THRIFT'ED I guess my clothes aren't "thrifty" enough to be sold at a thrift shop. I figure, when purging and downsizing or just doing early spring cleaning why not make a buck or two or NONE. They have a system where you scan a QR Code which puts you on a waitlist (on average 45-50m wait) and you don't have to wait in line, they will text you when your spot closes in. Majority people seem to do this regularly as they have these reusable thrift bags or they bring in suitcases of clothes - literally in suitcases. A buyer will go thru your clothes and pick and choose based on trend and what they can sell in their store. You then get store credit or chump change. Is it worth the wait, no. Even if you do sell a few items; it's not much. I've tried it twice - first time I came up with some lunch money on some very expensive clothes that still had their price tag. Second time, I came up with ZERO. This tells me I'm outdated or my style isn't that "thrifty" Gen Z look. Whatever I don't sell I just bring to Goodwill for donations and call it a day! read more

They have so many cute cloths here, I was blown away with how much inventory they have and how well kept it was. The cloths are a bit on the pricey side for second hand but I appreciate that they buy cloths so I don't mind spending a bit more.They have some fitting rooms in the back so you can try stuff on. All the staff are very friendly. Tips if you are selling them cloths, think about the season that it is/coming up, they tend to buy cloth that will sell fastest. The process of selling cloths was easy, they have a waitlist you can join either online before you show up or you can scan a QR code when you get there to join the waitlist. The waitlist is usually around an hour so I recommend doing it online. If you are not in the store by the time they call your name, they will text you to let you know and you will get bumped down the list. You will get more money for your cloths if you opt to be paid in store credit, otherwise for cash you get like half the price. There is no designated parking, it is all street parking. read more

The store is pretty cramped. Some of the staff was kind and some a bit short but nothing horrible. More than likely you will pay for parking. I like that I was able to join the waitlist online and it was quick first thing when they opened. They don't share why they aren't accepting items when selling which would be nice. I did overhear someone ask and they said some items don't sell as fast and are always stocked and it would nice if there was a system to inform what was needed and what wasn't at the location to save everyone's time. read more

While we were walking down the street after dinner, my wife and I noticed Buffalo Exchange. There were some cute outfits on display in the window enticing us inside. This was out second thrift store we stopped in to during our excursions around San Diego and I'm beginning to think that this city is on to something. These stores are great! I found plenty of items that I loved. I would have spent more time browsing, but they were getting ready to close and I wanted to be respectful and get out of there so the staff could go home. But I'll probably come back tomorrow. read more

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Not your average thrift store! No you won't be walking out paying $1 for a shirt. BUT you can find high priced items for 50-75% off which is great. I'm always able to find exactly what I'm looking for. Today I sold three pieces of clothing, you don't get much but $32 of store credit got me a jacket and top. So basically trade your old items for newer items! Employees all here clearly love being here and are always helpful and very sweet. I love this location. read more

Buffalo Exchange - Found a cute top & jeans! - Women's Clothing Near Me - San Diego, California

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I still am not sure what they take and what they pass on, perhaps I will never know. But overall I really like this location! It's well organized and clean (even though I sneeze every time lol) I have found some major scores in here! I feel like this location has the best selection of shoes and jackets! Lots to choose from here. The staff is really nice here as well and I have had a good experience every time I have come. You won't find your dollar thrift finds but everthing here is priced much less then you would pay in the store. I left today with a 55 dollar coach purse and I am absolutely stoked. Will definitely be a regular here! read more

I had the best experience today at Buffalo Exchange in Hillcrest! The buyers were so sweet and efficient! I waited no more than 10 minutes for my turn to show my clothes and at no point did I feel like they were judging anything that I brought in. They were so diligent and matter of fact and it was so refreshing! I was able to buy the cutest dress and cowboy boots with my store credit and still had so much left over. This place has so many really nice items! Highly recommend! read more

Buffalo Exchange - Cutest dress and boots for under $100! - Women's Clothing Near Me - San Diego, California

Im really growing to love selling at Buffalo Exchange over other secondhand retailers, so I want to give their Hillcrest location a solid 4 stars. This location is actually more in line with my style and aesthetic. It definitely has a more curated, edgy vibe compared to the Pacific Beach spot, which leans more boho, beachy, and cropped-top heavy. I usually end up buying more pieces here just because the selection fits me better. The staff is just as friendly and fair when it comes to giving a sale value for items, so no complaints there. They'll basically offer you the same deal you would get at their other store, so if you're selling, only thing you need to consider is the style of clothing. That said, parking here is a nightmare. I get that they're in Hillcrest, and I still love the neighborhood for how LGBTQ+ friendly and lively it is. But their sister store location has its own little parking lot, which makes dropping in way easier when I'm doing a closet clean-out. Since I primarily come to Buffalo Exchange to sell after every season, convenience plays a big role when I just want to get in and out if I don't plan on spending time going around Hillcrest. So while I love both stores equally, the hassle of finding parking knocks off a star. Still a great spot though, and it's where I would go if I'm looking for some budget friendly thrifted finds! read more

This review is for the buyback service ONLY! Highly recommend arriving early and scanning the QR code to sign up for selling! It helped a lot with my wait time, I actually got called in first to the counter even though there were people lined up outside the store. I also recommend getting there early so you can find parking since it's street parking mostly, so you'll need ample time to find an available lot plus walking to the store. Since I used the QR code, my wait time was nonexistent, I walked right to the counter. The ladies filtering through my clothes were nice and picked out a good amount of items to buyback. I opted for the cash which is 25% of their buyback price, but you can also opt for in-store credit which is 50% of their buyback price. I don't shop there often, so I took the cash, but the in-store credit is a great option if you frequent here! Overall, the buyback service is great if you know what you're getting out of it. Don't expect full value for your items, you need to go in expecting to come out with not much. Arrive early to find parking and scan the QR code, and you'll be and out in no time! read more

I've visited a few Buffalo Exchanges, and this one is fairly similar. You have to be selective and take the time to find a good deal. Prices are on the higher end for thrift stores and yet sometimes items are not necessarily high quality (SHEIN or Zara fast fashion). I like the cowboy theme decor with the steer bones and Western style desert scene paintings on the wall. The changing rooms with thick curtains are also nice for trying on stuff. If you bring your own reusable bag, they give you a 5cent token to add to one of three charity boxes, so that's also cool. read more

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Very disappointed. I came from out of town with my family and my husband is a padres fan so thought it would be a perfect time to thrift for padres merch. I found the perfect jersey at this buffalo exchange for $32 great price. I send him a picture he loves it, all is great. I get to the front & the lady who is checking me out rips off the tag and says it's worth way more. She prices it at $50 & asks if I still want it and says it's worth waaaay more. I'm not a reseller. I came to the thrift for deals. This is definitely a form of price gouging. Upset, I still buy it. Only because my husband wanted it but I'm still not over the fact that this happened. So definitely be careful of this going into this store. The prices are already high and the fact that the employee could do that is upsetting. read more

Big event tonight. Came in indecisive , needed to stand out. Asked for help and it was amazing. They actually cared. amazing customer service, amazing clothes, amazing prices. shout out to Jax!!! read more

I used to go here when I was younger. Not sure where the ignorance and insults came from. Somewhere along the way they lost all customer service, even over the phone. Thinking it's common place to judge people for who they think they are. Kind of ironic considering the location. Don't ever go here. Insulting the customers when they have a simple question. Sorry kindness and humanity is so hard. read more

I called to be sure they would take my merchandise and when I got there I didn't feel welcome also the girl that try to help me didn't even look at all my merchandise and right away told me the it's not for this season and didn't take it I went for nothing wasted my time I would not recommend read more

Honestly adored this shop for the longest time then just ugh lol tried my hand at the exchange program the funny thing is the two things that was exchanging a head out there. I just lost the receipt. I guess that's no fault but my own. It was a pair of shoes that didn't fit in a pair of pants that didn't fit. Both still had the tags on the girl at the exchange counter told me they couldn't take the pants because there was too much cat hair on them excuse the fuck out of me, but come on now she told me to take a lit roller to them and then bring them back. I don't have time for all that they had no problem with me donating them now. So initially the pair of shoes and the pants we're about 50 bucks after exchanging both. I walked away with a whopping $18.50 in store credit and five dollars of that was a voucher because I told the store clerk I wasn't happy. How about the exchange I'm just shot I got did dirty like that if I would have known that was going to happen, I would've donated to Goodwill right around the corner from my house instead of walking the extra 10 minutes beware of the buffalo exchange program read more

This colorful shop located on iconic Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest has become something of a fixture for those who favor a fresh 'fit. With a constant influx of inventory and an Eagle Eye on selection by its Associates, Buffalo Exchange remains a Go-To for my sessions in Retail Therapy. The prices are very fair, and a recent shoe selection of mine was sweetened by the fact that upon check out I recognized a 25% discount, which was a surprise, and I walked away with a terrific deal! Recently I brought in a few items I no longer wanted, and, after a quick and painless consultation, was able to rid myself of. I have, as of yet, not used my Store Credit, but I think I will make a point to stop by Buffalo Exchange later today and see if I can add an item or two to my Drip! Thanks to all at Buffalo Exchange, see you soon. read more

Buffalo Exchange used to be the spot for flipping your clothes and finding new ones for the joog. Nowadays everything costs just a few dollars less than what it would sell for new. Not to mention that the lines to sell clothes are extremely long but they only buy 1 or 2 items and something nothing at all. I also usually have to park far away and haul everything blocks away. Unfortunately I'll have to say that it got way too hyped up and now it's a hipster spot. read more

Buffalo Exchange - Women's Clothing Near Me - San Diego, California

So glad the manager told my eli he wasn't allowed back in the store for yelling at the employees. This store smells awful it's used junk. I much rather shop at Amazon ebay or Ross. Now my eli can spend more time with me this store is a junk heap full of useless thrift store clothes at a high price useless used thrift store that's all it is. read more

The organization is abysmal. It's pure chaos in there. Smells like smoke & drugs. They take the most random crap for such low prices. They resell for insanely high prices for cheap products. Decent selection of items if not for the crazy high prices. Cashiers were nice but did not explain what to do or how the selling process works. Will not be going again. read more

I had the best experience shopping at Buffalo Exchange in Hillcrest. the staff was super helpful and friendly, especially Ryan! He was so helpful pulling pieces he thought I would like. He made me feel super confident and had a great sense of style. will definitely be back! read more

Are thrift stores even thrift stores anymore? $16 for a pair of brand new women's stockings and $42 for old, worn out sneakers with discolored, yellow bottoms. I don't get it. The selling program here is wild. Don't come here trying to sell your items on a Saturday. The line was nearly to the door, it took 30 mins to get to the front. Driving all the way to Hillcrest, parking, walking to the store, then waiting in line, just to have only 2 articles of clothing taken for $9 cash back. I saw a woman bring 3 oversized black garbage bags of items, most brand name, worth a lot of money, and with tags on. They took 2 of the 3 bags and she only walked away with about $50, from what I overheard. They pay you a few bucks per article of clothing and then jack up the price when they put it for sale to customers at maybe 10x what they paid you for it. It's a pretty insane system they have. They are very picky with what they take, so something I've learned is to only come with what you can carry with 2 hands. Because it's not worth it to bring in several bags and making multiple trips to/from your car. The layout of the store and staff are nice. This store is always bustling with customers shopping. Which is surprising because everything is so expensive! You're better off buying most of these items brand new for just a little more money. read more

Fair prices. Friendly staff. Selling made easy even though they are picky with what they select (for a good reason). Happy to do business with buffalo exchange again! read more

I went to the Buffalo exchange yesterday just to get the experience that I heard was supposed to be great, however, when I first walked in, not knowing how anything works, I was greeted rudely told I can't use a basket and the females behind the counter. We're not only giving attitude. They were ignoring questions and giving the impression that the customer's presence there was annoying them. The only retail customer service gentleman that was there. His name started with a J. He was very friendly open, answered questions that his colleagues were ignoring trying to create a inviting environment, he gave excellent customer service and made the horrible rude-ness attitude that the other two females were giving out tolerable. I was there yesterday around 7 PM So whoever the customer service retail rep was that his name started with a J he deserves a raise for accommodating the rudeness of his two female colleagues I have over 80 K on my Instagram and I'm going to be letting all of them know that the Buffalo exchange is not a good experience and don't even bother going there unless you want to be treated disrespectfully, plus the parking is horrible, so it definitely wouldn't be worth trying to find parking and going in a disrespectful environment. read more

First time selling at this location. I brought in a few items, including a coach bag I was gifted but never used. Everything was fine until I got to the front register to cash out and over heard the girl who helped me at the sell desk and another girl (which I'm assuming one of them was the manager based on what I over heard) laughing and making remarks about how I guess they figured I'd ask to speak to a manager to complain/make a big deal out of the amount of money I was offered for the bag.....whole time I just wanted to get rid of the bag since I PCS to the east coast soon and need to declutter. Lol. read more

I wrote a review 8 years ago and decided to give them another chance. The staff here are so unfriendly. Is the hiring process like "please make it look like you hate your job and humans in general" ?? I came in with my guy friend to sell a Christian Dior trench coat that's been in my closet unused for years and my friend had a bunch of his stuff to sell. We also wanted to shop for clothes for a trip we're going on next week. It's like if you're not lgbtq, they're standoffish and act as though you're an inconvenience. The buyer looked at my CD trench and said it was not in style...I thought they liked vintage here. Then she takes the bags of stuff my friend wanted to sell and rushed through everything in under a minute, not inspecting each item. Just taking each thing out of the bag til it was empty and putting it all back not folded or anything. They wouldn't take his brand new Nike Air Jordans, NWT Hugo Boss jacket and button up shirt, nor a bunch of other on trend, high quality, mint condition clothes. Buyer puts the bags on the floor next to the counter and said, "just not what we're looking for right now, but you can donate to us if you want" ...My friend and I look at each other...uh, no thanks. I asked what they're looking for a she said "fall items" which all of those could be. Whatever. We ask if we can leave the bags while we look around, to which she replied "no, we don't have room." There was plenty of space for just 2 bags... We go back to the car then come back in to browse through the racks and see a ton of SHEIN and Forever 21 clothes plus a lot of clothing you can tell they stocked themselves made of cheap polyester. I saw some items with stains and makeup as well. Had a look at the shoes before heading out and see well worn cheap heels, off brand Uggs and some used Nike Air Jordans...hmm. This store needs a serious staff improvement. It also smells musty like there's a mold issue or just not clean. Waste of time. read more

As a seller this time the woman who made the descion about my clothes was super nice. However does not now true vintage

I brought numerous items, including clothes with tags on them, shoes that have only been worn once. The persons kept saying "I really like all your items, we're just not looking for this at the moment" I'll be honest a lot of my items were from shein and fashion nova but I also had Calvin Klein, Guess jeans, Aldo purse with tags, Kate Spade purse which I only used once, etc... they wanted 1 pair of shoes... I turned around and went to Platos Closet and way more of my items sold and made more money than I would have here. My suggestion is to not waste your time and just go to Platos Closet. read more

Service, the staff are too cool for school and wielding their power and they're not nice if they don't like things they looked at my stuff for like two seconds, I am older, but most of my items were from my 29 year old daughter. They didn't have the kindness to say maybe these items are better somewhere else. They just threw them in a pile very quickly. I recommending donate or sell it online.. not worth the hassle read more

Great selection of brands and clothing styles! Service is great and the value in their buy back process is some of the best I've seen.

Holy crap is there a ton of stuff here. I'd say they aren't the best for taking stuff for resale. Places are hit or miss with this stuff. They give you more if you get credit there. I had tons of designer stuff , men's but they were not this season and they took a lot but didnt give much. If you have time, it's fun to browse but make sure you have time! Grab lunch nearby, make it a day. There is another resale shop across the street too. I got as much for one thing there as I did here. read more

There are Buffalo Exchanges across SoCal, specializing in buying, selling apparel. We've visited them in the LA area, and one in Santa Barbara...so made the San Diego one a priority as we were heading into downtown San Diego. The selection of clothes to buy and what styles they will accept for cash/trade-in, does depend on each location. Parking was difficult, but luckily found a street non-metered spot a couple blocks away. I did notice that customers were able to find street parking right in front of the store. It's a smaller store, packed full of merchandise so walking around is a bit squished. There is one register in the front, whose line never got too long. The majority of folks coming in, wanted to sell their apparel and those transactions happen in the middle of the store (that's not very clear so saw people waiting in line in the check-out line, having to be redirected). There were 3-4 appraisers working quickly, so even though the queue was very full (probably 5-10 folks waiting at a time), it did move consistently. There is no limit on the quantity of items to be appraised, and the appraisers will make on-the-spot determinations of what they will take and what they would offer. They will give in-store credit or give cash instead (half of the credit value). Everything is done against your driver's license. The clothes here were in really good shape, some were even brand new. The employees working were helpful and efficient. Long wait for clothes to be appraised. Parking is hard read more

Buffalo Exchange - Inside of the store - Women's Clothing Near Me - San Diego, California

Love this Buffalo! I go there almost every week and almost always leave with something. Have sold clothes there a couple times and they are very picky with what they take, but their selection is great read more

Based on my experience selling, my time at Buffalo Exchange was pretty seamless and I appreciated how an employee walked me through the process of selling. They prefer to have items that are in season, basics and trendy. I sold an Adidas sweater, four pairs of Madewell jeans, a Lazy Oaf shirt, a Loft dress and a couple of other items I can't remember. Was offered $90 in-store credit or $45 cash. The process of selling took maybe about 10 minutes while the employee reviewed my clothes, and she made small talk with me throughout it. She was cool! And prior to that, I waited about 20 minutes for other sellers to present their clothes for consideration. read more

While Buffalo Exchange clearly follows a very strict protocol for buying, it's a shame they had ever started prioritizing low-quality, copy-pasted clothing over high quality, unique pieces. I understand wanting to maintain a healthy balance of modern and vintage clothing, as well as staying on top of trends in order to sell more. But you can do so without filling your store with polyester. I remember when I was a teen shopping there, I could always find great modern pieces in unison with vintage. Browsing the racks today, a majority of the clothes looked and felt like Shein! The selection has gone downhill on so many levels. This is not what all of us continue to come to Buffalo Exchange for, and this will for sure be my final time shopping here as the reality of the situation has really weighed in on me this time. I had brought in some band tees, jeans and a couple sick vintage pieces to sell. They barely took any of it... Meanwhile, there's clothes out on the floor that are in way worse condition than anything I would ever give to them! I also gave them some super rare boots from the early 2000s; very sought after but extremely hard to find anywhere, and the girl with the bun and red lips who's been working there forever LAUGHED at them! If you're a buyer and know oh-so much about clothes, you'd be in awe that these are even in your store. I acknowledge that seasons and colors are also a factor here. But if not every buyer will stick to the protocol without any personal interference, they should not be a buyer. If you're gonna laugh at what people bring in when it's always such a gamble for us customers what you will take or not, don't be a buyer. And if you'd really take some shitty plastic running shoes with scuffs all over them like I saw, over some super rare suede boots, in-season or not, you should be fired. Stop wanting to be *~vintage vibes~* and *~unique~* so bad when you turn down the heat each and every time. Seriously consider reforming your conduct; I'm sure there's a more proper way for you to try to cater to a wide variety of people and preferences. The selections just feels like someone's random hoard now. You also must notice you have more 1 star reviews than any other kind on here, so please take them all into consideration. read more

brought in the clothes washed nice and folded. Had things with brand new tags even vintage designer items but yet they don't take anything good. The store is filled with so much mediocre merchandise and whenever people try to sell the store better items they ALWAYS pass. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME SELLING HERE read more

Buffalo exchange is not what it used to be! Buyers used to know fashion and brands, but none of the buyers even thrift shop themselves. Copy and paste from TikTok. None of the workers have personal style. Can't recognize a pair of Roxy jeans but you'll find old tshirts and flannels with hiked up pricing all throughout the store. Save your time and visit the buffalo exchange in Fullerton and La! Managers here are unprofessional and not well-versed in customer service, or clothing. read more

I come here regularly and never expect them to buy most of what I bring but I'm really confused on their buying process. I had several pieces from good brands (Abercrombie, Allsaints, lululemon, Zanerobe) and they didn't want any of it. The clothes I was going to toss/donate that I had from HM, F 21 and even SHEIN were all bought for almost more than what I paid retail. The selection isn't great either. Mostly worn clothes from the above said stores being sold for the same price they were bought for. I rarely find anything good for men's clothes. Gave them an extra star because some of the associates are very welcoming. read more

Buffalo Exchange - Cringe. - Women's Clothing Near Me - San Diego, California

This review is SOLELY based on this one experience. As a whole, i shop at Buffalo exchange frequently however, aside from those other good experiences, this one left us very disappointed and felt robbed. They have a "holding" policy. Will hold any treasures you find until closing of next business day. I found a fabulous red dress floral jacket and a superb yellow flannel oversized shirt, they said they can hold until next business day. I gave my name and left. I came next business day and those garments were no where to be found. The lady TODAY was SUPER empathetic and prompted to go look the racks for me. I advised we already shipped and didn't see them. So, did someone else lie and claim them as their own home or did they just let to go back to the racks prematurely? Whatever it was, totally unfair and VERY disappointing. read more

Wasn't impressed. Parked in the parking lot behind the store. Had to carry two 50 lbs bags of clothing, purses, and shoes around to the front of the store. Asked for a cart, I leave my drivers license, nope, not going to happen. Their too dang picky... threw 75% in the trash. Lady's leather vest, wasn't in fashion. $43 estimated sales. I got 25% of that in cash. So $10 and some change. $2 parking every 30 minutes, so cost me $4. I made $6. Total waste of time. Last time I offer vintage 50's 60's & 70's clothing to some 24yo. I won't be back. read more

Descent thrift store- NOT really vintage, but more unique pieces than Plato's Closet/Goodwill. Parking You have to pay to park at this location, no free street parking nearby. Selling Experience There's always a wait. They take appointments Fri-Sun but I've always found I have to wait regardless. It can also be frustrating to see 3-4 employees working behind the buying table (folding, sorting clothes, etc) but not taking customers that are waiting to sell. Buffalo is interesting because they price your clothes right in front of you which can feel harsh. They give 25% of the selling price in cash or 50% in store credit. The store credit offer is definitely the way to go, they give you a little gift card/trade-in card so you don't have to look to buy the same day if you don't want to. Buying Experience It's a hit and miss, like any thrift experience. I've found some great items but also had to dig through a lot of cheaper pieces. It looks like they're buying surplus low-quality fabric items and selling them "new with tags on". The price range for dresses is around $15-30. Overall, I go to Buffalo Exchange once or twice a year to look to sell/buy when I'm cleaning out my closet. Go in with low expectations and come out with maybe a treasure! read more