encore exchange consignment boutique

A few weekends ago, after brunch at the Jewish deli Zaftigs, Partner and I wandered around Coolidge Corner in Brookline. Pancake-stuffed, we rolled and lolled our way down the street, passing by a sign marked "Brookline Arcade." I was mildly amused, thinking that it'd been a while since I'd been in or even seen an arcade. A glimpse through the window, however, revealed otherwise. A cafe? An optician? Confusion. Clearly this wasn't the pinball/video game arcade of my youth. Investigation and clarification were essential. We went inside. (As I would later look up, this "arcade" refers to the building type.)

Now, I thought I'd heard of every last vintage/thrift store in the Boston area. (I'm a systematic researcher like that. Don't mess.) But no. I was wrong. And, boy, did it feel good to be wrong! Nestled among other local businesses was Encore Exchange, a women's consignment boutique. There were no gimmicks or fancy decor, just good, old-fashioned second-hand goods, murky fluorescent lighting and carpet of an undefined color. I got the sense that I was walking into a grandma's closet; the small store size and conservative, vintage clothes must have come straight from the homes of various wealthy Brookliners. The prices were largely affordable, but not dirt cheap. The big eye-catcher, though, was the brooch display in the window. It was practically Noah's Ark in there, there were so many kinds of animals.

Clearly, Encore is not a well-known hot spot for the 20-to-30 crowd. It has one meager entry on Yelp (review site extraordinaire for young, "in the know," urban things), and all of the customers in the store were generations older than I. All the better, I say – that's one less demographic to have to duke it out over for that $20 ruffled sweater from the eighties.