Over the past decade I have watched this place change from a cool place to find unique/vintage secondhand clothing to a gentrified Ross/TJ Maxx. Nowadays everything they sell is from Shein, Fashion Nova, and Forever 21. The dressing rooms stink like cigarettes, employees are weird and will racially profile anyone not white who enters the store, and the clothes suck! Plato's Closet is a lot better, maybe even Goodwill lol. Buffalo Exchange is officially in its flop era read more

Super expensive & clothing is super outdated. Not brand name & the prices are ridiculous. The staff have super nasty attitude & they don't even greet you when walking in. Never again read more

Not awful nor amazing. I like shopping here occasionally. Selling can be tricky but if you're willing to hold and wait, I recommend taking your clothes a few times if and when convenient but don't bank on your expectations. Once I had a girl (she was dressed in a fashion nova hip hop style) deny my clothes but I waited two weeks and a cute hipster girl bought all the pieces I originally took and she told me I had great taste! Like I said, don't bank on it but keep your clothes ready to sell! Oh yeah... parking SUCKS so go early on a day off because if you're selling, you need to have primo parking or else you'll be hobbling around with your clothes like you're about to cross the border. There is a Riteaid with a public parking lot but you'll end up spending too much money. read more

I really want to love this place but I just can't. From a buyer standpoint it is not worth it. It smells like cigarette smoke every time you walk in. Sometimes that smell lingers on the clothes when you buy them. Secondly, for second hand they sell at high prices. You might save a few bucks of the original price but not much. As a seller, it's could be better as well. Many other stores like this offer a drop of system which is much better. Here you must wait with your clothes and watch them go through each one. During that time they also price and mark every item they keep. This takes a long time to do so the line is typically between 45 mins to an hour waiting to be seen even if there are only a few people in front of you. The buyers usually seem a bit annoyed and unfriendly. I understand they do this all day but it's always kind of an awkward interaction because most aren't nice. There are a few exceptions to this but as a whole the buying staff could be friendlier. Furthermore, the compensation isn't great. If you choose trade in to then it's not a bad deal but selling for cash you won't make much unless you have a lot of items (they usually take about 10 percent of what I bring in) or high value names brand items. read more

I'm never coming here again. Brought 2 boxes of clothes some brand new never worn and they said either out of season or not fashionable whatever that means. They tell you price, but really its for how much they will resale for, so if you get cash its way less. They want almost new condition, which, for a thrift store, makes no sense to me. Not to mention, all the used items in there are priced as much as they are in regular store. read more

Please cut the small talk. I'm just trying to sell my items not have full blown conversations. Also not great return on items. read more

Horrible experience I have never felt more violated in my life. Security guard with the tattoos completely made me feel uncomfortable and continuously made passive remarks about my body. Will not be returning due to this and am warning others of this experience. I hope he gets fired and reported. read more

This Buffalo Exchange is located in the heart of Hillcrest, and has a large selection of accessories, shoes, and clothing for men and women. The prices are a bit high for second-hand clothing, but most of the options are pretty fashionable and trendy. There's plenty of room in the fitting rooms, and the employees are very friendly. I definitely prefer coming here over going to a mall any day! read more

Thank you for making it easy! I brought in some clothes I was going to donate but said what the heck by not check it out. It's more beneficial to go if you like thrifting because you get more store credit vs getting cash for your stuff read more

Buying: 3 stars. They did have a really nice selection of clothes, both male and female, and many different styles. I do, however, agree with other posts that say that they are very overpriced for being a second hand store. One pair of jeans I bought also had several large stains on them that I did not notice until I got home. Also, bring your own bag so that you don't have to buy one for $2. Selling: 1 Star. I came in with a pile of about 50 designer clothes items (some of which still had tags on) and that are very current as far as fashion goes, and wasn't offered anything. Not even 1 item. It was a huge waste of time, and I will not be returning because of how I was judged by the "buyer." Overall, this equates to a 2 star rating. I bought from them many times and was always curious about selling, but after being treated poorly, I will no longer be buying from this location. If they simply offered to buy just 1 item from me, I would return. They should re-evaluate their biased and subjective buying process. read more

I went back to this thrift shop after awhile. My first time was very calm and very pleasant. I came for a second time which I sold some of my clothes to them expecting to get cash back but they low balled me and offered me more in store credit. I agreed to store credit so they asked for my phone number and name, then added it to the store computer. They didn't specify on how it work and just told me that I had a certain balance about $100 after selling my clothes. I bought some clothes then headed home and didn't come back after awhile. THIS PAST WEEK (MY THIRD TIME). I was able to find some clothes which I was going to use my store credit that was supposed to be in their data base. I told them about my balance up at the cashier but they seemed confused. The manager or person in charged came and explained that after the first day of selling your clothes that you had to spend it, if not then your balance would disappear. She didn't offer any help or even tried to look into the situation. I'm pretty disappointed about the whole thing and how the person in charged handle the whole situation. Wouldn't recommend this place. read more

don't even bother trying to sell here. You get 50% in store credit of what your item is worth or 25% cash so trust me don't waste your time !! You'll get way more money on offer up or fb read more

Pretty frustrated with my experience. Went in with a full 30 gallon trash bag full of clothes, shoes, and accessories and left with the entire trash bag minus one piece of clothing. I know I'm not the most "trendy" person in the world but it's pretty ridiculous how they took basically nothing. I left work early for this really strict appointment time and received no explanation why nothing was taken. And was only given $5 store credit/$2.50 cash (which I didn't even take because it was more hassle to get the "money" than not). Will never try to sell to them again. read more

I'd been selling here for almost 10 years now, and honestly they're horrible. The employees are extremely rude, and act very snobby to make you feel like your clothes are lame as an excuse not to buy them. They say things like "The garment has too much polyester, people don't want synthetic fabrics" and then you look at the racks, full of H&M, Forever 21 and the other fast fashion brands they claim to not sell. Definitely a pass these days, check out another spot for thrifting. read more

The service was good. My son found 2 pairs of jeans he liked rather quickly so they must have a good selection l. Seems to be a good value for what he got. read more

I was asked to leave the store today, no reason given. Was wearing an all black outfit with my hood on because it was raining outside. When I asked for the reason they said people in the store requested my departure. It was odd because all of my friends were still shopping while I was just hanging outside. First time getting racially profiled. Don't waste your time, selection is trash and overpriced. Staff would rather cater to boujee buyers than honor the diversity and culture of SD. Don't waste your time. read more

I love both Buffalo Exchange locations. I always get great service and everyone is really nice. Don't be surprised if there's a line if you're trying to sell your clothes and the weekend is usually a longer wait. I always take the credit (50% of the resale value) instead of the cash (35% of the resale value) because I always find fun new treasures to buy, like designer dresses or other random items with original tags still on them. There's also plenty of items that I fall in love with that are like ten bucks. And if you don't find something that day, then just have them load your credit onto a gift card. read more

This place is over priced for a thrift store, and I'm not the first one to say it. 35 dollars for a used t shirt? Get out of here. When I audibly made a remark about it to the people I was with, one of the employees made some snarky, passive aggressive comment about how they offer their customers value and I was just being cheap. Like no, I hear you lowballing other people bringing in their items not even 5 feet away, and you're selling a used Zara shirt for over 30? I could get that brand new on sale for less. They're delusional, rude, and they attract buyers who think that thrifting makes a person unique and better than everyone else. Thrift stores in Hillcrest are why I hate thrifting now. read more

they used to sell a lot of cool clothes with affordable price but NOW they have no drip with ridiculous price on everything. I think that it's wasting your time and money to go there. read more

I am a loyal customer and the way these two associates treated me today when I went inside to shop is unacceptable, especially in a customer service field! The girl in the picture literally screamed at me before I even asked if I could purchase a face mask and explained to her I dropped my mask on the floor outside before entering the shop. She continued with her unnecessary tone and made a scene! Basically tried to school me and embarrassed herself if anything. So I told her she didn't have to be rude and immature in the same loud tone she used with me, she didn't take it so well and I don't know why the other associate involved himself in a conflict of interest and came outside as I was walking away and screamed ( DONT YOU EVER COME HERE AGAIN ) mind you there is out door dinning and this is attracting un necessary attention with horrible behavior, these two working individuals should not be acting that way especially on the clock for working hours. I hope upper management can address this and retrain them on how to politely approach customers. I have shopped and sold merchandise in the past and have purchased a scarf or bandana when I have forgotten my face cover, so with that said they made it very clear that they are not happy in a happy work place. Thank you for my grievance. I will be having to drive further now to shop at a different Buffalo Exchange. I am a Hillcrest local and this is more sad than anything. read more

See all

Brought two bags of clothes to sell - all clean though admittedly had been rifled through by family when I made my intention to donate or sell clear - some clothes were older but about half still had tags on. The clothes had been sitting in two bags in my closet (closed door) for about a month. The "buyer" (a 20ish year old girl who looks like the only thing she buys are allergy meds with mom and dad's money) spent one minute going through things and then made a stank face and said the clothes weren't clean and due to the smell, she had to stop the buy. I assured her that the clothes weren't dirty (she had a vest in her hand with tags on) but she just repeated "yeah I need to stop the buy" without explanation, and with a panicked tone like I had just handed her a bag full of smallpox blankets. Girl needs a career where she doesn't deal with people and/or lessons in how to talk to people. As for the smell, I have no idea what she was smelling - I had my husband and two friends smell the clothes when I brought them home and other than "they smell like they've been sitting in a drawer," I don't know what this girl's problem was. I have never had success buying or selling from this location - they are incredibly picky about what they buy (and make sure to clearly pass judgment via facial express), but that pickiness isn't reflected in the terrible items they stock. There are better consignment shops elsewhere. read more

Love love this place. Found four cute shirts for $51. The store itself is very neat. Organizes by size and style. You'll definitely find some unique pieces here for a relatively cheap price. The workers are also very polite and nice! Gave me parking tips for next time :) Parking is a pain in the ass though. I parked by rite aid and it was $5 for an hr there only on weekends. Apparently the meter parking is free on Sunday. Heard that there was parking behind Which Wich. Or pay a flat fee of $6 or so on 8th street for around 9 hrs. read more

Buffalo Exchange - Two short sleeves, two long sleeves: $51 - Women's Clothing Near Me - San Diego, California

Buffalo exchange is a resell staple everywhere I go! They do a great job looking through my unwanted gently used clothes and picking out what they can sell out of their store. They offer 25% of the price they put on the items or 50% in store credit. They have an awesome selection of gently used clothes, shoes and accessories for men and women. Check them out for costumes, sweaters and closet staples! read more

Hit or miss... But did you really expect any different from such a store?! Staff? Not the friendliest smiling bunch yet at least as I was left alone to browse around... As for donating... It's funny, they won't take half your stuff that's decent yet the racks are filled with crap more often than not. Hmmm read more

I routinely clean my closet and like to get rid of things either by donating them or selling them. Usually the first round goes to Buffalo. Be sure you know what season your selling your stuff in, and know what they're looking for beforehand--this can really change how much of your stuff they will or won't take. And they also buy vintage and as of recently, jewelry. You can either get 50% store credit for the value they priced your stuff at or about 30% in cash. Most of the time I've always taken the cash, but this last time I went, I took credit. The store credit is put on a gift card and can be used at any store location (win!). Since they are always buying and selling the selection is always changing. The sale racks are great to peruse for some unique finds. It's definitely a treasure hunt in here, but often worth your while. read more

I've worked just about everywhere in San Diego. The Buffalo Exchange in Hillcrest is yet another of my failed attempts at fitting into a job that requires clocking in at a certain time (how do people manage it??). Buffalo is great, but it gets a bad rep because a lot of people don't understand how it works. So, very quickly, here's how it's done. Buffalo employees buy clothes according to the following: 1. Is it in good shape? No pit stains, nasty crotch stains or dryer damage. 2. Is it hip. The buyers are looking for stuff that was on the racks within the last few years. If it is old, it better be REAL old, like vintage. 3. Brand name. Contrary to popular belief, the buyers at Buffalo are not stuck-up fashion whores who only buy Gucci and Armani. The label is the last thing they look at; and they only look so they know how much to price the item once it hits the floor. Once you start successfully selling at Buffalo, the buying begins! Have fun and get creative! read more

Buffalo Exchange - You'll get it. - Women's Clothing Near Me - San Diego, California

This is the second location I've visited from the chain of Buffalo Exchange stores in CA, which I discovered when I was getting my hair straightened at Jet Rhys. This location caters to a more urban, edgy vibe and often has more clothes than the racks can handle. There's almost always a line outside the door for people selling their clothes to make a little money or earn store credit. Warning: This location is more choosy of the items they'll accept for the store and may not take very many items. Be prepared to come home with most of your items unsold if they fail to fit their style for the store. Most of my finds have been discovered here. Examples include a real LV Damier mini purse, Coach wristlet, Juicy cell phone carrier, and several awesome graphic tees. read more

I've been coming here FOREVER, since high school. I used to find treasures here, but the quality of clothes has become sub-par. Lots of Forever 21, H&M, and other poor quality brands (especially if it's used). For selling, they usually buy at least a few of my things; but I went in a few weeks ago, and nothing. I had Lululemon, Beyond Yoga, some NWT items like Diesel. It was strange, but whatevs, I will still go into browse. read more

Don't bring your things to sell...not worth the trouble. Try selling on eBay instead. Parking is almost impossible. Staff was rude.

Not impressed. They are tough to sell to and the clothes selection to buy wasn't very good. I feel like the buyers only buy clothes that are their personal style (like there was a rocker-style woman who seems to be the person in charge so you'll see lots of grungy rocker shirts in the racks). I went through all the racks and only left with one dress. Jeans selection was mediocre as well. The shoe selection looked a little better but I wasn't in the market for shoes. Checked out the sunglasses and there were a lot of crappy, flimsy ones by the selling counter. The better ones are by the cashier but pricing isn't very good. Pair of Gucci sunglasses that had no case and with a wonky earpiece was going for $80 minus an additional 20% ($64) plus taxes. I'd rather just buy a new pair from Nordstrom Rack for $100 that fits well and has a case. read more

Selling here went seamlessly, they even took stuff that I wasn't sure they'd take. But they also rejected some stuff that I feel was much nicer than some of their inventory. Overall I was very satisfied. I don't know what everyone is talking about, the staff was very friendly, very kind to me and my clothes, didn't say anything mean and threw a lot of compliments with what I had. The reviews even made me dread coming in here to sell with no makeup on and a "just okay" outfit. I was afraid that they would look me up and down too and judge me and not buy anything. LOL I was also paranoid about having socks and underwear in the bag scared of it getting announced and being humiliated (one of the reviews below). I do have one thing to say. I wonder if the store has a sewing kit? I know that these things are as is, but I also know how selective Buffalo Exchange can be when buying clothes and they don't take anything with even the slightest damage, so....why was I expected to? One of the sales associates with platinum blonde hair told me she'd give me $2.00 off for this leather skirt with a ripped belt loop but she kept giving me such attitude and said repeatedly "It's such an easy fix" "It's such an easy fix" "It's such an easy fix" "It's such an easy fix" I get that it's an easy fix, but I don't even have a sewing kit, do I have to buy one just because I want this skirt that badly? A sewing kit must be $5.00 and she gave me $2.00 discount final sale, and it would cost me money to take it in. Was I really in the wrong for asking for a discount? Other than that Buffalo Exchange, I love you. At the end of they day, I should own a sewing kit. LOL, I think my point is they're an as is store, and I'm even lucky I got a discount. read more

Ah Buffalo Exchange you have made me rise from my Yelp grave. I really try to give you another chance but you have not changed. You were made fun of on Broad City. Is the pretentiousness your thing? Is that it? I gather hella cute vintage shit, practically new dresses...they bought one dress. ONE! And it was the one I thought might not sell... Either way, I'm going to shop around. I ask if there is a spot I can put my bigass bag down to shop around and not create trip hazards around the store but alas they cannot hold stuff. "You can carry it around while you shop or go drop it off at your car." Oh really? You had my attention because I thought you were going to offer an actual option rather than the obvious two implied. K, I understand thankyouverymuchyouarenothelpful. I'm shopping around, and I find a forever 21 top that is in "falling the fuck apart" condition. Hah! Keep looking and I find a sick Charlie Brown Christmas sweater...wait is there a bong drawn on in black sharpie? They also altered snoopy's eyes to make him look high?! YOU TRADED A SWEATER WITH DRAWN ON SHARPIE AND YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT MY (almost) BRAND NEW SHIT ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH? Oh right right, what's in season. Boy, BYE! read more

I visit quite a number of Buffalo Exchanges throughout Southern California but this one by far has been the worst one yet. Their selection of clothing isn't too great every time I've visited compared to other locations (of course this is subjective). Another thing is that the people who work here are very rude when you're trying to sell your clothes. I am not upset that they didn't take anything, but more upset at the way they scoffed at my clothing and makes me not want to visit the establishment again. I received this response from multiple employees. I highly recommend going to the one in Pacific Beach instead. Or even Plato's Closet. read more

I was expecting a better experience from this location due to its surrounding businesses being so great but unfortunately it seems all the rude people in San Diego flock here. If you are anything bigger than a size M, 6/8, i'd recommend going elsewhere as this stores demographic does not serve even size 10 let alone anyone in higher sizes. I know this is due to what is being given to the store to sell, but I have a hard time believing all their sellers are size XS and S. I also had high hopes of brands that could be found there, but it looked like a second-hand fast fashion store, which is hard to buy when you are trying to be sustainable and shop second-hand already. The overall staff was nice, I just feel there isn't much organization when it comes to overcrowding, although I do enjoy their try-on system where someone comes around to take your clothes you have gathered and puts them on a waiting rack for when you are ready to use the fitting rooms. Like I said previously, this isn't a place to go to if you want to leave in a good mood, we were shoved, walked into, interrupted etc. throughout the hour we were in there by other customers. read more

Looking for vintage clothing? Slightly used? Maybe clothes that never found their way to being sold? This is a good place to look. I found a pair of jeans that looked like dress pants and a button up shirt for just under $30 here. There is a changing room to try clothing in as well. Staff seemed nice enough also. read more

Buffalo Exchange used to be my go-to store to resell my gently worn (or I dare I admit ...sometimes never worn) designer clothes. You never make a lot of money reselling your clothes in this manner but it is better than nothing. Unfortunately, the customer service here seems to have taken a turn for the worst. In my last few experiences, the store has been very understaffed creating extremely long wait times upwards of a couple of hours simply to have your clothes assessed for purchase. The assessment process itself is suspect. In my most memorable experience, after waiting over an hour, the woman who assessed my clothing did not give each item more than a millisecond glance before putting it in the "no" pile. She did not look at the labels, condition of the clothing or type of item (dress, blouse, skirt, etc). She literally transferred each folded item from one hand to the next in the no pile without any scrutiny. In all transparency, it was a little humiliating. I don't know what about her assessment of me, gave her pause about my clothes, but oh well - their loss. I took the same bag of clothes to a different resale store and was able to sell a large majority of the items and they are know for being more critical about the inventory they purchase. I won't waste my time at Buffalo Exchange again and I do not recommend Buffalo Exchange to others either. You can find better inventory, better customer service and more bang for your resale buck else where. Hard Pass. read more

They try to hard to be hipsters. Not everyone wants to dress like a 50's pin up star, a 80s rocker chick or a hobo. I don't want to dress like a weirdo JUST to look like a weirdo. Style is so personal and there should be more of a selection for everyone. The buyers very foolishly turned down some of my very expensive, well made items. NO idea why? I guess cause I don't go out of my waY to look weird ? Less hipster plz. read more

Low rating and negative comments are here for the reason! Today I just wasted my time, I wish I just went straight to Goodwill and donated my clothes. Never coming back to this place. read more

Always can find good stuff here, whether it be jeans, a blouse or accessories. My only beef? They're a little snobby when selecting clothes. But everything thinks their stuff is the best, so I guess I get it. Also... sometimes they ask a little too much for some of the stuff. Just sayin'. read more

Came here last weekend for the first time to sell and sadly only sold one item. Ah, well! The place in itself seems to have a good system. They offer you an amount for whatever they choose to take back. You can redeem it in full for store credit, or redeem 50% in cash. Needless to say they're good because I ended paying out of pocket for a cute burgundy pencil skirt for fall. Dangit! I came on a Sunday and it was pretty busy and a bit overwhelming for me. 2-3 people shopping on 1 rack makes a less enjoyable shopping experience for me. Come on a weekday maybe if you can. I heard Sunday is the best day to sell...I think so even though they only bought 1 item of mine. Everyone was flooding in! Parking sucks so throw your box or bag on a skateboard and roll it to the door or something if you park far haha...don't be shame! Staff is super friendly and personable. Good vibes! read more