little ghost portland reviews

Little Ghost

Review Highlights

“ Personal opinion, doesn't make much sense to rate a secondhand (maybe any shop) on how much someone can schmooze you. ” in 2 reviews

“ I squealed with delight while pulling colorful scarves from the 3 for $10 bin. ” in 2 reviews

“ First of all, I have to confess that I don't have the sweet, spikey hair of man-about-town and ignored, chagrined photographer of lighthouses and head-shot extraordinaire Rafael Macias. ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

31 Forest Ave

Portland, ME 04101

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Amenities and More

3 More Attributes

About the Business

Little Ghost is a downtown Portland vintage and thrift shop located just off Congress Street specializing in clothing from the 1950s-1990s but you'll often find vintage art and collectibles as well. …

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2 star rating Could’ve been better
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Overall rating

Incredible, well curated collection of fun, wearable vintage clothing and accessories form mid century to 1980s. Abundant inventory of clean colorful garments and accoutrements in a variety of sizes. whoever buys for this store has a fantastic eye. Prices are very reasonable for all the hard work that must go into finding preppeng and organizing this collection.Thank you!

One of the best vintage stores I've ever been to. If you're seriously into thrifting and collecting vintage pieces, this place is a must. The prices were so affordable and reasonable it was almost hard to believe. I purchased a 1950s Bergdorf Goodman dress, that the owner spent 3 days restoring, for $25. You can really tell that the shop owners have a serious love for what they're selling.

One of the best selections of reasonably-priced vintage items that I've found in Portland! They have tons of truly vintage tees, and a great collection of beautiful women's and men's jackets. Although I don't currently have a need for it, they also have some adorable children's clothing, hats, and accessories. Their prices are fair (and more reasonable than most places in Portland) but they definitely still have the vintage markup that I've come to expect. I'll be back!

$20 overnight bag with leather handle.

$15 silk-feel fringe blouse.

Not really sure what folks expect from a vintage store. Place was stocked full of great finds, at reasonable prices. I don't know if the person working there said anything, but I'm not in a store where I need to be bothered, honestly I prefer to have my space. She was kind to me when I asked questions, cool, if she hadn't been it wouldn't have mattered, because end of the day- if I want something I'm buying it. Personal opinion, doesn't make much sense to rate a secondhand (maybe any shop) on how much someone can schmooze you. Rant aside- I grabbed a couple of really pretty, fair priced slips. Will come back again when I travel to see what they have added. Place wasn't too overwhelming, which I like.

I looked up thrift stores in Portland last night and knew I could only visit one in our short trip, and Little Ghost did not disappoint! I got some awesome shorts and the cutest pastel plaid dress. Everything was really well priced and the selection was so cool. I wish I had more time to spend going through everything but I'm stoked w what I picked up.

First of all, I have to confess that I don't have the sweet, spikey hair of man-about-town and ignored, chagrined photographer of lighthouses and head-shot extraordinaire Rafael Macias. You'll see my humble profile picture does not convey the same continental jet-set air as his playful head-and-shoulders candid - gripping a bottle of what appears to be Zima on a beach while donning a tasteful summer white suit and glancing at his blackberry - but I do know my way around a vintage shop or two. And sometimes, it's okay to just extend the first "hello" when walking into a shop. "Hellos" are not something I withhold as a pass-fail test of customer service acumen, but then again, I know not the power of a Guy Fieri spiked do. I can't begin to know the power such a vessel wields. I am but a simple vintage shopper, in the market for clothes, not home goods or "more eclectic household items". As I could plainly see from a cursory glance in any of the shop windows, this is a clothing store, stocked with clothing. As in clothing. For the body. Not the home. Or kitchen. CLOTHES. Maybe you're a person who considers rugs and drapes to be clothes but for houses, in which case, what's wrong with you? Shop elsewhere. CLOTHES! I did the unthinkable when first entering Little Ghost: I made eye contact and extended a "hello" to the woman behind the counter, you know, like a human being. Based on the abysmal one star reviews, I expected a chilling stare in return, a cold and empty silence eventually pierced by the sound of a crow "caw"ing in the distance. But instead I was greeted in return, even asked if I was looking for anything specific! Imagine my surprise! The woman was not only helpful, but charming. The conversation veered from the shop, and vintage, to her pets at home. She was a delight. I learned the shop is apparently run by two women in joint ownership. Props to my fellow business ladies (cue "Sisters are Doing it for Themselves" on the jukebox). Reading reviews that underscored how "small" and "tiny" the shop was, I expected a 10 x 10 shanty, but I was pleasantly surprised. The shop has a front area with a good selection of Women's vintage clothing, maxi dresses, jumpsuits and longer items separated by era, with fun images and chuckle-inducing captions. The vintage shoe selection is also solid. There's a full rounder of sale items, that on the day I arrived were an additional 50% off of marked price. An unexpected gem: a super-sweet dollar bin, that I found several goodies in. Ya gotta wear your digging hat to take full advantage of the dollar bin. I was lucky that two other shoppers with apparently killer fashion sense were digging before me and left their rejects on the basket rim for me to scoop up. Thank yooooouuuu! The middle area of the shop also features a cute display of shorter and midi dresses organized by era, opposite a display of pants arranged in a gradient to celebrate every color of the rainbow. I went ahead and snagged the kelly green 70s bell bottoms from said display, THANK YOU very much. Sad to have disrupted the rainbow flow; Surely they replaced it with something equally glorious. The pieces are all in exceptional condition, and if there is an issue, it is notated and priced accordingly. As a vintage collector, I know how challenging it is to not only find and unearth such magical pieces, but to also process every piece and note each issue for such a high volume of merch. Props to these ladies who know their inventory like the backs of their hands. They run a tight, if not quirky, and humorously offbeat ship. Just how I like it. The back of the store features a larger selection of sportswear, mens and unisex items. I was blown away by the sheer volume of deadstock items they had in store. We're talking mint pieces from the 70s and 80s with original retail tags still attached. Virginal, unworn, pristine NEW OLD STOCK. And all with reasonable prices. This place is a dream. Also, do yourself a favor and have a peek in the fitting room, but wait till it's unoccupied you weirdo. You'll find more captioned photos inducing such deep belly laughs, you just might split your vintage slacks. I won't spoil them for you. Go in and enjoy them for yourself. Rumor has it this shop gets hit with an influx of performers from Merrill Auditorium, Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman among them. If it's good enough for Karen Walker and Ron Swanson, well it's good enough for me.

Little Ghost offers a wide variety of insanely ecletic & beautiful & COOL vintage wear. One of my absolute favorite places in Portland - if anything, their clothing is on the side of being underpriced. I've gotten so many cool pieces from Little Ghost, including a $1 secretary dress, a cool af Garfield shirt & an amazing wool skirt displaying a hunting pattern. I cannot recommend this lil' shop enough.

I had a completely different experience from Rafael. My friend had mentioned this vintage (a.k.a. secondhand) place hidden on the surprisingly lively stretch of Preble Street directly across from the former Portland Public Market and up from Down Home Cooking and Slainte. It's also Z Fabric's neighbor. Anyhow, fashion and tchotchkes from many decades are well represented in a variety of styles from conservative to flamboyant. Of particular interest were the stretchy bracelets made from scrabble tiles. I squealed with delight while pulling colorful scarves from the 3 for $10 bin. Many were new with tags of stores gone by - Filene's and Ward Brothers. Back in the day, Nana and I would luxuriate on the red velvet circular couch in the now-defunct Ward Brothers at the Maine Mall. Another surprise was the great collection of 45 records among the gems was Do They Know it's Christmas - a standard of my holiday experience between the years 1984-88 along with Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses. It's great that stores like these exist and Little Ghost doesn't disappoint. One of my biggest shopping pet peeves is when I'm asked "did I find what I was looking for?" You simply cannot answer that question and I think it could be reworded a bit to reflect every shopper's true intent when it comes to shopping. In Little Ghost go with no expectations since you will 'be pleasantly surprised by the fashion and home furnishings. It's also a nice alternative to Material Objects though I'm no MO hater - it was my go-to vintage store throughout the years especially when it resided in the Old Port. As for the woman who I think was the owner, she made it a point to greet every customer upon entry. What treasures did I snag? A trio of scarves, some brown suede boots and my friend a dress and a top. All will be worn immediately.

I hate to tell people to go here because, its that good. The owners are delight, but I did consider giving 4 stars because the shop dog isn't there enough.

Very small store. I was searching for more eclectic vintage household items, and I mainly saw vintage clothes. I'm sure some finds could be found here, but nothing that I was looking for. Also, woman working yesterday didn't acknowledge us when we came in or when we were leaving.

6 other reviews that are not currently recommended

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portland mayne *terrence howard voice*

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(207) 773-8290

LITTLE GHOST

A Vintage Shop

VISIT US IN DOWNTOWN PORTLAND

Buying and Selling Vintage since 2012

Little Ghost began with an online shop and a small booth at a local flea market and has expanded into a 2100 square foot retail shop in Portland, ME. We offer curated second hand clothing primarily from the 1950s thru the y2k era but we also sell 1940s and earlier whenever we can find it! We have a small offering of vintage smalls like glassware, art and decor. New items hit the salesfloor daily!

OPEN MONDAY-SUNDAY 10:30-6:00

Buying vintage clothing by appointment only,, no walk-ins or modern clothing accepted., click here to purchase a gift card.

Call the shop, send us an email or dm us on Instagram to make an appointment if you have vintage items to sell! We pay out 40% same day as your appointment. If you have a large amount of vintage clothing such as those from an estate or a home clean out we would LOVE to chat! Give the shop a call and ask for Dawn or Rachael.

There is more information below on our specific buying process and criteria but in general we look for casual over formal, y2k era and earlier clothing in clean, sellable condition.

*We don't buy furs, linens, wedding dresses or modern clothing.*

Do you have questions about selling vintage to us?

31 Forest Avenue, Portland ME, 04101

[email protected]

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Little Ghost

Offbeat store carrying an assortment of vintage clothing & accessories, plus kitschy decor.

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Vintage and second-hand clothing for guys and gals with a sprinkling of retro housewares, art, and accessories. Little Ghost started in 2012 with a dream of turning a life long love of all things vintage into a career. I have been an avid thrift store scourer since my middle school days, back in the 1980s. Little Ghost is now a brick and mortar store, an Etsy shop, a booth holder at the world-famous Brimfield Antiques Show and part of the Portland Flea For All family.

All Genders
Consignment
Locally Owned
Women Owned

Blog Mentions

What’s Old is New Again – Vintage Stores in Portland, Maine

Posted: August 27, 2022

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Opening hours.

Closed Now 10:30 AM - 06:00 PM
Wednesday 10:30 AM - 06:30 PM
Thursday 10:30 AM - 06:30 PM
Friday 10:30 AM - 06:30 PM
Saturday 10:30 AM - 07:00 PM
Monday 10:30 AM - 06:00 PM
Tuesday 10:30 AM - 06:00 PM
Sunday 10:30 AM - 06:00 PM

Little Ghost Vintage

Appears on 8 lists

Portland Maine

Created by Erin Murphy 14 items

BEST OF: Maine

Created by Faith 68 items

Portland, ME

Created by Maegan McCrea 17 items

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Little Ghost Vintage Busting At The Seams, Moving This Fall

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Our favorite Preble Street thrift and vintage store, Little Ghost Vintage, has inhabited their Time & Temp building-adjacent storefront now for 7 years, and expanded a little more every year. This week, they announced plans to relocate to a larger spot a few streets up in the Portland Stage Theater building, in the old Sanctuary Tattoo shop at 31 Forest ave.

The relocation is a whopping 6 minutes' walking distance away, with a whole lot more room for the little vintage shop to expand its inventory and potential!

Little Ghost has also maintained an etsy shop where they post the best of their new vintage finds for purchase online or pickup in store.

I've stumbled upon some stellar finds at Little Ghost, and I can't wait to visit their new location on Forest ave. with more elbow room and more racks of exciting vintage and thrift clothes.

Check out their saved Instagram stores under the highlight "New Shop" for more details on their new location coming late fall 2019!