Out of the Closet Thrift Store
Category: Used, Vintage & Consignment [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Hayes Valley, Castro100 Church St
(between Duboce Ave & Reservoir St)
San Francisco, CA 94114 (415) 252-1101
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Sun 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
20 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
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24 Reviews for Out of the Closet Thrift Store
This thrift store is full of great gems. I usually end up empty-handed after browsing most thrift stores because they don't have stuff that appeals to my particular tastes. Well, I usually leave OOTC with at least one article of clothing. I am impressed with the large selection of wool sweaters they have and the generally good quality of the clothes. Some thrift stores sell lots of grungy crap while others have a decent selection of good condition clothing but are astronomically expensive. No way am I going to pay $20 for a Members Only Jacket or $18 for a Mungsinwear polo shirt. OOTC has Buffalo Exchange quality and selection with Salvation Army prices.
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Holy crap, this might be the most depressing Out of The Closet I've ever been to. And I LOVE OOTC! I walk past this store every day on my way to work and I always peep the window displays and think, someday, one day, I will go in here and I will spend money, but it's usually always closed so that kinda takes the fun out of it.
Today however, I was making my way up Church in the afternoon and saw that it was open and got very excited. Sadly though, this excitement was extremely short lived as one circular rack after the next got grosser and ickier than the next. What a bunch of crap. I usually can find at least one thing to buy, but here there wasn't anything! Nothing! Soooo sad.
I guess I'll try again another day, but for a first impression, no thanks.
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Things I have scored at OOTC:
1. sad clown figurine
2. Richard Scary book
3. Raffi album collection
4. Harley Davidson shirt with a drawing of a bikini clad blonde lady with thick legs and a meth face bent over a Hard Tail...so awesome.
5. Kenny Rodgers tour '88 shirt
6. ELO's greatest hits. What's better than starting off your morning with Mr. Blue Sky?
7. Snoopy-motherfudgin-sno-cone maker
8. A whole box of hilarious 70's porn-for an art project srsly.
9. spinning sunflower garden decoration.
10. "fuck off" door mat
BUT! It smells in there at times and *some* of the staff obviously dislike...well, people. I went in there with a big box of good stuff for them and one of the workers looked at me and sighed heavily at the prospect of another pile of crap to dig through-which is understandable but at least wait until I walk away. Gee wiz.
-2 point for rudey pants and scummy environment.
+1 point for doggie treats and scary clowns.
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One word: fun.
I love trying on one million things, knowing that if I want to I can have ALL OF THEM (mwaahahahaha) because they cost between $2 and $4. Went into the dressing room with maybe 20 things, came out with 5. I call that success.
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For as close as this place is to the Castro, you'd think it would have a larger selection of fabulous clothing. Actually, I'm glad its selection of fabulous clothing is minimal, as I don't dress fabulously. But it would also be nice if they did any other section with as much effort as they do their T-shirt section. The people who donate their tees to Out of the Closet are my kind of people.
It gets a lowly three stars because it's no different from the thrift stores in my hometown, Whittier. That's not a knock on Whittier, but it is a knock on San Francisco.
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From OOTC:
My bad furniture that I've spray-painted for less than salubrious results. About a dozen tiny wine glasses that hold almost zero drops of wine for salubrious results.
I cannot walk by this store without going inside. The name alone... "Out of the Closet" is briliant. It gives people a chance to face the ramifications from excess consumerism and let go of their chaos, donate to a good cause and get a tax write-off for doing so.
I love double-entendres so "out of the closet's" reference to coming out as a gay person is hella clever! The money generated from the clutter you donate or from the purchases you make all raise money for Magic Johnson's AIDS clinics.
I recently scored a fancy-ass chair there for $10. I googled the brand name and found it cost just under a thousand dollars. It was brand spanking new!
Their used books are also the best deal in town. All paperbacks (no matter how large) cost fifty cents. Hardcover books are a buck and a half...I find NYTimes Bestsellers all the time.
Plus every week they have a fresh batch of $1 clothing. At this price I call it "Disposa-wear." Wash it. Wear it once or twice. Travel with it. Leave it somewhere. Lighten your load as you move around the globe.
The Church/Duboce Street staff are great. The manager is really hilarious and does a great job staying on top of their daily donation heaps. The OTC staff all seem to be friends and get along very well and good vibes always make my shopping experience more fun.
If a staffmember really likes you, sometimes they'll give you a very "special" discount.
Maybe it's my smile, but it's more likely because I donate stuff here all the time. Easy come/Easy go.
With a prom party coming up, I found the perfect black velvet and gold lame dress that I wish I had been ballsy enough to wear when I went to actual prom. My only hesitation was spending 20 bucks - c'mon, isn't that a little steep? Regardless, I'll be back next time I need something ridiculous to wear, or just feel like tearing through piles of clothes to grab that one perfect find.
good, worthy for a good cause, good fashinobale slections
You know that saying about the 100 monkeys and the typewriters and all those years of all that clickity-clacking and then the inevitable sonnets and iambic pentameter?
Well, the same applies to thrift stores, in my opinion.
Paw through an infinite number of pilled acrylic sweaters and pit-stained polyester dresses with seams that were falling apart before they even left Forever 21, and eventually you will find that $2 never-been-worn silk shirt that brings out those turquoise flecks in your eyes.
That's what I've found with Out of the Closet, anyway. I used to live practically across the street from this one, and yeah, maybe the laws of probability were working in my favor, but I've found at least a dozen of my favorite garments here over time, so it accordingly occupies a special place in my heart. Sure, it's scruffier than Crossroads or Buffalo Traders, but that makes finding the hidden gems that much more satisfying. It only took one $7 perfect cashmere sweater to make me a devotee of this place. That and all the $2 sparkly tank tops money can buy.
Clickety-clack. Clackity-click.
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Sometimes if you're headed downtown on the NJudah it's imperative to jump off the bus to get away from the perfumed crowd of financial district yuppies and their revolting conversations about stock options and French pastry and exclusive chi chi yelp events. When that happens you can run into this thrift store where everybody is moving in slow motion within an environment that reeks of poverty and death. It's a good place for a reality check. Nobody is trying to dress for success here, or impress anybody with their impeccable taste - they're just trying to get in out of the cold, kill a little time, and hope to survive another day.
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This is review is based solely on what I witnessed today:
I was dropping off a bag of donations, and came across one of the most uplifting-this-is-what-the-season-should-be-about moments of the year. As I walked to the back, I encountered a group of kids and their parents, munching on chips and juice, standing in line to speak with Santa. This was clearly not Santa, but to the kids, it didn't matter. I couldn't help but think how this little act of kindness on behalf of out of the closet made the lives a little brighter of what were likely families in need. Very well done, and had me feeling a little Christmas cheer.
A real, honest to goodness THRIFT store:
The most expensive article of clothing I've ever found here is $15. Most items are between $2-10. Add to this .50 cent paperbacks, $2 hardcovers, $1 records, cheap pieces of furniture and you've got yourselves quite the eclectic little bargain store.
And despite being so close to the Mission and Lower Haight, for some reason, this store doesn't feel quite as combed over as other thrift stores; which means I rarely walk out of here empty-handed.
Other bonuses:
- friendly, cheerful staff
- proceeds benefit AIDS research/charity
- strangely dressed mannequins (which change frequently) in the display windows (current favorite is up right now: male holding open a trenchcoat to reveal creepy mannequin private-parts to pedestrians)
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omg, fer realz girls.
i was just there (to pick up a skillet and some pint glasses), but OF COURSE i had to go pick through the clothes. usually at the used clothing places, theres a bunch of ratty acid wash (not in the cool way) jeans with old mustard stains.
not at ootc, no way!
there were LOADS of seven, citizens of humanity, lucky and tons of other high class brands all just SITTING RIGHT THERE ON THE RACK FOR A MERE $10. if my ass was just a smidge smaller, i woulda bought them all.
so, i strolled over and got my skillet in the kitchen section and came home to eat some celery...
Pavarotti sings Puccini,
Barbara Streisand,
The Sound of Music,
Chariots of Fire,
Dire Straits,
Bach,
The Who,
Joni Mitchell....
What do all of these artists/albums have in common?
.........
........
.........
Give up?
They're all sitting at my new home, in their record sheets, just waiting to be played.
And I got all of them at Out of the Closet for a dollar a piece.
Be still my heart.
The random books, random kitchen supplies, and unique record collection that I found here is a secret that definitely needs to come Out of the Closet.
Oh wait and I lied about the Barbara Streisand record. Just thought it added some spice to the list. (though they do carry it)
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The men's selection here is great, the women's, not so much. However, a couple of my lady friends with larger feet have managed to find awesome high heels here in big sizes. Are there tons of ladies with large feet hanging around the Castro? Drag queens donating old shoes? I'm not sure.... all I know is with my size 6 1/2s, I'm missing out on some great heels.
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I always find a t-shirt or two when I browse here. The staff is always very friendly, too. Again, hoping for more bric-a-brac sometimes.
i pass this on the way home from the grocery store, and always think hey i should look for clothes there. then i remember how gross it was the one time i did go in. grimy feeling. and so i dont go in. a good place to donate your clothes to a good cause and that's about it.
Out of the Closet on Church is a funky little thrift shop. The focus isn't strictly on clothes, they have furniture, kitchen stuff, electronics, etc. The staff tends to be friendly and I think the curtin dressing rooms are kind of fun.
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Because of our serious lack of thrift stores in the lower haight, i am forced to shop here from time to time. Even though, the selection is poor and the prices are absurdly ridiculous. So ridiculous that I hate myself for purchasing anything from this store. While exiting this neon eyesore of a thrift shop, l feel the sensation somewhat similar to what I imagine a junky must experience after she sells her soul for a quick fix from the local dealer. I recommend boycotting this place until they realize that charging a price for something when it is used, which is more than what it costs new, is not only wrong, it's insulting. Oh, yes I almost forgot... "Vintage" does not include clothing from the 1990's. I don't know who prices and categorizes these things and if they are in the back cracking jokes and competing to see how ridiculously high they can get the prices, but here is a tip: since everything in your store is donated by your generous neighbors, be reasonable and not charge us the second time we buy this crap, more money than the first time we bought this crap. If it is true that moisture rings on wood tables and urine stains on sofas increase the value of furniture like the people at "Out Of The Closet" believe they do, than I'm in the wrong business. I don't remember "second hand thrift shop owner" being one of FORBES MAGAZINE'S top occupations to becoming a millionaire. I reckon "Out of the Closet" intends on changing that.
i love these guys. I think they get the new stuff on the weekends
god bless out of the closet & their charity, but this one just makes me feel like i want to go have a shower. about 3 times. it just feels so skanky in here. like the scabies are just waiting to pounce. due to its location, it also seems incredibly picked over, so i can't imagine ever really scoring anything of note here. just stay home & enjoy your shower.
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When i was in high school, i solely shopped at thrift stores. Why? I CRAVE scabies. No, it was goddamn cheap, and i was rough on my clothes. OotC is no different. Clothing is not sorted by size, but appropriately sorted by color, thusly making a beautiful rainbow of tattered dress shirts, bad sweaters and tshirts for really, REALLY small people. What i really dig on is the old electronics. I found a $15 Sega Dreamcast and this sweet Philips 900 series CD player there for $19, but they felt bad that it didnt have a remote, so they knocked $10. Now, the funny thing is, is the 900 series Philips cd players were high end audiophile stuff that didnt come with remotes. Brand new that cd player is pretty pricey. Yes, Franklin, i got the power-up and won the game. Books are also assorted by color, which is fucking annoying, so allow some time for perusal. Like, if you find a book on how to spell "perusal", hook me up.
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surpsingly mediocre, i could not find anything distinct or wonderful about this place. i didn't manage to find any sort of interest on any rack or shelf, and the smell got to me after awhle. in the same sort of realm as any goodwill.
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