Am I into resale shops No - But this space is cool. It used to be the former Calo Theater, a Spanish Baroque Revival Theater built in 1915. When you see the theater area - you'll feel how cavernous it is. There are still see some of the architectural details left from its original form. I do like the CD selection and the couch lounge is just so inviting. Plus it's hot and humid outside this midsummer fest in Andersonville and this place has AC. Also the people watching isn't bad they really have all kinds here. read more

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First, how many resale stores have you been to that were once a theater? This location of the Brown Elephant was once the Calo theater, built in 1915 on the Spanish Baroque Revival design, and you can still see vestiges of its former glory (even if you aren't interested in looking for clothes, check out that room because you can see the most of the historic theater remains). Now, onto the store! It's huge and it's been around forever. Lots of clothes and lots of furniture too. There are also two other locations, but if you are doing the "antique crawl" along Clark, this is the one to hit. read more

I walked in here for the first time late last year as I was exploring used furniture and other stuff. This time, it was my daughter visiting from Northern California that was excited about all what Brown Elephant had to offer, especially with the fashion wear. The crew was professional and friendly. In the end, a pair of sunglasses, flip-flops, t-shirt, and a unique picture frame for $24. That included rounding up for a donation to Howard Brown Health! A sense of good community. Now you can't beat that! read more

Super cool resale shop in Andersonville with a huge selection. When you walk in, it seems small but as you go up towards the back, there's a huge room with a ton of clothes! The prices are really reasonable. They have furniture, clothes, CDs, DVDs, records, books, kitchenware, and so much more. read more

Brown Elephant Resale Shop - Thrift Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friend brought me here and I was shocked by how big this place is. They have a lot of different types of items and it's fun to take your time looking. I found a few cute things, but, sadly, they weren't my size. Some of the items I looked at seemed to have a higher price point than expected for used items. I would recommend coming here. You never know what you're going to find! read more

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Ive called 4 times in a row today and after sitting through a DMV level phone maze to speak to a human, it rings 10 times and disconnects. How unprofessional. Avoid this business. Also, their clothing is organized by COLOR NOT SIZE and its literally the dumbest decision I can remember seeing in retail. Whatever 20 year old corporate newbie decided this should be relieved of duty. read more

Adore! Everytime I'm back in Chicago, I'll need to make it a point to come to the Brown Elephant. There's a small fashion section (for pricier stuff) to the side and then another for home appliances/ housewares. Pricing is good for thrift store. Down the middle is a hallway full of larger furniture pieces - which all looked to be in great condition. There were some pretty great items. The back area is HUGE! Some more furniture, electronics, and tons of clothing to choose from at decent prices. I found two sweaters. I will say though that there were a few pieces that were pretty damaged - I was surprised to see them there on the racks. So just check the clothing before you go. Definitely recommend coming here if you have the time. I'd say give yourself an hour minimum. read more

Brown Elephant Resale Shop - Thrift Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wow! An amazing thrift shop with a historical looking building. I got the best fitting jeans for $10, a beautiful shall for $6 and the cutest heals for $5. I'm very pleased with all my finds and the staff was fun to talk with. The proceeds go to a good cause and I wish there was a thrift like this where I'm from. read more

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Huge and expensive for a thrift store, not much except maybe some wood signs to get a deal on. Clothes seemed immpossible

The new color-coding of everything: from shirts, books, to pants, is ablest. I'm extremely disappointed I have to sift through hundreds of items to be let down because it's not in my size. I am downright shocked a store which used to be organized by genre, size, and style, was tossed so willingly. I'm going to have a much more difficult time spending money here until it's organized like a proper store again. read more

Brown Elephant Resale Shop - Lack of any size indicators, now only organized by color spectrum. - Thrift Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very convenient drop off and super nice employees. This store is a benefit to its neighborhood. If you have gently used items to donate or are looking for a bargain on gently used items definitely give them a look read more

Second time I've entered after 5 because I work normal hours, and found that the room I came to peruse was closed. When I asked the employee standing there when they are opened, they dismissed me rudely without answering my question. Three stars as a placeholder, hopefully I'll be able to return and actually look at their wares. read more

One of my hobbies include visiting thrift stores such as the Brown Elephant Resale Shop. With thrift stores, one can find treasures waiting to be discovered. The Brown Elephant Resale Shop sells donated items such as dining sets, clothing - both high end and casual styles for men and women, furniture, books, posters, and music albums. The list becomes endless. When we go to the Brown Elephant, we like to stroll around the aisles. While looking at the clothing racks around the ladies' section, I find a gem: denim DKNY jacket. Spotting this gem leads me to purchase it. Joseph finds a dog/pet stairs. While walking around the book section, I find a Winnie the Pooh book set. It only costs $5.00. I feel like I hit the lottery. The donated items look decent and in good condition. Come to the Brown Elephant Resale Shop. Donate. Shop. The proceeds go to a good cause: the LGBTQ healthcare. read more

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This resale shop has changed in poor ways. I have literally donated thousands of dollars of donations. They have raised their prices to almost retail levels. The quality of goods has gone way down. I suspect that "professional pickers" siphon off the best wares. This is very disappointing ! read more

I have scored some really great deals at Brown Elephant in Andersonville. I mostly find decor and household items. Their clothes, while priced fairly for brand names I guess, seem a little steep to me. Their non-clothing items are priced extremely fairly. I'm usually in the area on a Saturday, so it's very busy, and the courteous employees are working hard while being so kind. I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for random furniture items and larger statement pieces such as lamps and the like. They seem to have a great variety. read more

There is a lot here, especially in terms of clothes and the supply is constantly circulating. However, the place isn't terribly clean, tends to get crowded, and smells bad. The actual building itself is very cool to see, though. read more

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Bad Service. Discount not taken. They were having a sale (50% on furniture). When I went to pay for this piece of artwork they did not discount my item and explained wall art was not included in furniture. The problem though was the people in front of me in line were buying wall art which they DID discount. When I asked, the register people seemed confused. But when I asked the people in line in front of me after we had checked out, they said their piece was in fact discounted. Not only did they not apply a discount to me that they did for someone else, the workers were very unfriendly and unhelpful when I was trying to look at rugs which had a "ask for assistance" sign above. When I asked for help (AS THE SIGN INSTRUCTED ME TOO) the man seemed very unwilling to help and confused that I had even asked in the first place. I used to like shopping here, but after this experience, I'll take my business elsewhere. Service was VERY BAD and workers are UNFRIENDLY AND UNHELPFUL!! read more

I came to the Brown Elephant on a friend's recommendation, expecting a resale furniture shop, but it's so much more. The store is vast and packed with furniture, vintage and used clothing, records, CDs, books, and even specialty items (check out the small room on the right as you enter). There's an impressive amount of clothing, including designer pieces at thrift-store prices. "Find" is the operative word--while there are broad organizational categories, the sizes are mixed together, so be prepared to spend some time searching the racks. But discovering something cool for the price of a couple of Taco Bell burritos is a its own reward! The staff are lovely, and pairing this stop with a pop-in at Mercantile M across the street makes for a lively, diverting jaunt. read more

Brown Elephant is an absolute gem - just like all the goodies you'll find here! Thrifting can be overwhelming, but this place has a way of taking away the stress. Upon walking in, we were greeted by a friendly staff member eager to help and point us in the right direction. The furniture collection is epic. So many pieces that are great as is or can be refurbished to be wonderful additions to your home.My favorite section though is the home goods: vases, glassware, ceramic pots, etc. The collection is quality stuff, so it doesn't feel like you have to sift through a bunch of junk like some thrift stores can. The prices can't be beat. I paid $1 for a vase that would have been closer to $15 at Target. As for clothes, it's definitely a limited collection of offerings, but I always enjoying seeing what's in stock. My friend scored an adorable Madewell to. I saw plenty of other well known brands including Levi's, Adidas, Urban Outfitters, and more! Additionally, Brown Elephant offers a wide range of books, art and picture frames, and jewelry (don't skip this one!). To top it off, a portion of all proceeds benefit LGBTQ health and fund care for the uninsured and under-insured, making Brown Elephant the perfect business to support during pride month (and every month for that matter!). read more

Brown Elephant Resale Shop - Love the open warehouse styled space - Thrift Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Cool old theater building, but limited merchandise that was overall underwhelming. The audio section is crammed in with the books & was hard to look at. read more

I donated an Italian chandelier and dining room chairs to The Brown Elephant. Oscar and Sam came to pick them up and they were so friendly and professional. I really appreciate that. Hats off to Oscar and Sam! read more

This place is awesome just to visit the site then they filled it with a bunch of awesome stuff! This sprawling vintage shop is converted from an old vaudeville era theater in bustling and quaint Andersonville. There so many architectural details to notice. There's a bunch of areas as well. The entry to the right has select higher end looking clothing and accessories, to the left housewares, and the main hallway has furniture mostly and the auditorium in back has clothing and accessories. I kinda feel I need to take multiple trips but they also have delivery referrals for any large items and they have pick up for donations. Definitely lots of cool stuff! read more

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Not a lot of clothing but a cool vibe. Separate more upscale section to the right upon entering read more

Brown Elephant Resale Shop - Thrift Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm teaching my daughter about thrifting and this was our second stop today. This shop is quite large and organized very nicely. It's spaced out due to the pandemic and not overly crowded with stuff. You go down a long hallway before you're in the main room which is like a showroom. Everything was neat and they had a lot of nice jewelry. While we're not in the market for furniture we saw some really nice pieces. Shoes and clothes were ok; we ended up buying 5 shirts for $25. I can see spending a Saturday afternoon browsing here. We will definitely be back. read more

Brown Elephant Resale Shop - Sign in the front window - Thrift Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Full of treasures and reasonable pricing. Plus it supports a good cause! Some other thrift stores have gone greedy in their pricing. I find Brown Elephant a great place to shop and to make donations! read more

Good evenning everyone.I welcome you all to shop at this shop .Brown elephant store Absolute atphosmere great prizes. Great products like housewares wardrobe furniture. And plenty more.I love this shop.Absoullutly awesome prizes .Cant beat at all others shops .Be there .See for yourself .Ms Nellie read more

If you like thrifting and vintage items, this is the place for you. Located in a very large store, it was an old theater, so it is large and has so many interesting architectural details. All the items are well organized, prices are clearly marked. My daughter found a suede blazer , so stylish and a reasonable price. The proceeds support fund care for the uninsured and underinsured at Howard Brown Health. read more

this place is housed in the coolest (!) building and prices reflect genuine thrifting. i was a little let down by the selection though- they have a lot of supply but it just felt picked over a bit. read more

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Great selection. Nice furniture, paintings, and clothes. I also like that the proceeds support underinsured people

Visit every trip to Chicago Love love love this store. A must do and some of my best finds in thrift shopping read more

Brown Elephant Resale Shop - Thrift Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is always a fun weekend visit. Love the support this one-of-a-kind resale shop shows the LGBQTiA community. Great selection of vintage clothes. This is an Andersonville gem. read more

Always amazing finds here. I love that they will hold pieces for you to come pick up in two days. So if you happen to be passing by and find something you can't carry they will keep it in back for you to pick up later. They also will pick up larger pieces if you'd like to donate. Nothing beats a great resale shop for a good cause. read more

My wife and I love their mission statement, also love the Andersonville location in an old gutted theater space. Eclectic odd and end shopping, think jewelry, clothes, vinyl, DVDs, CDs, electronics, furniture, art, etc, yet fairly organized with friendly customer service. Outside of the popping tags cool factor, it is refreshing to have another option to consider besides Goodwill and Salvation Army. read more

Don't trust them to come and do a pick up when they say they will. I scheduled way in advance for them to come pick up 2 sofas, club chair, ottoman and a portable dishwasher. They were supposed to call at 9 AM to let me know what time between 10 AM & 3 PM they would be here. At around 11:30 they sent me an email letting me know that they wouldn't be picking up today (Saturday). So they pretty much wasted my day, couldn't even bother to call and let me know they wouldn't be here. After all the years of donating stuff to their stores I think its time to find a new charity to donate to since they have zero respect for other peoples time. read more

Brown Elephant Resale Shop - Thrift Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I got the most amazing purse for $12. The employees were very kind and there was something for everyone.

Huge resale shop with interesting merch, cheap used books and a cool aesthetic! Money goes toward LGBTQ health care. read more

Brown Elephant Resale Shop - Thrift Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The good news is the inventory at this store is better than many other resale shops. The goods tend to be higher end and better quality, perhaps by virtue of the neighborhood it is located in. The bad news is they are disorganized. I purchased an IKEA armchair and had them set it aside to pick it up later, as my small car could not accommodate it. Unfortunately, when I picked up the chair the next day (from the area specifically designated for purchased items), I accidentally left the back rest there. In the 35 minutes it took me to get home, realize this, and call them back, they apparently sold the back cushion to someone! I mean, how does that happen? First, who sells a seat backrest from an IKEA chair? It was in a area specifically designated for sold items, so why? Just why? Second, and perhaps the more interesting question, who BUYS a seat back rest from an IKEA chair?? Have we really devolved into this kind of blind consumerism? I could see how that transaction went down. "OMG, I just LOVE this! I'll give you 5 bucks for it." Brown Elephant Staff, "Uh, ok, sure why not, I need a beer." And to be fair, they probably do given the general chaos of that place. Sadly, the end result will be a (partial) IKEA armchair in a local landfill, as the cushion is not replaceable and the chair does not function without it. Oh well. It is what it is. But the lesson to be taken from this is to pick up your item the day you buy it. Who knows what parts of it might end up getting sold off it otherwise. read more

Brown Elephant Resale Shop - My poor sad chair. Awaiting trash pick up after Brown Elephant sold the back cushion to someone else. I have no idea whose pants those are. - Thrift Stores Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love this Brown Elephant. We recently purchased a large cabinet console and had such a great experience. Special shoutout to Lexi for all of her help; she assisted with our purchase from start to finish over a few days. Not only did she have information on the purchase history to share with us but she assisted with measuring so that we knew it would be the perfect fit as well as helping us lift it and move it out to their alley. Such a great find for an awesome price at a friendly business with an important mission. read more

I used to really love the Brown Elephant and have gotten some great items in the past. But I had a donation experience that left such a bad taste in my mouth I've stopped shopping there and have encouraged others to do the same. A few months ago on a weekday afternoon, I went to the back alley to donate about six boxes of items. There was a huge truck in the back that was dropping off inventory and when I called, they told me I could bring it in through the store. I had to make three separate trips by myself to bring in all my items. On my final trip, one of the employees said, "Next time, bring them in through the alley." I told him I obviously couldn't do that because there was a truck back there (which they already knew because they were helping unload it), but I should've just grabbed all of my donations and taken them somewhere else. Anyway, there's plenty of other charity shops to donate stuff to in the city that won't be condescending to you. read more

For the past few years they've been matching their prices with ebay, so the days of true bargains at the Elephant are long gone. $5 for used video game titles is outright robbery compared to used gamestop titles, but, the money goes to charity. My legitimate complaint is that they expanded into an unused space next door, which is the former Hamburger Mary's craft bar space. Which had a plumbing problem. It STILL has a plumbing problem: The store smells like an open sewer line, because there's an open sewer line. Seriously: be prepared for sewer gas and open feces smell. Hasn't been addressed in six months. I can't go in here, and I can't believe people WORK here. Try me. Go into "the Elephant's trunk" where the housewares are. read more