This place is terrible. This is a vintage resale shop where people can bring things in to sell that Avalon then turns around and makes a profit from. We have a business with a similar model where I'm from and I actually like it a lot. Why hate on this place? Several reasons. 1. No clearance. At all. My hometown resale store has a dollar rack and a big section with markdowns so I find something at a reasonable price pretty much every time I go. 2. Rude employees. I get tired of stick-thin wannabe models in clothes four sizes too big for me giving me dirty looks when I walk in to one of these "curated" stores in The Loop. 3. Bad organization. You can barely move around in here and forget pulling stuff off the racks! It's not worth the frustration of trying to dig through these tightly-packed racks like a dog burying a bone. They had a bunch of AliExpress junk cluttering up the jewelry and accessories. What a bore. It also wasn't very clean! read more

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Always find something cute here, it's more expensive than your average savers or goodwill, but that makes sense because it is curated with lots of vintage. Def worth checking out! read more

Super fun, quirky thrift shop. Lots of cute, retro stuff. I like to shop here for costume ideas around Halloween, too. Or just to browse around and not necessarily buy anything. You can definitely find some great conversation starters here. It can get really packed and congested in here on the weekends. Also, you can't try on clothing (at least I think you can't?) which makes it difficult to shop since everything is so unique, it's hard to tell if it will actually fit. Pricing is about average for this type of shop, some things definitely overpriced but if you browse enough you can find a good deal. read more

My daughter was visiting from NYC and wanted to visit Avalon. Selection minimal and pricing ridiculous there. We found so many cute and unique items! I spotted a small, square wooden purse for myself. Then she claimed as her own. She bought an adorable denim jacket with blue faux fur color and cuffs. Not much as far as shoes or boots in various sizes. Most of the clothing was for the younger, slimmer woman. Alas, not for me. Avalon is a gem. read more

I've shopped here for a few years and resold clothes there once. I've heard a lot of people say they don't get their clothes bought by Avalon often but they took 5/7 garments that I gave them. I shop in both their mens and women's sides and the men's side consistently has more banger pieces in my opinion. The women's side has stuff from shein while the men's side has like.. vintage Nike and niche pieces. I think Avalon's always been a wee pricey but not often outside of what I'm willing to pay for something. read more

It's a cool place to shop and you can find some unique items. What they buy from people though if a little strange. You could take awesome stuff and the won't but it but then bring a 90s dare to keep kids of drugs T-shirt with a hole in it and they will buy that and mark it at like $16. Still like the place though. Wish they had a better selection of plus size clothes. read more

Like shopping here, hate selling here - can sell 1 piece on Poshmark or Depop for what they'd give you for like 100 pieces They're more reliant on their sellers than they think they are - lowballing people so significantly isn't a good business model long term, if people view their clothes like investments; lucky for them they're in consumeristic America where our majority doesn't care about what they have after they have it and try to offload it regularly so therefore they built a business on it lol. read more

They bought a $125 dress and $70 lulu lemon bra from me, plus 4 other items for $17.40. And when I tried to get it back said that I signed something saying they could pay whatever they want when I walked in, when they told me it was the "sale agreement" everyone signs. And I had no choice but to accept it. To top it off they're rude. Sell your stuff literally anywhere else, or better yet just donate to goodwill. read more

This is a gem! Very unique and eclectic inventory. I like how the items feel intentional and everything seems to be evaluated very closely before selecting. Thanks for my beautiful- Japanese 100% cotton kimono! It's so stunning and it was an incredible price of $12.00. You can't even buy a sandwich for 12.00 bucks. read more

Love the store ! Employees are friendly, I been buying and selling clothes here for years . Good selection of vintage clothing from different eras . They do have designer clothes .All merchandise is hand picked and they don't buy everything . Prices are reasonable compared to other vintage stores I have visited all over the United States and abroad . I highly recommend people take a look at the store to see what they have .Sometimes lines are long for selling but they do tell you how long the wait is . If you like something unique and different this is the place to go . The sales merchandise changes constantly due to buying from the public so you never know what's on the sales floor at any given time . read more

I hadn't been to Avalon in a while and I noticed quite a few bad reviews on here. I had a great experience, and I was impressed. I got $45 for two items I was selling and I found several items in store that were in style almost immediately. The employees were friendly, and unlike other people, I did not feel like they were being rude or condescending. Some girl even came in and rudely confronted an employee, and the employee handled it well and others acted like nothing happened. The store was clean and well kept. Everyone was friendly. In the grand scheme of consignment stores, especially considering it's on the Loop, Avalon is great. If you find the employees are being rude to you, consider that you might be projecting your insecurities about your style... and go back to Macy's. read more

If you love to thrift. Avalon should be on your hit list. They have it all: Men's & Women's Costumes Shoes Sunglasses Scarfs Hats Jewelry Patches/Buttons Skirts Jeans Shirts Dresses Purses/Backpacks and much more. In addition to selling merchandise they also buy your old hand-me-downs for a small fee. Turn your trash into someone else's treasure at Avalon Exchange. Thank me later. read more

Avalon Exchange - I don't "need" 'em but I kinda "want" 'em - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - University City, Missouri

Number one on my favorite places to thrift shop (locally). I always find at least one thing I want on my travels here. I try not to go too often because I could easily spend all my money here, but that said, I have learned in my years thrifting that if you have the time + want to find good stuff, that making 1-2 trips a week to a thrift store of any sort is key. Some people aren't willing to do that though. I on the other hand find that's part of the fun. So if you don't find anything the first time, I suggest giving it another chance before writing it off. Some of the items here are just plain silly, but could work, depending who finds it first. Overall, a fun place to shop, though I've always have had trouble selling my clothes here. read more

Avalon used to be such an awesome thrift store, now it's like a ran down forever 21. The staff is also rude, every single time I go in.. they will literally ignore your questions and ring you out without speaking to you at all. I don't know why they think they are "too cool" little do they know it's cool to be kind read more

This place has ladies and men's clothing and shoes. You can usually find some oddities her that you can't really find at other used shops. The prices are a big high in comparison to other resale shops that I've visited but you will surely run across items that you can't find elsewhere. I gave three stars because it's a bit frustrating to see items displayed in the windows but you can't purchase those items off the mannequin until Wednesday's read more

Count your stuff!!!!!!! I went in on Sunday and was told they took 3 things and they took 5!!!! And I didn't realize till I got back and took inventory on Monday morning. I only got paid for 3 items and now I am down profit and inventory. read more

Respect! The well-dressed fake ladies in the front window lured me in as though I were in a red light fashion district. What a display! Inside, you will find an extensive selection of gently used clothing that is neatly arranged, but think more on the modern trend of things (especially the ladies selection). As far as true vintage goes (pre-1980s), I didn't see much during my one visit. Keep in mind, of course, the selection is going to keep changing so don't take my word for it and go in and see for yourself. Be sure and check out all the darling accessories (new) in the display cases up by the register. I bought a pair of swan earrings for a friend who aspires to swanhood (and yes, they are black). My friend found the most fab cherry red Frye boots for 100 bucks. They were definitely loved by someone else for at least a season (how fickle we sometimes are), but in good condition. To be frank, I think that's kind of steep for used boots, but they were awesome. I found several Western shirts for the K that were fantastically priced, so if you're a guy, I think you'll be in luck if you give this store a chance. Nada for me. Boo. This place reminds me a bit of Beacon's Closet in Brooklyn, which is a huge compliment. read more

Everytime I walk in here just intending to browse, I always walk away buying something. I guess that's a testament to the overall quality control of this place. If you're looking for hipster tees, look no further. But there's a lot more than just that. On my recent trip I found this awesome pair of $12 shorts that looked brand new. Looked online and they currently sell for $55. Score. Prices might be a bit high, but you're paying for the good pre-selection. Sure, you wanna drive out to Goodwill and spend hours rummaging through all the crap to find a single gem, be my guest. The staff here is pretty good at picking things that are somewhat fashionable so you won't be looking long before something catches your eye. But there is a downside to the quality control. It's impossible to get them to buy anything you bring in. For me, anyways. And as some others have noted, they generally only buy stuff for the season(sweaters in winter, t-shirts in summer). It gets pretty crowded on the weekends, and there can be a wait-time of 30-40 mins or more before they look through clothes that you bring in to sell. I definitely recommend coming on weekdays. read more

Avalon is a must stop in the Loop. Great vintage and unique clothing and accessories for the prices. I also love selling to them. If you're selling, I would highly suggest you take some time to look through their store and check out who is buying so you're not disappointed. You may have great designer stuff, but it might not be for them. I've been selling to them for years and it took me a while to adjust my eye to find what they're looking for. Now, i do really well. Just don't expect them to take your entire trash bag of junky clothes or your Ann Taylor and Talbots stuff. Do your research first. The staff is fun and has always been friendly to me. read more

10/10 quality. i've been going here for a few years and they always have incredible finds

They really don't have that great of a selection and the staff is usually rude. When they buy your clothes they barely talk to you about the process, they don't show you what they've selected to buy, and they act annoyed with your questions and refuse not to show you what they've selected to buy. They basically rob you. read more

Selection is mediocre at best. Then I found something that I liked only to be told I can't purchase it. Frustrated with this store's policy that you can't purchase off the mannequin. I don't live in St. Louis and wanted to purchase a shirt I found. What's the point of thrifting if you can't purchase something you find and like? Annoyed and questioning how this is good for their business... read more

Okay so this place is just meh. I have the hardest time selling them clothes and finding something I really like here. The last time I came in here I spent hours combing through their unique items and really struggles with finding anything that seemed like something I would wear. The clothes seemed so out there and not really my style. I did find a few cute handbags. However, some of them were expensive enough that I could have easily bought a new one for the same price. Why get it used then? I also tried selling clothes here as well, and I really struggled with them. I brought in bags and bags of items (on three separate occasion) that I thought were in great condition, but just ones I didn't want to keep anymore. I only ended up being able to sell one dress. My roommates, on the other hand, had such great experience with this place. I guess I just didn't get great luck with this spot. All in all, not my cup of tea, but I've had plenty of friends who highly recommend this spot. read more

I love this place for clothes, but the staff is rude every single time I go in there. The prices are fair for the clothing and you can often find good pieces. I would give five stars but the staff if just so hateful. I wish they would hire all new staff and train them in guest service! read more

I love to visit Avalon Exchange whenever I'm in town but I can't say that I ALWAYS find something when I go. It is a little bit of a dig and they don't really have much in the way of bigger sizes, which I did discuss with one of the shop girls last time I was there and they should try to improve that because big girls spend money too! I do think they have good prices on their accessories and you can occasionally find a good deal on branded items, I've gotten a few coach wallets here as gifts and I've also picked up a few pieces of vintage costume jewelry that I love. I'm not sure it's worth a special trip just to visit this store, but if you are already on the street (and I'm told its like one of the best streets in the US or something) then you definitely stop and check it out. read more

My suggestion is counter items take pictures of them. Because these people look through my clothes. Tried to pay me for a few of the items that they had accepted. Hit the other items they didn't want to pay me for. I asked them three times while looking at my clothes. How many items you took or accept? They said four and before I can leave out the door I backed up and said you all are thieves and the manager came out and tried to quickly gather up a receipt saying it was six items when the two girls specifically said four items three times. Laid the four items on the counter and show them to me Isn''t this stealing by deceit been deceitful? I'm going to contact the owner and if anybody else has this problem I suggest they make the owner aware. Because I'm quite sure he does not know and is not aware of his employees stealing people's clothes. Also the young lady behind me had to make them come up with her items as well Smh read more

If you're in the Loop, definitely stop by! They can be kind of a hit or miss- don't be discouraged when you walk in and see a bunch of used fast fashion brands like Shein and Fashion Nova on their racks selling for above retail cost as I did when I first visited. Just search a bit and go to the right sections, you can find some fabulous vintage pieces! They have excellent vintage knitwear and sweaters, I have found some wonderful nightgowns and dresses here as well. The staff are pretty friendly and the store is organized so no complaints! Avalon Exchange is always a fun place to visit when you're in a thrifting mood. read more

I've never left a review like this, but if I could give them no stars, I would. They don't even deserve one star. We came here to look for some quick cash for our name-brand items. For starters, they mixed everything that they wanted to buy in a huge bin with other items they had already bought when I refused to let them buy a $50 skirt unworn for three dollars. This goes for a few of my nice items. They had a very poor attitude toward me. I was clearly annoyed when they were the ones that threw my clothes in a big pile of everyone else's clothes. I highly recommend not going here. They didn't even attempt to put my clothes back nicely in my baskets, as I had them folded and organized. In the end, they don't honor brands, have very poor style, and have poor customer service. This is the last place in St. Louis where I would recommend you go for clothing exchanges for cash. To filter out all the reviews, I was looking through them, and the majority of the decent views or good views were clearly bots or people that they had paid to make the comments; none of them were genuine reviews; however, the real reviews were very poor read more

Avalon used to be one of our favorite places to go. However in the last year they have gotten new staff that is extremely rude whether you are shopping or selling. When trying to sell they are very subjective and go off personal preference versus the market. They used to give a fair price on the clothing you were trying to sell but now they just try to rip you off. The staff has ruined this store and it has been very sad to watch read more

Do you ever wish you could give reviews based on how your 15-year old former self remembers a place? When I used to visit the Loop as a young'n, Rag O Rama (now Avalon Exchange) seemed like the coolest place in the world. It's where the cool kids bought all their raggedy clothes. Old band t-shirts, perfectly ripped jeans, old school Nike sneaks, everything a wannabe cool kid would want, and cheap enough that a weekend's worth of work could buy you an "authentic" outfit. Judged by my standards back in those days? Avalon is a five star business, hands down. It represented everything I wanted to be. You want to shop where the hip people shop? Avalon. It's where the cute alternative girls were, and where all the grungy dudes bought their Nirvana tees. Back then, it represented more than just a clothing store. It was everything I wanted to be, but never could. Flash forward to current day, and I realize that I grew up, but Avalon never did. Surprisingly to this day it's still about the same as it was...a second-hand clothing store for teenagers. You can still find old band t-shirts, perfectly ripped jeans, and old school Nike sneaks, but it doesn't quite feel the same. The place is overrun with Wash U undergrads and West Co teenagers who want the same thing that I wanted all those years before...a place to belong. As far as clothing selection is concerned, well, do you want trendy or do you want vintage? Because I'll tell you that while there's a little bit of the former, there's virtually none of the latter. This is NOT the type of place to buy a vintage dress from the 50's, or get an authentic LV bag. This is the place to buy clothes sold by people slightly cooler than you, because they in turn have already moved onto something even cooler. The people who sell here are primarily rich college kids, not people cleaning out their grandma's closet. So whatever rich college kids wear nowadays, picture that. The name of the game here is volume, and lots of it. Clothes move in and out here at a crazy pace. Sure there are a few gems, but you have to dig deep and be fast. Prices are generally reasonable, assuming you don't mind spending $15 for an old ratty t-shirt or $30 for a pair of shoes that probably would have been better looking 2-3 years ago. The prices for better stuff can be very high, after all, trendiness comes with a price. If you're looking to sell things, unless you're a fashionista or like to hit up the clubs with daddy's credit card, you might as well forget it. There's always LOTS of people trying to sell their clothes, and everyone thinks their clothes are sellable. (Hint: they're not). Decisions on whether to purchase are made entirely by the uber-hip tattooed girls behind the counter. And as a person who used to pursue tattooed girls I can tell you this: Nothing is good enough for them. Often times, it's not even worth the wait and nuisence to sit there while someone judges your wardrobe right in front of you. My dignity isn't worth much, but it's worth more than that. If you are in fact, a person aged 14-22, I'd probably bump my rating to a 4, just because it's a cheap alternative to the mall, and the selection does largely reflect what teenagers wear. If you're in the mood to remember what it was like to live in that age range (or if you really want to spend $15 for a re-printed Ramones shirt), Avalon is the place for you. But if you're like me and have burned every photo from your high school yearbook, there are plenty of other alternatives to pick up 2nd hand duds. read more

This is a review as a seller/consigner. Avalon was the 4th resale/consignment shop I visited on my big grand schlep session around town trying to sell items from my 5 boxes of stuff I wanted to get rid of prior to moving out of town. Avalon actually took a lot of things that some of the other stores in town didn't take (namely Plato's Closet, Clothes Mentor, and Women's Closet Exchange). Avalon tends to take more eclectic pieces. Think things with unique patterns or interesting shapes. They definitely have more of the retro/hipster/eclectic vibe, whereas some of the other aforementioned stores go for more of the currently-in-style, now-moment styles. For example, Avalon took a pair of my True Religion jeans that had a wide-leg cut that 3 stores prior rejected, but they didn't take any of my skinny jeans. If you're willing to try to sell your things at more than one store, I would consider coming here as a last stop. SELLING FYI: 1. If you opt for a cash payment, you get 30% of the price they will sell your item for. If you opt for store credit, you will be given a 45% cut. 2. Try to come during off-hours, e.g. in the morning on the weekdays. When I came on a random Tuesday afternoon at 3:30pm, the wait time was 45 minutes. The people who came in shortly after I did were told they had a wait time of almost 1.5 hours. With that said, call ahead to ask for a wait time before you come. 3. You will be treated better and the buyers will be more likely to consider your stuff if you bring it in neatly folded in garment boxes/tubs, e.g. not stuffed into big garbage bags. read more

Good location/fierce window display, but overpriced for used (not so vintage) clothing and accessories. Most items are basic and plain - nothing eclectic or ironic that I like when I'm browsing second-hand. Goodwill (cheap) and Haberdashery (pricier) are my picks for vintage/used. read more

Pro: It's really nice of them to hire the mentally handicapped. Cons: over priced, rude employees, bad location, difficult to find parking read more

I'm love reused clothing stores and Avalon Exchange is definitely one of the cleaner and friendly ones I've been to. I moved to St. Louis here from Seattle last month and was ought to find a used clothes store to buy some summer clothing, since the weather in Seattle is extremely different from St. Louis. Well, I found Avalon. The Selection: Avalon has a great selection of clothing for both women and men. The inventory changes quite often. You get a good combination of vintage and in season styles. I always find something to add to my wardrobe when I am there. The Store: Very clean and smells nice. No weird grandma smell like at some used clothes stores. Most things are well organized, except the shoes. I can't seem to figure out how the women shoes are set up, but the selection is still good, except the shoes which are at the top of the shelves, since I am height disadvantage and always need some assistance. The People: The employees I have met there have been friendly and approachable. Also very fashionable. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you need to find something. The dressing rooms are coed, so the employees are strict about people taking pictures in the dressing room, which is a good thing, because I wouldn't want any one taking pictures while I am changing. Overall: Great shopping experience. A good find on the Loop. read more

People seem to be hatin' on this place a little bit, but I have to admit -- I'd rather shop here, at Avalon Exchange, than places selling clothes for for similar prices. When something's on the shelves at AE, you know that it's passed a certain muster -- fake designer bags excepted -- and that the clothing must be a decent quality to have held up through its tenure with its previous owner. It's a nice addition to the Loop, I think, and it always feels friendly and upbeat here. I can find something new to wear just about any time I stop in -- basically, I agree wholeheartedly with Vik's review. This place does some good work. It's nice to be able to bring clothes in here, too. Last time I came in they didn't take much, only a cheap pair of shorts, but hey! An extra $5.00 in store credit means I'm even more likely to make a purchase next time I'm in the building. Keep it up, AE, I like your style -- literally, and figuratively. read more

I thought I'd reviewed this place already but turns out I had reviewed the Avalon on Forbes St in Pittsburgh instead! Yes, that's right, there's another Avalon Exchange and it's in my hometown! Go figure! Anyway! I like this one better than the Pgh location because it's just LARGER. But it seems like most of what I find here isn't really for me. It takes a lot of searching to find something I'd even consider wearing and then half of the time it's not even my size. I will say the staff is insanely helpful at getting stuff down from high spots for me and for putting up with my craziness at the checkout counter, and by craziness, I mean ADD...like: "Hey can you grab me that ring from out of the case....oh....and that one...and that one.......oh and can I see that too?!" YEAH! LOL. Sadly the BF did not find anything he liked there. I was trying to find him a leather coat for cheap but alas. It seems like a lot of their clothing in there is a joke. Like some kid raided her grandma's closet (or grandpa's) and then took a gigantic trash bag of the stuff to Avalon for resale. Yeeeah. Some of the stuff on the racks there is prettttyy special. That being said, I did score a cheap Betsy Johnson bag (B.J. bag for only $28?! HELL YES.) as well as pair of red converse style Levi's (which I had been looking for for cheap for a while!) in my exact size for like only $16.... plus an insanely cute red dress made in El Salvadore, likely vintage due to the tags, and a gigantic oversized sweater. Did I mention the awesome cigar case purse? Yep! Their selection of tooled leather bags made me smile too although I already have one. Sean also found a cute yellow and blue coat for me which was fairly cheap although I suspect when it was new at Target it was probably almost the same price. (Meh.) But I get SO many compliments on it and I love telling people I got it at a thrift store, hehehehe. Bottom line is...if you have plenty of time on hand and an adventurous spirit, you can make this shop work for you. But the key word is YOU. You can't really expect to walk in there and have all of the cool stuff just fly right at you (if you can do this, please contact me, lol) you really gotta dig sometimes!!! read more

Avalon is definitely the best thrift shop in town. They have everything for men and women. They definitely have a lot of flashy, party clothes more than casual everyday clothes. I find a lot of items there for themed parties/mardi gras/etc. The buying and pricing is a bit strange. I have tried to sell them nicer brand items which they do not buy, but there will be a lot of Forever 21, H&M, etc on the racks. They have a very good selection of interesting men's t-shirts. Many of their women's "tank tops" tend to skew more towards crop tops or bras. I find that they do not have as many options when visiting early in the season versus nearing the end of the season. Avalon is definitely a hit or miss store. read more

some of the items are rather over priced (like $12 for a crappy worn Forever 21 tank top) but jeans and shoes are always a good deal I've sold a lot of my old clothes to them.... depends on which buyer is working..... some are generous in what they take and how much they give, others don't seem to want to buy anything. They'll pass up a pair of Lucky Brand Jeans, Converse Hi Tops, and several Anthropology/ Urban Outfitters tops, but when browsing through the racks, you see Wal Mart clothes. ??? Whatever. read more

I love this place! Especially when it comes to shopping for others! I've found so many awesome vintage t-shirts for my dad and brother. I have even found some awesome shirts for myself. I have yet to sell anything here, but I do have another box of clothes to get rid of and this is where I plan to take them.. read more

Rag-O-Rama is one of the best second hand stores around St. Louis. Located in the University City Loop, Rag-O-Rama is a place where you can find some really sweet deals. Just walk in with some clothes that you no longer wear, but are still in good condition of course, and hand them over the counter. Just wait as they clerks see if what you brought is any good and what is worth something will be credited to you, or you can just take cash. If what you brought is no good, then you're stuck with it. The selection that Rag-O-Rama has is rather varied. You have your awesome early 90's fashion and then you actually have some nice finds in there that people anyplace else would end up paying top dollar for. The neat about those treasured finds are that they are not uncommon, unless I have some unusual luck when it comes to shopping there. Rag-O-Rama is a cool place with lots of clothes to choose from. read more