Vintage and Thrift Shopping in Amsterdam: Shops and Flea Markets

Flea markets for second-hand clothes

Waterlooplein market, six days a week

Waterlooplein market is Amsterdam's historic flea market. It takes over the square of the same name, at the foot of the Dutch National Opera (the Stopera), Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 6pm, all year round; it is closed on Sunday. Its 300 or so stalls mix antiques, vintage objects, jewellery, books, records, bags, leather goods, souvenirs and food stands, but it is the racks of second-hand clothes that draw the most bargain hunters: leather jackets, coats, jeans, shirts and uniforms.

Take the metro to Waterlooplein station, which opens straight onto the square. The Episode shop is also on the square, at Waterlooplein 1 (1011 NV), open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm and on Sunday from noon to 6pm: handy for carrying on with your hunt on Sunday, when the market is closed.

Noordermarkt and Westerstraat, on Monday morning

In the heart of the Jordaan, the Noordermarkt has hosted a market since 1623. On Monday, from 9am to 2pm, the whole square turns into a general market selling vintage and second-hand clothes, textiles, antiques and bric-a-brac. The photo above, taken in 1983, shows that the Monday clothes market is a long-standing tradition.

The same morning, neighbouring Westerstraat hosts another market, nicknamed the "lapjesmarkt" (the fabric remnants market): around 210 stalls of fabrics, remnants and textiles, on Monday from 9am to 1pm. You can walk from one market to the other; arrive before 11am for the best choice.

On Saturday, from 9am to 4pm, the Noordermarkt changes character: the organic section, near the Winkel 43 café, is given over to fresh produce, while the rest of the square fills with general market stalls, including a few second-hand stands. For clothes, Monday is still the day to remember.

IJ-Hallen, the big flea market at NDSM

The IJ-Hallen market takes place on selected weekends in the halls of the former NDSM shipyard, NDSM-Plein 1 (1033 WC), in Amsterdam-Noord. Private sellers and traders offer clothes, homeware, furniture and bric-a-brac, with 600 stalls in October and November 2026, then 500 from December. Since many of the sellers are private individuals clearing out their wardrobes, it is often a good place for clothing bargains.

The next published dates are 10 and 11 October, 31 October and 1 November, then 12 and 13 December 2026, always from 9am to 4.30pm and indoors. Admission costs €6.50 for adults and €3 for children aged 4 to 11; the €11 "early bird" ticket lets you in from 6am. Get there on the free F4 ferry from the back of Central Station, then walk for five minutes.

For all the city's other markets, food markets included, see our guide to Amsterdam's markets.

Vintage shops in the Nine Streets

The Nine Streets (De 9 Straatjes), between the Singel and the Prinsengracht, are home to the city's highest concentration of curated vintage shops. Prices are higher than at the flea markets, but the pieces are washed, sorted and often arranged by era. The four addresses below are a few minutes' walk from one another.

Episode, Berenstraat

The Nine Streets branch of the Episode chain is at Berenstraat 1 (1016 GG), in the middle row of the Nine Streets. It opens Monday to Thursday from 11am to 7pm, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 7pm, and Sunday from 11am to 7pm.

Zipper, Huidenstraat

Zipper has been at Huidenstraat 7 since 1984, making it one of the oldest vintage shops in the area. It opens Monday to Wednesday from 11am to 6pm, Thursday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm, and Sunday from noon to 6pm. A second branch with the same hours opened in 2022 at Haarlemmerstraat 8, a few minutes from Central Station.

Laura Dols, Wolvenstraat

Laura Dols, Wolvenstraat 7 (1016 EM), sells vintage clothing and accessories and has a workshop dedicated to vintage wedding dresses. Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday from 11am to 6pm, Thursday and Friday from 11am to 7pm, Saturday from 11am to 6pm, Sunday from noon to 6pm. The shop is closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 January. On Sunday from 1pm to 4pm, it also opens an outlet at Nieuwe Hemweg 7G, in the west of the city.

Bij Ons Vintage, Reestraat

Bij Ons Vintage, Reestraat 13 (1016 DM), between the Keizersgracht and the Prinsengracht, mainly stocks clothes from the 1970s and 1980s, with a few pieces from the 1960s and 1990s. Everything is washed and arranged by decade, and new arrivals are announced every week. Open Monday from 11am to 7pm, Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm and Sunday from noon to 7pm.

For the city's other shopping streets, see our guide to shopping in Amsterdam.

Vintage by the kilo

In kilo shops, you don't pay per item: you fill your basket, weigh it at the till and pay by weight. The system favours light clothes (T-shirts, shirts, summer dresses) and penalises coats, leather jackets and heavy denim, so do the maths before falling for a jacket.

Kilo Kilo, Kalverstraat 177 (1012 XB), on the city centre's main pedestrian street, charges €35 per kilo, or 3.5 cents per gram. Stock, jackets and jeans included, is replenished every day. The shop opens Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm and Sunday from 11am to 7pm.

Kringloopwinkels, the neighbourhood second-hand stores

Kringloopwinkels are second-hand stores that resell items donated by local residents: clothes, but also crockery, books, vinyl, furniture and bikes. Prices are much lower than in vintage shops, and the stock changes every day. The RataPlan network runs two of them in Amsterdam West:

• RataPlan Generatorstraat, Generatorstraat 10 (1014 AT): opened in 2014 and billed as the city's largest second-hand store, with 3,500 m² over two floors. It is near Isolatorweg metro station.
• RataPlan Van Slingelandtstraat, Van Slingelandtstraat 39 (1051 CG): nearly 1,000 m² over three floors, with clothing on the first floor.

Both stores open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, Saturday from 9am to 5pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm.

De Hallen and themed markets

In Oud-West, the former tram depot of De Hallen is not a vintage shop, but its covered passage regularly hosts themed markets (vinyl, design, independent makers). It is also home to Denim City, a venue dedicated to jeans. Check the passage's programme before you go, as dates vary from month to month. It makes a good stop on a rainy day, with the Foodhallen for lunch.

Practical tips for vintage hunting

• Cash or card: in shops, card is the usual way to pay. At flea markets, bring cash in small denominations, especially for the private sellers' stalls at IJ-Hallen. Payment habits in the Netherlands are explained in our guide to money, payment and tipping in Amsterdam.
• Haggling: bargaining is part of the game at markets, especially if you buy several items from the same stall. Late in the day, some sellers lower their prices rather than pack up. In shops, marked prices are fixed.
• Sizes: sizes on older clothes don't always match today's sizing, and they vary by era and country of origin. Try things on, or measure a garment you already wear and compare.
• Check the condition: look at zips, underarm seams, stains and moth holes before paying; at markets, exchanges and refunds are not the norm.
• Best timing: Monday morning for the Noordermarkt and Westerstraat, any day except Sunday for Waterlooplein, and opening time (or the early bird slot) for IJ-Hallen. The Nine Streets shops are quieter on weekdays, in the late morning.

Summary table

Opening hours and prices checked in October 2026 on the markets' and shops' official websites.

Further reading

A morning of vintage hunting at the Noordermarkt leads naturally into a stroll around the Jordaan. For food and flower markets, see our guide to Amsterdam's markets, and for the main shopping streets and independent designers, our guide to shopping in Amsterdam.