🛍️ $25 Challenge: Hidden vintage treasures to score at Sixth Avenue Antiques in Tucson

Just blocks away from the University of Arizona and Fourth Avenue, tucked away on a quiet side street, is an antique lover’s paradise.

Sixth Avenue Antiques is a three-story wonderland, with dozens of retailers selling curated vintage clothing, furniture and home decor.

This week, for our $25 Challenge, I stopped by to uncover some of the hidden gems Sixth Avenue Antiques has to offer. While there is probably not enough time in a day to cover all the incredible vintage and antique items in the shop for under $25, here are some of my favorite affordable finds:

The top floor of the building is filled with thrifted and vintage clothing and accessories from dozens of different vendors. At Sixth Avenue Antiques, vintage fashion doesn’t have to be expensive. Vendor NunyaMostlyVintage sells vintage and secondhand T-shirts — everything from a 2007 Def Leppard tee to Abercrombie & Fitch and Dodgers baseball shirts — many for under $25.

Some of my other favorite clothing finds include 2000s Pasión brand denim shorts for $20 from vendor Sweetheart Threads, a green velvet top from vendor I Crave Vintage for $24, vintage gingham shorts from vendor Amorcito Vintage priced at $20 and a white, embroidered Marylin & John maxi dress from vendor Tucson Skye for $17.55.

Joanna Ramirez is one of the four curators behind Tucson Skye and operates part of the booth with her daughter Eliya Ramirez.

She said they just opened the booth last Saturday, selling an eclectic mix of vintage clothing, upcycled denim jeans, jewelry and secondhand pieces from Joanna’s business.

“I'm a photographer, and so I was always sourcing styling pieces that would pop in photos, like a polka dot vintage dress,” she said. “The other vendor has been a reseller online for years, and with her experience, we paired together. And then Eliya graduated high school, and wanted a creative side hustle.”

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Ramirez said they are excited to see their shop grow.

“I love the amount of shoppers that I see, and I’m just excited to get started.”

The shop also offers gemstone necklaces including obsidian, amethyst, rose quartz and tiger’s eye, with prices ranging from about $8 to $19.

If you want to get real nostalgic, you can browse their selection of DVDs, which includes films like "Casablanca," "Meet the Parents," "Curly Sue" and even "Ocean's Eleven." In their CD collection, you’ll find music from Janet Jackson and Van Halen as well as beloved movies like "Pocahontas" and "Toy Story 2." All of their VHS tapes, DVDs and CDs are $10 each, or three for $20, so you don’t have to limit yourself to just one.

Speaking of Disney, vendor Steele offers VHS bundles of classic Disney films like "The Lion King," "Aladdin," "The Jungle Book" and "Bambi," complete with figurines, plushies and other toys related to the film for only $16.

By the front door, right as you walk in, there’s a collection of mystery bags containing small, themed items. The curated bags include vintage collectibles from pop-culture franchises like "Strawberry Shortcake" and cost around $16.

You also can’t miss their large, $16 posters, which feature whimsical, enchanted forest art, band posters and even art of Godzilla. Whatever your niche or personal style, there’s probably a poster for you.

Finally, there’s the treasure trove of antiques found on the ground floor and basement levels, including home decor, ceramics, kitchenware, books, blankets, collectibles, lamps and so many decorative cats that I genuinely lost count. One booth even displayed shiny crystal figurines and jewelry. Most of the beaded rose quartz, amethyst and opalite bracelets cost less than $25, with most ranging from $16 to $26. There were also individual rose quartz, agate and druzy crystals, priced anywhere from $5 to $20.