I never write reviews-- but the staff here is despicable. If you stay in the back area, you can hear the girls LOUDLY make fun of and laugh at customers. They will 100% sell the stuff you chose to 'donate'. Prices are not even that great to begin with, but definitely not worth supporting such a rude staff. read more

This place is a joke. Pretentious staff and crappy selection.

This store is hit or miss, both with buying and selling. How they choose what items to buy is beyond me. I have strong suspicions that some staff members sell their own stuff, because there are always a lot of items on the racks that I am absolutely positive that no one in their right mind would buy them, especially compared to the things they don't accept from others. For example: I brought in a never worn, size 26, dark blue, slim/skinny jeans from Uniqlo. Only selling because a bit too small on me and I kept it for longer than the exchange period. It would've been sold in a day. They didn't accept it. Yet there are plenty of godawful items and others in terrible condition on the racks. Moral of this part of the story: no matter how much you filter your items before trying to sell them, go with no expectations to sell. Buying: I've gotten some cool stuff for pretty good prices, but the money I saved on those items was counteracted by things I bought which ended up being defective, but unnoticeable at the store. E.g. I got a nice wool sweater ($20) that had two small holes in it on the back. Didn't notice when I tried it on, only when I wore it a few weeks after I bought it. Obviously the holes expand and I basically could not wear it. Then I bought a designer wool cardigan ($18), only for huge holes to emerge at the elbows after a couple of wears. It was dark grey, so the wearing at the elbows wasn't noticeable when I tried it on. And most recently, I bought a chiffon like shirt (around $14). The bottom of the shirt has thin, mesh-like lining. When I gently pulled the shirt down to wear it, the mesh ripped. It must've been a little torn in the first place but unnoticeable. Moral of this part of the story: the buyers should spend less time being obnoxiously picky about the styles they buy, and more time making sure what they buy is in good condition. Unless these are items the staff had owned and sold, knowing quite well that they were selling defective items. Incompetent or deceiving, who knows. Oh, and they don't allow returns, so the money I spent on the defective items went to waste. read more

I've been shopping and selling here for several years and was recently shocked to discover what some yelpers have said was true. I came in to pick up two bags that I dropped off earlier in the day to find that they took a good amount of clothes. I went through what they rejected to decide what to donate. I put several items in their black donation bag and went on my way. The next day I came back to buy clothes on the credit they gave me and as I was looking through the racks I saw a topshop sweater with tags that I distinctly remember putting into the black donation bag!!! I know that I donated this sweater because as I was throwing it in the black bag I thought "huh, they didn't take this? Even though it's brand new, okay whatever. Toss". Wow Beacon's, was skeptical when others claimed you did this, I wouldn't "donate" with you again. read more

As others have mentioned, there really is no rhyme or reason for what they buy and sell. My only guess is the more "ironic" and hipsterly, the more likely it is to sell, cuz a lot of what they have is offensively ugly. I know they buy what they believe will sell, and unfortunately, most of what they sell sucks. That's why my nice clothes--inclusive of a Cynthia Steffe jacket, an Anthropologie jacket, and two pairs of premium denim jeans--did not sell, while a tacky faux leather leopard print pouch bag that I bought as a joke DID sell for the same price that they gave my friend for a full winter coat. The real litmus test? I bought a pair of Bruno Magli pumps there that I later found to be too narrow, so I tried selling them back. Did they take them the second time? No, of course not. It was only about two months, so you can't argue that it was seasonal, and they're pretty classic. Their standards are just inconsistent. The staff is friendly enough, except when you're selling. I realize they don't have to take everything I buy, but they don't have to be bitchy about it either. There was some smirking and eyerolling, and a lot of obnoxious comments made right in front of me. They could take a lesson from the sweet gals at Second Time Around in Chelsea. That said, every once in a blue moon they have something nice, like the Marc Jacobs bag I got for $33, so I'm giving them an extra star they probably don't deserve. read more

My friend turned me on to Beacon last year, and it's turned into one of my go-to clothing destinations ever since. Not that it doesn't have its faults. I just love vintage stuff, and up to now have been mostly rummaging for hidden treasures at Housing Works, but Beacon is on a whole other level. If you can deal with the weekend madness and sifting through tons of grandma's 70s polyester tops, there are some great bargains to be found. On my last visit, I picked up some really cool stuff including jeans from True Religion, a DVF dress, a Club Monaco cashmere sweater, and a leather purse. All for under 100 bucks. Beacon also has a sizable selection of shoes and boots, but most of them look terribly worn, despite their attempts at polishing them up. New inventory tend to replenish the racks all the time, so if you can't find anything that excites you, check back the following week. It's really a hit or miss kind of place. And if you can manage to find your way there on a weekday, you'll find a much less hectic experience, without hipster chicks at every turn. I wouldn't recommend trying to sell your castoffs there, though. Last time, my girlfriend came with a bagful of items to sell, much of it in near-new condition. But apparently, Beacon can be quite selective, and out of about 25 items, they only took 2 of them off her hands. The staff can have attitude at times, and I wouldn't necessarily call them all arbiters of good taste. If they were, maybe there would be fewer hideous items hanging around. But if you're willing to sift through the clutter (which is half the fun), Beacon's hidden gems make it all worth the hunt. read more

This location has the rudest staff. So condescending and unwelcoming. I would not recommend selling here at all. Though it's much more crowded, the Manhattan location has provided me with way more positive experiences. read more

i spent an hour and a half waiting (was told 40 minutes), only to be told that my bag of clean, great condition clothes (all anthropologie, cynthia steffe, practically new toms wedges, size L-XL, purchased in the last 1-2 years) wouldn't be sold. puzzling. . . i thought i had a shot, given the reviews/tips on yelp. i think the next time i have some really fugly polyester printed shyt in size 0-4, and some dirty 80's anne klein heels, i'll take it here, and get probably $10- maybe $15 if i choose store credit. they really only carry a certain size, which is medium and under, and the style they seem to curate is the loud, 80's, polyester stuff at salvation army you'd probably skip over. as someone who thrifts regularly and typically just gives my clothes away- i was hopeful, but i don't think i'll ever go here again, or recommend it to anyone. as buyer OR seller, it doesn't really seem like they care what you think- you can take a hint from the signage that tells you to leave your drink at the door, tells you 'do NOT touch this mirror' or 'do NOT touch this mannequin, if you want to buy the clothes you can come wednesday at 12:00'). there are plenty of businesses that curate style while remembering that they are trying to win your business. PS, ladies - if they won't buy your perfectly good, clean, name brand clothes, try your luck as an ebay seller- where the commission is 10%, not 65%; list your items as auctions, not as buy it nows. even salvation army will give you more $ on the receipt as tax deductible than this place would. read more

I wish i could leave less than one star. Every time I come in they treat me like the worlds biggest loser. They always take all of my things and yet they scoff at me and treat me horribly. The payout is awful. They didn't know who Proenza was. Just skip this place. read more

Never again! I didn't like this place AT ALL, and thats coming from buyer and seller perspective. I brought 3 bags full of clothes, some vintage, some not... but ALL in good condition and some even with tags on it. I had jeans, winter coats, fall coats, shirts, and dresses. NONE of my items were accepted. Fine... I donated them, but here's the kicker... For a business thats OHH SO PICKY about what they accept... the stuff that was being sold wasn't in the best condition! sooo what exactly is it that they're looking for? Horrible waste of time read more

Love Beacons Closet! I always manage to find something at every location. I also love shopping online on their website. Not many people know about it but they have some real gems! A vintage store that has remained consistent in my 12 years of shopping here. A rarity! read more

This is an outpost of the Willy B. location. Though the store is laid out nice, the staff is a bit on the rude side.

These people are rude and bad at explaining their procedure to people bringing in clothing. I got rolling eyes from one girl and snapped at by another for asking a question and there was no reason for it. read more

Horrible selling experience, like so many others. Won't bore you with the details, you've probably already read a similar story here. Steer clear as a seller, they don't respect your time or your clothes. read more

I'm definitely upset with beacon closest. I was treated horrible. So I bought two boots that were barley even worn that I wanted to sell to beacon closest. Honestly I felt like I've been ripped off, only because the boot they decided to accept from me was only worn once and they wanted to pay 12.00 for it. While I see people with junk shit and they walk out of there with 160.00 damn well there clothes ain't 160.00 worth. SMH. Honestly I think they were racist. read more

This vintage clothing store has relatively poor reviews and rightfully so. Their customer service at all their locations is terrible; particularly at the Park Slope location, though. Every sales associate is pretentious and too busy perfecting their clearly-intentioned. mismatched, quirky outfits to help any customer out who needs assistance. Sure, the deals you can find at this place are awesome. Shopping-wise, I'm a real fan. I've found some name brand shirts and pants for less than $20. But when it comes down to the snobby people who work here, it's not even worth giving them more than two stars. read more

Love it ! Found cool graphic tees that urban outfitters has for double the price ! If you like thrifting , this is a good spot. Only thing is they need more fitting rooms because the wait is kind of long read more

If you have stuff u want to sell, DO NOT go to this one, go to the one in manhattan because they will give u more money and price things differently. This place took a pair of my Christian Louboutins in perfect condition along with a pair of genuine leather shorts and i walked put with $23. That's ridiculous, do not sell anything u have that u expect a certain amount of money from because they will rip u off completely. And their selection compared to the other stores sucked. Along with the employees. read more

The people at Beacon's Closet are complete jerks. I should have gotten the picture when I was there last week for the first time at 11 AM on a Monday and the girl behind the counter went out of her way to let me know how "lucky" I was that my wait was "only" half an hour to have my clothes evaluated. She and three other girls then proceeded to dig through people's clothing and make nasty comments about them. When someone called by telephone to inquire about bringing their clothes in, they all then discussed the items they hoped this person wouldn't bring in. And of course, despite some of the trash available on their shelves, none of my clothing was the least bit appealing. How lucky I was that it was only a half hour wait! I'll never go there again. read more

When selling items: Employee was incredibly rude and seemed annoyed that I wasn't familiar with the process as a first time seller. Came in with two bags of near-new items and was offered $30 for 3 items that were easily worth $300. She also quickly and conveniently disappeared when I had a question. Was assisted by someone else after a long wait. And again: Nothing but attitude. When buying: Things are incredibly overpriced compared to other thrift stores in the area and it's all so disorganized. The only reason I'm giving this place one star is because of the pleasant interaction I had with the friendly lady with pink hair at the register. I honestly prefer donating to Housing Works right up the block where staff is always friendly and not get a dime, than get ripped off and given nasty attitude from anyone at Beacons. I won't be back. read more

i consistently have a bad experience here. the other night i was shopping and went to grab a dress off the rack, only to have an employee snatch it, show it off to her friends, then throw it behind the counter. i asked to know what the brand was and she goes "aw did you really want it?" as other employees stood around giggling and staring. everyone who works here is on some weird power trip. you sell used clothes babe. i live in the neighborhood and am a bit of a clothes hoarder, so i constantly try to cycle out my wardrobe. i've sold to them a bunch and they either take everything or nothing, and sometimes it's the weirdest things they choose over others. also everyone who works here takes all the good stuff, so be prepared to sift through racks of ripped polyester nighties from the 80's and dingy armpit blouses from zara. however, if you have the patience to really dig, you can find some cool stuff, but beware the weekends when it's packed to the gills with people. everyone is exceptionally rude and if you attempt to be friendly you're met with dead eyes. it's like they cloned the same person and placed them in every location because it's a consistent trope and i've been shopping with them since about '09. they also will follow you around, start moving things around on the rack while you're looking, and god forbid you misplace something because low and behold someone will be there, immediately, to snatch it and put it elsewhere. i shop here because i like the thrill of the clothing hunt, but the employees reallllllllly suck and management seems nonexistent or like they don't care. i mean, you were parodied in broad city, so i can't be the only one who noticed. read more

Really snobby place. I usually just donate to the salvation army, but I had a great new fitted shearling jacket; originally $1000 and I thought I'd try selling it to beacon's closet. They literally offered me $5; they said they'd sell it for $25. When I said "really?" the hipster girl with a majorly condascending attitude said "this is how we operate; we sell for really reasonable prices here". I was far from desperate to make money (I thought $30-$50 cash and maybe they could sell it for $70 or so), but I wasn't looking to get ripped off and talked down to either. I wont be going back to shop or sell... read more

I've never been greeted once at this store. The Mens clothing selection is small and unorganized. The jacket rack is a half rack when they should be stocked up because it's the season. They had about 6 pairs of jeans. The selection is very poor, not trendy and barely any vintage pieces. I would recommend not going in if there are 10-15 minutes until close. They will yell and hassle you to leave. read more

Cool if you're looking for vintage "one of a kind" pieces, but not so great if you're looking for current or designer pieces. Tough to find shoes if you're over a woman's size 7 and pretty crappy purses. However, on one occasion I did get very lucky and found natural fiber pieces (cashmere, hemp ect) that were in good shape for a fair price. Snobby staff though, no one ever says hello, they just stare at you, kinda weird and uncomfortable tbh. Also nearly impossible to sell to them, I don't think anyone fully understands their process of selection. read more

Honestly my favorite thrift shop in manhattan. I always find something in here. I highly recommend!!!

they had a very men selection and some tho he were overpriced. they could be more picky w their selection cause most things are out of date.

Again, like I said in my review of the Williamsburg location of BC, my favorite part is getting compensating for old clothes, shoes, stuff, etc. I prefer this location because they are much MUCH M*U*C*H friendlier and tend to take most of what I bring in unlike their pickier, snottier, ruder counterparts up north. read more

This is arguably the worst beacons I've been to thus far. There is no organization in this store whatsoever! It's not sorted by size, color, or even style. I saw wool sweaters, spring cardigans, plain tees, summer tanks, and button up shirts all on one rack ranging from sizes xs to xl and they aren't even grouped by color, as is usually the signature of beacons. On top of the lack of organization, the selection was not that great anyway. Most items were either not that special or had stains or holes in them. Prices range from $11-$25 for the most part, but I didn't look at the dresses or coats. After looking through the tops I didn't think it would be worth much more of my time. It's sad to say I've had better experiences even at goodwill. read more

another hit or miss, but mostly miss. you must be lucky to shop here! it helps if you are under 5'9" and with a small frame. however, when you do find stuff, it will be some of the coolest and cheapest that you own. my favorite leather jacket/blazer only cost me $28 friggin bucks!!! to date, i probably own around 25 tshirts, two leathers, one sherling, and 10 dress shirts from here. give it a shot again and again! you never know! read more

Dishonest. They steal money from sellers. Told me they weren't taking anything I brought in to sell, but when I came home I realized I was missing an item. Called them and their response was, "Oops, yeah you're right. We owe you money. Sorry." But this is not the only time this has happened, as when I was waiting for them to look through my items, a man came in complaining of the exact same thing! They told him "We are human, we make mistakes." Reading the reviews on here, it has happened at least a couple other times! No excuses for this. Find an honest place to sell your clothes instead. read more

Had a weird experience here recently, so weird I am hesitant to return to the store. I took a shirt to the fitting room area to try on. It was a rainy day, so I had in my hand, as well, an umbrella and a cross body purse hanging over my shoulder. The dressing room attendant asked me how many items I had to try on and I said "one"-- just the shirt I held out to show her. She attempted, quite obviously and uncomfortably, to check behind both my bag and umbrella, to make sure there were not additional items I had hidden out of her view. Umm... awkward. I felt weird enough about the experience that it has soured me on the store for the time being. read more

I've been coming here for almost 10 years, and in that time the average price range has gone from $8-10, to $15-24. That's really not thrift store pricing anymore considering most of the items are either not designer or in great condition. I rarely buy anything here anymore because I cannot justify it. Sometimes you'll get lucky and make a few bucks from resale. Go on a weekday when it's slow. They're less picky. When they reject your items (I brought a freshly drycleaned polka dot silk wrap dress from Banana Republic, Frye platform sandals, and a cotton vintage 1960s mini floral dress for example recentlyand only the floral mini was taken) during the buying process you'll get a stock answer of your stuff wasn't "on trend or in great condition." Meanwhile, you'll find sweaters with holes and shoes falling apart like I did today. So, total nonsense. The real reason is they just can't take everything, it's a madhouse and they're snooty. Fine, but be consistent with your dumb rules. If you're looking for a real thrift store with real bargains in the city check out the L Train Vintage in the Gowanus nearby. Huge selection of men's and women's. The average price is$8-10 for shirts, pants, dresses, even most shoes. There's no selling. They buy in bulk wholesale so the prices are consistently low. * Note, I'm not an employee of LTrain Vintage and not paid to say any of this. This is my honest review. read more

It never fails. No matter if I take my clothes or others do I never see them buying anything. I truly believe that they get all of their clothes from other stores. The staff is also not that nice. read more

Every time I go to this store I'm given a list of reasons why they purchased none of my items. Each time I return, I follow their guidelines and am still turned down. I can understand that they buy for certain seasons and are looking for a certain quality of item, but they don't need to be so uppity and rude about it. I've never received decent service from the ladies in back purchasing the items. They always have a better than thou attitude about everything. Granted I'm not a hipster, so maybe they're just living up to the stereotype. This time I brought in designer shoes and vintage clothing, following all of their guidelines, appropriate for the season in which they're buying and in great shape. Nothing. Don't waste your time selling your stuff here. You'll leave feeling terrible and annoyed. read more

I made a trip to the Park Slope location after debating whether to go to Buffalo Exchange instead (my normal go-to). It had been awhile since I had gone to BC and as I approached the buying counter at exactly 7:30, the buyer said "sorry we stop buying at 7:30". I explained kindly that I had made the trek and asked if she was really denying me over a matter of 30-60 seconds and she said "yeah sorry if I do it for you, I have to do it for everyone and then I'll be here til 11." Actually, no you don't have to do it for everyone, as I was the only person at the counter at 7:30. I'm never coming here again. I've worked retail and while I understand the need to draw boundaries I also understand the importance of being flexible and accommodating within reason. Buffalo Exchange it is. read more

I actually used to think that negative Yelp reviews came from grumpy people who have nothing better to do than complain. I would first like to apologize to the entire community. I actually created this Yelp account just so that I could warn others about this place. I agree with most of the other reviews in that it is terrible. The staff who work here are BEYOND pretentious... I've seen them roll their eyes and overheard them talk trash about customers. I dealt with it for some time (have been going off and on for years) but the kicker for me was when I last dropped off my items (great condition, name-brands) they only took one pair of gently worn (seriously only worn once) designer shoes and gave me $3!!! I was so in shock by the price and the attitude that I let them have them and will never go back. I'd rather donate to a real charity. This place is bogus. read more

This location rocks but caters more to vintage unique finds (80's) than designer labels, which is fine, but...The union square location is a bit better at providing a balance. The huge Williamsburg store is just more of everything due to size, but overwhelming and chaotic. That said, I love this store. The staff is waayyyy better here compared to the other locations. They are down to earth and they dress fabulous like every day is a runway. I wish I could hire them to style me. They are helpful and sweet. They don't judge if you walk in looking like sh$t. They assume you're there to shop. I've also sold here with some success. It's better than most places. You can tell they're curating and not buying to impress basic people i.e. they won't buy your coach bags and ugh boots just for funsies. Only complaint is pricing. Why would you sell an old worn out forever21 t-shirt for $10 and then a pair of Swedish Hasbeens for $35? This makes no sense, but hey, it's actually a good thing. I'll just take the shoes and not the t-shirt ;) read more

This location is a million times smaller than the original Williamsburg location, but for me that means it's a lot less overwhelming. I actually found three super cute items almost immediately, which doesn't usually happen to me at the W'burg spot. The items didn't seem to be organized as well as at the other place, where they at least organize by color, but it didn't matter to me. Also they had some really cute jewelry. It's a fun place to shop. read more

ive def been to better consignment/vintage/used clothing shops, but its always worth a dig, and i found a few items i liked, and the prices are really reasonable (my new neon nike hightops are in perfect condition, and only $13!). i like that they had a small selection of new products, like cute notebooks and some jewelry, again, all very well priced...cheap even! read more

Super nice people working here! I am also happy to say that I had a positive selling experience here, walking in with low expectations of course (selling is always hit or miss) but they took around 10 items! I still have some nice silk dresses in my bag but among what they bought was a mix of boutique sweater dresses, a fun black dress, a flannel shirt and a beaded jazz dress from Club Monaco. I am just glad some of my pieces will go somewhere to be treated gently, hopefully to someone sharing good taste in clothes! :) Thanks Beacon! read more