possibly fit into my suitcase: a handmade, vintage quilt for $20 that will be beautiful in the bedroom I am currently re-designing.
If you're planning a visit to Boston's North Shore, I would suggest carving out an hour for Second Glance. The prices were a tad higher than what I'm used to seeing at Columbus-area Goodwills, but the quality of the inventory more than justifies it. Plus, every purchase supports The Open Door's work serving thousands of local families.
Second Glance Thrift Store is located at 2 Pond Road in Gloucester, Massachusetts and is open weekly Tuesdays - Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Happy hunting!
Xx Abby
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