Ukay-Ukay Shops in Cubao: The SPOT.ph Guide

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(SPOT.ph) While the endless scroll of Shopee or Lazada has its own perks, nothing beats scouring through each and every row of clothes in a massive ukayan and going home with something special for a great price. If you completely and totally agree—while thinking of all the treasures you've managed to thrift from your fave wagwagan—then we've got a guide for you.

Cubao is one hell of a place. You find all sorts of shops, restos, motels, and more in its many streets, ukayan included. With all the sights and secrets, it can get pretty confusing. So if you've ever wanted an exhaustive guide to thrift shops in Cubao, allow us to help you out.

We narrowed it down to the most easily accessible, ukay-populated area of Cubao, which happens to be right in the outskirts of Araneta City. Best part? All 11 shops below are within a one-kilometer radius. That means you can get down from the MRT-3 Cubao station, walk towards the first one near Farmer's, head to the corner of EDSA, and continue down Aurora to Cubao Expo, which is exactly how it's listed down below. Disclaimer: While it is possible, this writer does advise against actually going to all eleven shops in one day—as she did. It's not good for the body, or the wallet.

Also read: 10 Thrift-Shopping Tips, According to a Frequent Bargain-Hunter

The best ukay-ukay shops in Cubao

Desabel

Location: Desabel is located in the ground floor of the Opulent building, along General Roxas Avenue and right by the corner of EDSA. If you're familiar with the fabrics store VC Trading, then they're in the same row of street-facing shops. It's right across Farmer's Market and the Cubao-Antipolo UV Express terminal.

Desabel is your ukayan, plus. Meaning they've got air-conditioning (a little weak, but can still be felt) and branded apparel and shoes. We spotted pieces from Uniqlo, H&M and the like here. The space is narrow and goes in a little deep, but it's overall a pretty small ukayan. Head on to the back area where all their sale items are. They've also got a section to the right with toys and more anik-anik.

Uncommon Trendy Apparel

Location: If you've found Desabel, then you've also found Uncommon Trendy Apparel. They're a few stores apart, with VC Trading between them.

While we can't say that Uncommon Trendy is the only thrift store we've found uncommon or trendy clothes in, we did spot a crop top that says "Puberty Silent" in it. Now that's uncommon. Trendy? Not so sure. This ukayan is just like a twin of Desabel's minus the section for toys and abubot. They've got a good variety of clothes and shoes—we even spotted a whole row of designer heels. Authenticity can't be confirmed, of course.

Passerby

Location: From the Opulent building, simply turn right along EDSA and you'll see its entrance right under one of the awnings with green shingles. We say it's very aptly named as this path sees a ton of passers-by.

Once you step in, you'll forget all about the noise and mess of EDSA because you've got multiple sections of clothes and shoes right there. The surprisingly spacious store has a lot of different options, including leather jackets. What really caught our eye though has to be a whole section dedicated to shoes. Their kicks curation was the best we saw among the shops, and while again, authenticity can't be confirmed, we saw a whole lot of Palladium, Converse, Adidas, Nike, and more. Plus, we know it isn't practical here, but who doesn't want to cop a pair of sexy boots at least once in their lives?

Dress Up Thrift Fashion

Location: Keep on walking towards Aurora, go past Eurotel, and you'll 100% see the Dress Up store located in the old ACT Theatre building. No chance to miss it. Heck, we were even greeted by a lot of cherry blossom plants on the sidewalk when we dropped by.

You've likely seen this wagwagan center as the one featured in all the TikToks about ukay in Cubao. And yes, we can confirm the store is massive. The first floor is shaped like an L—there's another entrance facing Aurora—while the second floor is where it gets very serious (and overwhelming). It seems they've taken over the old theater, transforming it into one big hall chock-full of clothes and shoes. A large chunk of the store is dedicated to winter clothes (lots and lots and lots of coats), while the upper floor had more choices for different apparel. We saw the biggest assortment of formal clothes, even wedding gowns, in this ukayan.

While the space is large, we have to warn you that the shop is stuffed so full of clothes that it can be hard to move around. If you're planning on going here, make sure it's the only stop on your itinerary as going through the rows can easily take hours. Don't worry, we spotted ice cream for sale on the ground floor if you need a pick-me-up.

Fleur De Lis Fashion Center

Location: Turn right to Aurora from EDSA and you'll spot this ukayan along the ground floor of the ACT building.

Fleur De Lis is a pretty spacious ukayan that really matches it's name. It's clean, quiet, air-conditioned and very well arranged with lots of space between the racks. You can even spot Bible quotes adorning the wall by the fitting room area (three whole stalls!). When we dropped by, the choices were mostly apparel for women. If you're doing some retail therapy with no real goals, this is the spot.

Also read: Find Graphic Tees, Designer Goods + More at This Hidden Vintage Store in Maginhawa

JBLB Ukay

Location: Still in the ACT ground floor hidden a bit by the food stalls outside. We didn't see a signage anywhere so we had to ask staff for the store name. Still, you can't miss this corner store as it's very visible from across Puregold along General Santos avenue.

This non-airconditioned store was a pretty standard ukayan. It had all the options, from men's clothes to shoes and, of course, all the women's apparel, neatly separated and in racks. They had a decent section for shoes, too.

Sagada

Location: Keep walking down Aurora until you hit General Araneta. Cross on over to the other side where the big sign of Sagada is, right next to McDonald's. From outside, you'll see a bunch of new shoes for sale. Don't let that fool you into thinking this shop is for new wares, just walk on past those racks!

This relatively spacious shop hides along the busy Aurora street. If you find yourself passing through, this shop is definitely worth popping into. They've got a pretty decent collection of shoes, lots of bags, and a whole lot of apparel, too. You can buy a bunch on sale at the back. Just note that there's no air-conditioning here so bring a personal fan if you're planning on staying long.

Kabunyan Dry Goods

Location: This shop is at the second floor of the Hansel Arcade. You'll find this old building on the same side of Aurora as Sagada. Just keep walking away from EDSA until you reach the corner of General Aguinaldo, corner of Isetann. Right across you'll see the sign of Hansel Arcade, above some non-working escalators. Go right on up and you'll be at Kabunyan.

Kabunyan is probably the most comfy ukayan to shop at. It occupies a large space, and they've put up their racks in a way that allows you to move around easily. They've clearly sectioned their apparel depending on what type (including a section on items from Western brands like Mango and lots of Japanese-made ones, too!), and what price range, it is you're looking for. There's also an area for little tools, general anik-anik, and accessories. And most importantly, there's air-conditioning. (Disclaimer: Not the strongest, but definitely comfier than none).

Kabunyan Ukay 2

Location: In the lower floors of the ABE International Business College building. From the first Kabunyan, cross on over to General Malvar and then walk towards Cubao Expo. It'll pop up on your left right before you land on General Romulo, where Tropical Hut is.

This smaller ukayan is owned by the sibling of Kabunyan's owner, according to the cashier when we visited. Stepping down from street level, you enter a relatively small space with little toys on shelves, and apparel everywhere. Keep on walking in to an even lower level you reach by climbing down a few steps to a big room where they've got lots of discounted clothes on the racks.

WCHA

Location: From the smaller Kabunyan, turn right on General Romulo. Walk a few meters and you'll spot the blue storefront of WCHA right where Cubao Expo starts.

This shop typically has their new stuff, shoes and clothes, on the ground floor. Head on up to the second floor where they've got two more rooms! There's a small fitting area there, too. If you're looking for the best bargains, the second room upstairs is where all the sale items are. It's air-conditioned, too.

Robox Toys

Location: From WCHA, just cross the Cubao Expo street towards Ali Mall and Roblox will be right there. Let the window display full of toys guide you.

This shop is just about the same size as WCHA, only this time it's the lower floor that's bigger. Apart from a lot of clothes, they've got a big selection of bags available on the second floor. They've also got tons and tons of stuff toys in case you're looking to thrift those, too.

Also read: Cop Leather Jackets From This Hole-in-the-Wall Thrift Store in QC

Links are updated regularly and as much as possible but note that products can run out of stock, discounts can expire, and listed prices can change without prior notice.

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