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Category: Thrift Stores
Neighborhood: DePaulMon-Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
This store smells more like piss than regular Salvation Army Thrift Stores. I got there around closing time and the workers were - as Joe Biden would say - literally, not figuratively, literally ... literally, shoveling billy goat-sized piles of trash from the floor into garbage carts with snow shovels.
I go mostly for the old school drinking glasses and coffee mugs.
If you need a broken Atari, some VHS tapes or new old duds, they got those also.
There are children crawling all over the floors on busy Saturdays, so you must watch your step as you make your way through the very narrow aisles. This is a good stop if you are looking for basics such as tee shirts, jeans and buttondowns...and even cups and plates - they make it very easy to sift through their very large selection with everything arranged by color and style. I came in search of a basic double-breasted black blazer and left with exactly that for $6.
This Salvation Army is, however, a bit lacking in the special and unusual. After I found my blazer within ten minutes, I spent at least two more hours aimlessly plowing through the endless racks, only with nothing else to catch my eye.
This thrift-store has by far some of the best goodies that I've come across, between designer wear + hard to find items, this place may look junky, but it's not full of junk. The reason I give this place 4 stars is mainly because the people that work here fluctuate on the prices and just pull numbers out of their ass (not all the time). I purchased a brand new desk from here years ago and the woman told me $80...either I'm cheap or things at a thrift shop really shouldn't cost that much (also, the fact that I was a college student at the time), but anyway, I noticed that there is no method to their pricing.
I suppose now that I have a job and have graduated, I would have moved on from this little thrift store....but not quite yet. Like many of the posters, you can find things here that are completely brand new with the tags still on! If nothing else, this is a nice place to peruse around if your trying to kill time.
Everyone had that one friend growing up...you know the one with the extremely messy house? If not, you were probably "that friend". Anyway that is the best way to describe this place. You kind of like going there because they have some cool stuff hidden amongst all the crap but you feel dirty when you leave.
Yeah, just like that.
I have been saved! Delivered from my wardrobe doldrums, transfixed by racks and racks of designer clothes, yes designer, I could never afford.
Being a poor snob, I haunt thrift stores like hunters in fall...deer. Today I scoped out and snagged -this season- Softt heels. Gorgeous. They'll look as good on my feet as a bear rug looks in front of a fireplace.
If all charitable donations were this easy...drive around the back, toss your stuff in the back of a truck, fill out a piece of paperwork, and be on your merry way. Yeah, it's that simple. And they accept donations from 8am to 8pm on Sundays.
I've spent a lot of time here after our move. Not shopping, like you typically find me doing at thrift stores, but DONATING! This location has a great and easy donation drop off location. There are friendly guys attending to it and they will even help you load all the crap out of your car. The donation receipts that you can use for tax purposes are signed and waiting for you.
If you are looking to shop here, get ready to dig, this store is brimming and bursting with merchandise. They get a lot of leftovers from Target, which is good and bad. I don't understand how they can price stuff much higher then the target price tag that is still on the product. The book section is a complete disaster and the jewelry is slim pickings. I would recommend limiting your searches to home decor and clothing at this location.
This is an ok thrift store... I mean the biggest issues that I have with it is that if you are going, be prepared to search through piles of items that may have made their way to the floor, or disorganized shelves that look like jenga post collapse. I have never had any real great finds, but I have purchased plenty of odds and ends from here, Including more shirts than I would like to admit.
My biggest issue besides the lack of organization is the fact that the price tags are illegible and at times I have walked out learning that an item I thought was 3 dollars was actually 5 or 6. Nothing that will break the bank, but would have made me put the items back.
They get leftovers from Target. What exactly does this mean for a girl like me? Awesome shoes for $4/pair, that's what! Now, I happen to have some of the smallest feet known to man, so this may not apply to everyone, but for me this place is shoe heaven.
I went Saturday at got there at about 11am. It wasn't crowded yet so I had enough space to dig around. Now, I'm not a huge fan of thrift stores for clothing. I like them for housewares and whatnot, but the clothes are such a gamble. So anyway, was hunting for belts, bags, shoes, and anything odd I could keep in my apartment. I found some great shoes (as I already mentioned), a rockin green belt, and some other fun odds and ends.
This outing was only successful because I gave myself plenty of time to rummage. By about 12:30 it was starting to get crowded and children were screaming and I had a strong urge to lash out irrationally at them, so that was when I decided to take my loot and call it a day.
Overall a pleasing adventure on a blustery Saturday.
i swear i thought i wrote a review for this location...
Love this location. I always seem to score some great designer pieces (and by designer I'm not talking about Banana Repub or other shit like that lol)
I have a lot of luck here because I don't usually have to dig too much...stuff just is there on the rack. :D I picked up a pair of Marc Jacobs (not M by MJ) jeans ($3) and a Comme Des Garconn top!!!!! AHH!!! I DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
happy shopping,
dont forget to wash your hands afterwards :)
Great selection. Would give it five stars except its not very organized. Also no fitting rooms, but thats fairly common. Tons of clothes, dishes, home decor, furniture, and lots of random stuff. And even if its not the greatest stuff you could buy, all the money goes to charity!
I've been lucky here, but other days not so lucky. Every now and then someone throws away a perfectly great shirt from the gap, banana republic or even express. Sometimes with the original tags...
Considering all the Village Discounts and Unigue thrift, I've had better luck here than those places.
This salvation is a gamble, I think it really depends on the season, the time and the day of the week. Lately the times I've been there (midday) which isn't nearly as busy- the men's selection was picked over... plus i find it pretty hard to find men's small shirts or anything shy of 15" in the neck. Oh well, I keep checking back ever so often- because when I do find that special something the price of it outweighs the gamble.
Oooo, this is just one of those places. Bring snacks, and your thick skin, it'll take awhile.
It's crowded, unorganized...but if you dig, you shall come up a winner, most definitely.
If you can wade through the piles and piles of crap, and throngs of bargain hunters banging around in the too small aisles, there are treasures to be found.
Not for the novice thrifter...
Closed on Sundays, no minimums for credit cards (like other SAs), big parking lot.
3.5 is probably what I would award if I could.
This is probably one of the messiest, most cramped and crowded thrift stores I know. It's a place where you really have to dig. But if that's the thrift store experience you want, it is there for your treasure-hunting pleasure.
Here are a few great things about this place: the parking lot is large and easily accessible. They take credit cards. You can shop to your heart's content on two floors and often find lots of stuff. As they also take donations from a local Target store, you can also find lots of new but last season/overstock/out of the carton items that the Target has given them for a tax write-off.
The store also has plenty of clothing, shoes, furniture, and especially household items (this is a great place to go after you've just moved and are looking to get stuff for your kitchen). On a recent trip, I found storage container, a couple pairs of cute shoes, a skirt, bike shorts and book.
The downsides of this place. It is really messy and dirty, sometimes with broken glass or ceramics all over the groud. I rarely find any high-end items. There are very few mirrors around. And sometimes it is too overwhelming or I am just no tint he mood to do the kind of thrifting that requires massive amounts of digging. It really depends on the mood.
Being thrift-store savvy, I visited the Salvation Army to purchase a metal bed frame.
When I arrived, there were dozens stacked outside, but a man working the lot said I had to go inside to purchase a bed frame.
Inside, I couldn't find one in a queen size. So another worker had me wait 15 minutes while he went outside to find one. Once he did, I asked him to verify it was a queen size and asked if I could partially assemble it to make sure all the components were present.
Clearly, he was annoyed, but he let me.
After lugging the thing home and assembling it, I discovered it was too small: a full, not a queen.
So I removed all my bedding again, disassembled the frame and hauled it back to the Salvation Army today.
The wouldn't let me trade it for a queen. A no refunds, no exchanges policy meant some guy's mistake cost me $15, and now I have bed frame I can't use.
When I asked what I should do with it, the clerk had the nerve to suggest I donate it to the Salvation Army.
Pro's:
1. Designer items can definitely be had here.
2. Have never left without a small bag of bargains.
3. Prices are almost always on the mark or cheaper than expected.
4. Most shoppers are polite ("Excuse me," "Sorry," "No, you first").
5. Parking lot!
6. Credit cards accepted.
7. Workers both in and out are at least civil and usually friendly.
8. Easy to drop off donated items and get a receipt.
9. There is method to the madness: Clothes are displayed together by color and type; scarves, belts, and ties are on the ends; quilts, blankets, towels, etc. are in the far back right; shoes, toys, books, household, knick-knacks, old electronics, lighting, etc. are upstairs; furniture is upstairs and outside.
10. Some of my finds: tablecloths ($2), nightgowns (designer for $5), placemats (60 cents), thick beach towels $1.50), scarves ($1), ties ($3), shoes ($1.50 for size 5, made in Italy, like new), candle holders in the right color (75 cents), Christmas mugs (50 cents)...
11. Have also seen a few wedding gowns, a player piano, a beautiful vintage armoire, 4 wicker bar chairs for $25 each, tons of holiday items...
12. If we didn't already have several boatloads of furniture, I could sure decorate a place on the cheap - especially with some elbow grease, paint, and a small tool kit.
Con's:
1. The humongo-jumbo "curb" (on the way in) is a car eater. Be careful.
2. Like many thrifts, the lack of space in the aisles can be annoying.
3. I do not believe there is a place to try on clothes (people seem to try things on in a back corner, where there's a mirror, often surrounded by friends trying to shield their semi-nekedness from prying eyes).
4. After an hour, I must simply leave. It's a bit depressing, stale, overwhelming, and can be loud depending on how many children have been dragged along.
5. The upstairs is definitely more cluttered than the lower level, and I don't think it's accessible.
6. Even with the thrill of finding a magnificent bargain, I always go home and take a quick shower - and wash everything in the bag.
Still and all, a place to check out when the economy is getting the best of your paycheck.
I give this place 5 stars for being a receptive donation center, rather than a place where the employees are annoyed to take your donations (like the Unique Thrift on Archer).
I always get assistance getting the large stuff out of my car, always am offered a tax deductible receipt and am always told thank you.
I drive 30 minutes to donate here rather than the :30 seconds it takes me to get to Unique Thrift based entirely on the attitude and assistance of the employees and the feeling I have when I leave.
So, Thank you, Salvation Army!!!
Aside from being stuffed to the gills with some really nasty garbage, I have found Custo, Christian Dior, and even Versace in this Salvation Army, probably because of its proximity to Lincoln Park. The workers are a little sketchy, but come on, what do you expect from the Army of Salvation. Prices are good here, most things under $5, and lots for under $1.
Their home-goods section upstairs is particularly ripe for finding vintage silver serving platters and pieces. No one will tell you this, but with a bit of silver polish, you can shine those babies up like new, and use them for centerpieces with a couple of ivory votives and hydrangea. Pottery Barn's got nothing on you.
I have only donated here, but I've donated lots of things and I've never had any problems. Scratch that . . . I've had only one problem. I always scrape the underside of my car pulling into the parking lot (there's a pretty steep grade and sometimes you have to whip in because of the oncoming traffic on Clybourn). In any case, there's a big parking lot, you can pull up close to the building to unload, and if the employees see that you've got something bulky, they always come out to help.
Oh, and I think it's priceless that you can hand someone an old dish drainer and a box of Vogue magazines and he will say, "God bless."
This place is great. But that greatness comes with a warning: it takes a second or third look, understanding and patience to be great. This is a thrift store, and not an organized one at that. If you go there, you HAVE to understand that it is not a simple shop that has everything lined up and labeled so you can find exactly what you want the moment you go in. You gotta dig to find the treasure. But you can find it! For example, I got a decent desk for $10 the other day, and a lamp for $12. What a deal!
My suggestion is to go in there with a loose idea of what you want/need, and see what is available.
So put on your ipod, roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and do some treasure hunting!! You may just walk away with a great prize.
haha, fun.
I've found Kenneth Cole boots, Diesel jeans, hand knit sweaters, awesome vintage belts, and weird knick knacks here. It's dirty, so beware if you have allergies like I do. All in all, it's an experience - you can find some really cool stuff. Some of the prices are pretty arbitrary, but it's still cheap. I stop by a couple times a month.
I've had good days, but more bad days here. Really hit or miss. A lot of the stuff here is broken, chipped, etc. The prices are very inconsistent also. They sell a lot of stuff from target here but for more than it goes for in the actual store. But if you have an afternoon to waste, you can at least do some people watching and maybe find a thing or two you probably don't need anyways.
One of the better thrift stores located in central Chicago. Since the surrounding area is pretty bourgeois, people donate some quality goods. A friend comes to this particular location just to load up on REI and Patagonia items. If you've got the patience to sift through the crammed racks and the carnage of the bric-a-brac bomb that seems to detonate daily upstairs, then you stand to make some serious gains. Best time to come is daytime Monday through Friday, as Saturday can be a real cram jam. As is the case with most city thrift stores, the prices can seem steep at times but, really, $7 for a dress ain't all that bad.
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Used, Vintage & Consignment
Neighborhood: DePaul
Neighborhood: Brighton Park
Chicago, IL
Category: Used, Vintage & Consignment
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Category: Shopping
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