Exchange Factor

It is the best place for vintage clothing and accessories. Its no wonder it is voted «Charleston Best» for 5 years in a row for its unique style of fashion .I love the exchange factor and I give it for the influence of vintage clothing being popular in fashion.

I was a vintage hoarder in high school, and when I left for college, I sold my hoard to The Exchange Factor in favor of a cooler, easier, less drycleaning-​dependent wardrobe. They gave me an amazing price for a ton of clothes, and I have a few hundred to spend there — which probably pales in comparison to how much I spent there in high school. Great place, sad the downtown location closed, but will definitely swing by to spend some of my store credit when I’m around.

Fun selection, fair prices. The staff are a little batty, but sweet. Last time I went in they were bellowing back and forth across the store, telling this incredibly long joke that didn’t so much resolve as fade away. It was like wandering through a theater’s vast, eclectic closet while the theater kids are gamboling about, braying with joy, as they will do.
Some kinda awesome.
I found a few perfect vintage slim fit button ups (with pearl snaps!) and a slinky black retro bathrobe which is just the sort of decadent little thing a Quentin Tarantino drug lord’s wife would wear. Love it.
But when they bagged it up, somehow they neglected to get the sash in the bag. I realized it a few hours later and called them. They could hardly hear me over the music roaring in the background, but once they figured out what I was saying, they found the sash, dropped in the mail, and sent it to me within days, along with a nice note.
You might not always find what you’re looking for, but that’s the nature of picking through vintage clothing. Everything I saw was clean; most of it was somewhat costumey. Tons of boots, dresses, purses, etc. Way more women’s stuff than men’s but that’s to be expected.
This location has more merchandise than the one downtown, but they’re both great.
Go, go!
And… double check your bag before you leave the parking lot, make sure all your Ps and Qs have been correctly corralled :)

Favorite vintage shop ever! I wish I would have stopped here first during my trip down to Charleston so I could have bought more. I got an adorable wool sweater vest with a sheep on it ($ 16) and some super cute leather oxford shoes ($ 12). I found a gorgeous 60’s gown, think Audrey Hepburn, but alas, I was couldn’t justify the $ 50 price-​tag for a dress I probably would never wear. Okay, I’m still regretting that decision. Anyway, they have loads of stuff so you should come with some extra time and some extra cash because you don’t want to leave your amazing finds behind. That sounded commercial-​esque but I swear I didn’t do it intentionally.

Nice stuff but the staff there really need to get over themselves Both locations reek of attitude. I guess it’s not hip to be friendly or they are being rude and giving customers the silent treatment ironically.
Either way I don’t care if the clothes are unique. I don’t buy from self absorbed twats.

The Exchange Factor has the look and feel of a vintage shop you would find in the West Village in Manhattan even down to the smell of the clothes. In the back in a piercing parlor. The establishment did not appear as clean and sterile as would have been expected and the piercing specialist was beyond callous and rude. He was abrupt and had a tone of apathy and anger. We left and took the service with us. A very very very poor exchange of customer service.

With the recent demise of Culture Vulture and Estella Vitae (sp?) the Exchange Factor has become the one and only destination for vintage shopping in Charleston. (No, the Trunk Show doesn’t count.) The downtown location is great, but this one on Rivers Ave. must be at least… three times the size, with at least… TEN TIMES the inventory.
Ladies– if you have even a passing interest in vintage clothing, you need to check this out at least once. They have vintage dresses, (TONS of formals, Maxi dresses, a good selection of Gunne Sax, Square Dancing Dresses, etc.) an entire wall of boots, lots of tops, a huge wall of purses, as well as the fluffiest lingerie, crinolines, everything you could wish for. They also have some used modern clothes (mostly from Urban or Target) mixed into the racks. Their men’s section is smaller, but worth checking out. They also offer some CDs, posters, house wares, trinkets, and unique jewelry (poison rings? Slave Bracelets? Yes.)
Prices are cheaper then I’ve seen anywhere– if you are visiting from, say, New York or Boston, expect to pay about 50% of what you normally would. Quality vintage dresses range from $ 18-​$ 30, boots a bit higher, blouses lower. $ 3-​$ 4 rack is sometimes outside– cheaper than Goodwill!
The only downside is that the store is packed to the point that it can be hard to look through the racks. And of course, it’s a bit of a drive, but don’t let it stop you! Go to it.

You may have seen the Exchange Factor/​Factor Five location on Meeting Street, but my advice is to skip it and make the long trek up to their Rivers Avenue location for the best deals on hip, gently used clothing and accessories. Prices reflect their association with the «vintage» as opposed to the «thrift» mentality, but good bargains can certainly be found. Excellent selection of jeans, skirts, and blouses. Reasonably priced shoes (although every pair I’ve ever wanted has been in the cursed size 7.5), funky scarves and goth/​rave-​themed jewelry. Don’t let the staff intimidate you with their gloomy ‘tudes and multiple piercings – they’re really pretty nice and (probably) won’t judge you for buying that preppy little cardigan from The Limited.
Best of all, Exchange Factor will buy YOUR used clothes for cash or store credit. Just don’t be shocked if they reject your stuff: they try to stock items that are in great condition and that someone might actually want to wear. A word of advice: wash and press your clothes if necessary, and present them on hangers for a better chance of making some change.
To get there from downtown, take I-​26 to I-​526 toward Mt. Pleasant. Get off at the first Rivers Ave exit, then make a u-​turn at the first opportunity. Exchange Factor will be on the right.
**BONUS: continue up Rivers Avenue to Community Thrift Store in the very next shopping center.