They don't have plastic bags to purchase or give out anymore. Also they don't sell reusable bags…read moreanymore. The last few times I went here they don't have enough shopping carts. They have a whole bunch that you have to use two plastic shopping baskets to mimic a two basket mini shopping cart but they don't have any plastic shopping baskets to use. What is wrong with management here? This store has gone downhill.

This place has everything in the world, at one time or another, and extremely cheap! They are…read moretotally dependent on what is brought in each week, but seem to do a good job of displaying whatever comes in. Like any non-profit, it not sparkly clean and decorated like Macy's, but it's a place you can go and always find something interesting. This week, a lovely baby outfit, some good novels, great new cotton socks, a comfortable bra, a new-looking suitcase for airplane travel, and a mirror for my granddaughters room. Each week is different.

If finding bargain clothes that are actually in your size and relevant to what you're looking for…read morewas a religion, this specific salvation army store is absolutely a mecca. I've been coming to this specific location for years, and I've never ever found another thrift store that comes close in comparison. There have been times in my life where I've went from living on unemployment benefits, to job searching. Some of the new jobs required a different wardrobe than what I normally wear. Most job interviews (in person ones) require clothing that reflects putting my best foot forward. That's where thrift stores have really helped me out. It's been my experience at other thrift stores these days that if I spend a lot of time looking, I might find one or two shirts and pairs of pants that fit, are on sale (either because of tag color, or overall store discount). That had never ever been the case here, because I have always walked away from thus location with six or seven shirts and usually find three or four pairs of pants that fit and are appropriate for business casual attire. All of them half off. Store employees are chill! Ever been to goodwill and the color tag on 50% off sale that week, had practically no clothing you could find with that color of tag? Thats happened to me several times. Ok, 85% of the time. however at this location I always always always (99.95% of the time) find many clothes with that color tag on sale, happening now. Salvation Army does the same thing: for example "orange tags 50% off" and I'll find tons of clothing tagged with orange tags. What a huge money saver, at a money saving place! By the way folkx, this is Oakland. A place where pretense , elitism, and superiority are best left elsewhere. If you're disturbed by "ordinary" customer service (someone treating you just like a polite stranger might treat you, rather than groveling at your feet for being a customer) or someone walking around with their dog on leash , this might not be the place for you. Keep in mind that the unhoused are financially disadvantaged, so yes, you might be shopping along side them. Its a thrift store, its Oakland. You are human, they are human, be a good human. It's worth noting that clothes are not sorted with the care of a fine toothed comb: I have looked in the "size 32" pants and found quite a few much larger or smaller. So always check the size tags sewn into the clothing rather than just grabbing off the rack because of where it was. I found though that the store is generally well laid out. There is a lot of space to move around. There is no weird smell, there's plenty of street parking (free on weekends) and their sales seem to happen way more often than Goodwill. It's worth mentioning that the other nearby Salvation Army thrift stores don't have a comparable "on sale" selection such as this one. Also, I am rating specifically on the clothing, not the furniture or physical goods. If you are looking to save money on glowing up your wardrobe, stop by here! You'll be glad you did.

That's it. I'm done with this place. I stopped in the front of the store to bring in some things to…read moredonate and come back out to being ticketed. What a way to end the week. Oakland is so stingy always trying to nickel and dime everyone. The Salvation Army used to have parking next to it that was taken away, it used to have dressing rooms in fact, and those are taken away. For a few years, they didn't even have mirrors! Now they let people bring in their dogs off leash and they ticket you when you stop in to bring a donation. J.W.R (the yellow vested ticket guy ) was that fast. They hardly rotate clothing out. It's the same stuff over and over. I stopped there out of habit. Today was a message from the universe not to come to the Oakland Salvation Army anymore. Go to Savers in Alameda instead right through the tunnel, they have plenty of free parking.

their breakfast usually suck, but their lunches are top notch. Thank you for everything!read more

Likely best free Bay area breakfast oatmeal/grits…read more Likely best free Bay area macaroni and cheese. Though likely dependant of cook. You may complain garbage bins everywhere but, there is recycling and compost. IMPORTANT. Right outside, Farmer's Market.

Interesting place. Lots of stuff! Some good finds. A bit overwhelming and lots of people with not…read moremuch personal space.

They have a great selection of materials, from fabric (what I'm usually looking for) to notions to…read morechildren's play materials to funky collectibles to actual sewing machines and earrings made from their supplies (presumably). I attended a craft night there and hope I get to again soon!

Very broad selection. I don't think I've ever seen such a…read morelarge array of black leather jackets! Also a great deal of high quality cowboy boots. The prices are fair/reasonable. Parking is on street. I didnt interact with any staff. So I can't speak to service.

Cute vintage store that just opened on telegraph! I had an appointment so I couldn't shop around…read morefor too long but they had so many vintage pieces. Grand opening is July 18 6-8 pm

They POSITIVELY need to Double Bag " Beadable Items " !!!…read more I love this li'l THRIFT STORE, and Especially the " Charitable Causes ' they Support ' !!! Have been shopping wiith them since the Mid '90's in SF !!! Also am not too crazy about the Goodwill in El Cerrito which leaves this Store to browse, Re-use & Re-Cycle !!!!!! Luckily the Cashier warned me to be Extra Careful as I exited the Store having bought 2 Ceramic Plates and 2 Bowls... Maybe Taller Grocery type Handled " Paper Bagd would be Ideal.... From what I've been hearing from merchants locally ' Berkeley has Banned PLASTIC Shopping Bags !!! Their Wares and the Selection are Awesome although ' QUITE STEEP PRICES ' on Used Crockery I thought. Selections are Always Quite Charming & I do hope the Store remains in Business !!!!!! Am a Senior with a DISABILITY, and arriving home the Paper Bag Tore Badly even as I went to retrieve it from the Floorboard of My Car !!! Was a Chore tryin' to " Ascend a Flight of about 12 wooden risers and Guarding the Contents !!! He was kind and thoughtful enough to ask if I'd like the " Crockery " wrapped in Newspaper !!! The 10% Senior Discount helps a lot !!!!! Five Stars for "" SELECTION & 3 for Packagong Breakables = 4 STARS !!! Workers are " Always Polite " !!!!!!

Beware! We went to drop off some donations with the understanding that all of our things might not…read morebe accepted. The woman working the donation area was terrible. She started trying the shoes we were donating on and told us we would have to buy new shoelaces for a pair of Keds. FYI, these were practically a new pair of animal print Keds. She was commenting that some of the items weren't her taste. What?? We truly think she was going to pocket the items she wanted and not let the store know. That's stealing! We will never donate to this store again. By the way, we stopped her and took the remaining items to Goodwill without any issues.

Awesome Organization!!!…read more They Take Donations Of Certain Medical Equipment And Supplies!! They Then Redistribute The Medical Equipment And Supplies To People That really Need Them!! It's First Come First Served!!! I have 2 Friends That Use Their Services Exclusively!!!! One is Nicknamed Ed Flintstone he is on Social Security and Uses Adult Diapers which he gets every week from the ReCares Network!!! He has Even gotten a Berry Atric Walker and a Wheelchair for Future Usage My Other Friend Is Called Randy Big Sexy!!! He Is A Diabetic and Weighs 500 Pounds and Is 6Ft 4 Inches !!! Unfortunately he suffers from Low Esteem and Has a Chip on his Shoulder and Feels Like The World Owes Him Everything!!! Thank God for ReCares he Gets His Diabetes Supplies , Dressings , Adult Diapers, Walker and Canes from there !!! People and Organizations like this are Heaven Sent!!! This Charity Is A Baller On A Budget Approved!!! I keep my Pimp Hand Strong!!!! Number # 34 On The Yelp Top # 50 List Of Most Prolific Yelp Elites of 2025!!!

As a mover, I love having a place where I can drop off durable medical equipment and expendables…read moreeasily, and know that they are going to go to the people who really need them. This is the kind of operation that makes our community better.

Walked in greeted right away from the guard. 10/10. We…read morebegan shopping. So many great items. Clothes, purses, shoes small selection of furniture. Certain says if the week they have 50% off certain items. To bad people steal so no dressing room. Make sure u dress light. So clothes will fit over your clothes u like to try on. Huge book selection. Cashier explained every thing I needed explained! 10:10. We will be back. Price medium. Good quality clothes.

Walked into this shop and it was really well kept. It was nice and clean. Cute decor (can't…read morepurchase). Amazed at how neatly placed the books were on the shelves and it was by chronological order by color. It looked great. The clothes were neatly separated by women's and men's, sizes on the circle racks. T-shirts, sweaters, pants, coats were all on their own racks. I was greeted right away when I walked in. There was a security guard. I didn't find anything I like but I did see some cool shirts and items. It was a nice place to look around and to see what kinda unique gear they got. I would def come back if I was in town again.

Last weekend I had a lot of luck! I found Sam Edelman heels that were maybe worn once, Banana…read moreRepublic leather Oxford heels, leather sandals from Spain that I'm almost certain have never been worn, a black wool blazer, an l.magnin camel hair long coat, two silk shirts, a navy blue leather purse and a Levi's denim jacket. I've come here before and I didn't sift through the racks to really find treasures, but I did find some frank sinatra records on a previous trip that were priced at $1.50. This past weekend I took my time and really lucked up. Everything was under $60, and I live for a half off sale. After getting some of these items cleaned they will be gifts for my mom. Gotta love treasure hunting

Questionable pricing, not super well laid out, and overall not worth the hunt on my last visit to…read morethis Alameda Goodwill.

A well-curated charity shop in an upscale neighborhood, supporting a cause close to my heart. Since…read moreit opened I've invested in a some nice vintage pieces priced somewhere between thrift stores and Etsy. Something that happened on my last visit left me unsettled. It was a Sunday, and the manager I usually have a nice chat with wasn't there. I browsed around and found a good older Lands End barn jacket for $55. Unfortunately it was missing one of its logo buttons in the back flap, making the $55 seem kind of high. I took it to the counter to discuss. The staff member present that day pointed to the "no negotiations" sign next to the counter, and said that damaged goods like the coat would have been put in the garbage. I begged to buy it for $55 just to rescue the poor thing, just like I did with my shelter dog. Seriously brought up the stories of the Great Depression when big corporate farms dumped good produce and milk into the ground, rather than feed the hungry, in a move to fix pricing. Also, my 81 year old mum resigned from her volunteer position at a local church-run charity shop because they were throwing away perfectly good vintage clothing just because of some small flaw. Truly, if the manager of this shop wants to reassure me that this ISN'T store policy, it would make me more comfortable to come back and shop again.

Help fund a much-needed new building for Berkeley Humane (5/5 Green Stars)…read moreIn early November, the Berkeley Humane opened a second thrift store - right here in the Elmwood! I was already a fan of the Solano store - I think it's one of the nicest thrift shops in Berkeley. This branch is smaller but it's really focused on the nicest things, arranged beautifully. If you've never wandered into a thrift store and have reservations about going in, then start right here. Many items are brand new, with tags still attached, and I think the prices are reasonable, considering this. A large portion of the clothes are women's (although that hasn't stopped me shopping for a winter jacket) but there is also a small men's section behind the changing room. Check out the cool collection of Christmas ornaments, right now! 100% of proceeds benefit the Berkeley Humane nonprofit - particularly to help fund a new building that they need after a fire in 2010 destroyed a large part of their building on 9th and Carlton. As you may know, back in the 1970s, the BH made a commitment that no healthy or treatable shelter animals in the Society's care would be euthanized. It's amazing that the BH got started almost 120 years ago - in 1905, the Berkeley branch of the SPCA was set up with a mission to improve conditions at the "pound" (which were reportedly not good at the time). The current facility on 9th and Carlton was acquired all the way back in 1933. The new building will be named the Bay Area Animal Resource Center (BAARC), and will include a veterinary medical hospital and adoption center and will include more services for people with pets who might be in need of a little extra support. It will feature significantly enlarged space for cat adoptions, including several "catios" that will provide felines with natural light and fresh air. Berkeley Humane is a private non-profit organization that does not receive government funding, so community support is essential to its mission. I'm giving the Berkeley Humane Thrift shop 5/5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact. This takes very little explaining. Buying clothes and other items from thrift shops is one of the best ways to reduce your environmental footprint and improve your social impact. You are avoiding the production of new materials, with all problems of the fast-fashion-driven textile industry. At the same time you are supporting a nonprofit that has taken care of local neglected or abandoned animals for more than a century. This year, Berkeley Humane will have over $400,000 in expenses to medically prepare over 1,000 animals for adoption. Your support will save lives.