I have attended the White Elephant Sale since I was 12, and now at 26 I feel that the sale has…read morediminished in quality, quantity, value, and overall experience. The White Elephant sale has honestly felt very different since 2020. Before the pandemic, there were walk up donations, the warehouse was always full, and the March sale was still packed with treasures to be found. Now the warehouse feels empty even during preview, all walk up and drive up donations have been eliminated, and the March sale is advertised as a "clearance sale" because of how empty the warehouse is. Stopping walk up and drive up donations has seriously hurt the sale. The number of small trinket items to be found is much smaller than it used to be. While there may be costs saved by not having to sort through and discard items that are not sellable, is the loss of profit from not having those smaller items greater? People like me used to donate all the time to the sale, but now donate to thrift stores that have walk up and drive up options instead. How many other people also have a bag full of great items but are not donating them because pickup donations are the only option? I have also found that in recent years the staff has become less and less kind. This year there was not a single visit to the warehouse that was not met with rude or unprofessional behavior by volunteers. That is not to say there are not wonderful volunteers, because I have had great experiences as well, but the number of negative interactions I have had seems to be increasing. I have been accused of stealing, had snarky comments made toward me, and have been accused of price switching. It has gotten to the point where going to the White Elephant is no longer bringing me joy, and it is difficult to see volunteers act with such low levels of kindness. You often emphasize being kind to volunteers, but shoppers deserve that same level of kindness and respect. One thing that stands out when it comes to how empty the warehouse has been, as well as the general morale of the volunteers, is the changing culture of reselling. I recognized dealers from Alameda Point and various antique markets as new volunteers, which makes me wonder if they are partially contributing to the diminished quality and quantity of items this year. In the past, almost all volunteers seemed to be there because they believed in the mission of the Oakland Museum. Now it appears that some newer volunteers may be more motivated by making money. It also raises the question that if they are pricing items they later purchase, were those items priced fairly? Especially when their ultimate goal is to resell items and make money. In addition, there seems to be a lack of willingness to receive feedback. As another reviewer mentioned, it can feel like the organization operates under the idea that because it is for charity and run by volunteers, feedback should not be given. That approach is simply unsustainable. I attempted to provide feedback both in person and on Instagram and was met with very combative responses. This is confusing, as feedback is essential when running such a large sale, and experiences like that make me hesitant to return. I have heard from others that the White Elephant has been "cleared out" this year. Without the return of more casual donations, stronger screening of volunteers, and limitations on what volunteers are able to purchase during presale events, the White Elephant will likely continue to decline. As a loyal shopper, I truly hope the organization will begin taking feedback seriously and consider changes that can help bring the sale back to its former glory.

I've gone to the white elephant for years, 10+ to be specific. This year the selection was…read moredrastically different than previous years (I'll get back to this). Not only that, the prices were the highest I had seen. I included photos of some examples of what was priced super high in bric a brac (on your Facebook page the admin said to 'show specific examples') so I took photos of items I couldn't fathom being that high (even after looking on eBay to compare- the prices were just outrageous considering condition and quality). Not only that, but the selection on preview day (im usually in the first 30 people- and first to the department I shop) it already looked picked through. From what I understand the volunteers shop the sale before- but it's very disheartening and worrying when I recognize people who are new volunteers and I regularly see them sell at local things as resellers (nobody is saying you can't do that!), but it's more so the piecing together the lack of vintage and quality goods this year on preview, and the new volunteers, it's easy to assume there is a correlation. I worry that the integrity of the sale may be lost- and will only worsen as the years carry on. I know departments can vary year to year- of course that's a factor I consider. This is not a normal amount of variation- it's not like there was 30% less of something I have ALWAYS seen at your preview sale- it was 100% gone. And when I'm the first person looking- I know someone at preview didn't get it ahead of me. I heard from others who attended- even some people who didn't! They both said the same thing- white elephant was cleared out this year. Culture shifting about second hand and thrifting should be a consideration and something to keep in mind- the structure of this sale will collapse if it isn't. I'd imagine in the next couple years, the amount of resellers volunteering will outnumber the volunteers who have been there for years due to them retiring/ no longer doing it - and in turn will diminish the sale itself. I think how the preview tickets sold out in a little over a day vs a week last year, should convey how there is an increase in demand, to the degree that people will try to covertly get around it and 'ahead' by volunteering. Correct me if I'm wrong, but many new volunteers this year didn't follow through with their commitments after they shopped on their preview- it makes you wonder.