Die-hard vintage hounds know that this fair comes but twice a year to NY, mark their calendars for it long in advance, and stand in line before doors open. Both local boutiques (like No. 6) and upstate and out-of-state sellers set up booths to hawk their findings. Don’t anticipate finding any bargains here, but you won’t waste your time digging through moth-eaten sweaters and ratty polyester nightgowns, either. Expect top-quality stuff from all decades and all degrees of dress.

Several times a year on Saturday afternoons, the Tribeca Grand plays host to EMG, Mandy Coon’s mini-mall of expertly picked vintage. Coon selects a handful of merchants to curate their own racks, and usually someone is on the decks to ensure pleasant shopping music for all. It’s almost like shopping in the closets of your stylish friends — if your friends would part with their black suede Alaïa platforms or slouchy crocheted sweater or a small fee.

A recent visit to the Fort Greene market turned up an amazing 90’s-era Gaultier tribal silver belt/neckpiece nestled among kitcshy Disneyana and old wristwatches. Like the Chelsea Antique Garage, some of two hundred-or-so vendors here work the East Coast antique fair circuit and price their goods well outside of bargain territory, but there’s still a tantalizing element of unpredictability here. During the winter, the market moves indoors to a smaller location in DUMBO.

Like its namesake, this shop is a magical place. The racks are crammed with an explosion of colorful prints and textures, to festive effect. On one wall, an old Isaac Mizrahi blazer with a surrealistic tea party print hangs alongside a heavily-embroidered Guatemalan huipil and a maxi dress that would make Joseph’s dreamcoat look drab in comparison. The high-low mix is just right here; although the two-tone Chanel spectator pumps are tantalizing, the neon-pink combat boots nearby are more so.

While there are no guaranteed bargains here—vendors change from week to week, and most of them know their Versace from their Vittadini—your odds are still good of leaving with unexpected treasure. There are two expansive floors laid out with tables teeming with old costume jewelry and racks of everything from hundred-year-old tailcoats to your mother’s Bill Blass. Die-hards come at the beginning of the day to have first pick of the week’s options, but show up close to closing time and you have a better chance of haggling for a little don’t-want-to-haul-it-back-here-next-week discount.

If you are looking for a pair of those increasingly ubiquitous tasseled Justin boots or a T-shirt from an awesomely obscure punk-rock band circa 1981, look no further than this East Village emporium. What it lacks in visible charm it makes up for in inventory; a sizable portion of the vault-like space seems to be dedicated to housing delectably battered footwear, work boots in particular, and the folks who work there are generally eager to help. You won’t find any big-label vintage here, but you will find all of the totally legit and reasonably priced grungy togs you need to relive the 1990s.

The selection here is so tightly edited for the mood of the moment that you’d have no idea that each of these garments came from a different place, time, and designer. Right now, it’s bandage-dress central: it’s the perfect place to pour yourself into a Mugler, a Léger, or an Alaïa. Their inventory offers more than meets the eye, but if nothing catches your eye, you might want to visit sister shop in LA, where they recently obtained a rare and highly covetable pair of twentysomething year-old chain-rimmed Chanel glasses with a matching neckchain. Everything here comes at a price, but pieces like a Paco Rabanne metal space dress are considered fashion history.

Prices here are far from affordable, but this shop, just opposite the Chelsea Antique Garage has earned its bragging rights for housing one of the most impressive selections of 20th-century vintage eveningwear and accessories for sale to the public, all in time-capsule perfect condition. A tangerine jersey Halston gown is a self-contained master class in draping. The selection of mint-condition 1920s dropwaist dresses is astounding for unusual and intricate detailing. The shoes, gloves, evening bags and other accessories here are just as lovely.

Just down the street from Exquisite Costume is Morgan Yakus and Karin Berenson’s home-run of a shop. If you’ve heard of the place, it’s probably because it is known for its offerings from independent contemporary labels like Future Classics or minimalist hippie line Electric Feathers, or because you’ve noticed their eponymous clog boots, which have spawned their own devoted following. But interspersed among the Vibskov and Burffit are a number of pleasing vintage options — a form-fitting Versace number here, a floaty sundress splashed in exuberant florals there. The jewelry cabinet is the same mix of old and new—patinated estate finds like a remarkably delicate ring watch and a necklace of painted geometric blocks sit alongside new pieces from Arielle de Pinto. The owners have a gift for picking out pieces that are subtly provocative and unusual, but always in good taste.