Well, it isn't Home Depot, or like any other shopping experience I can think of. No returns means you can't bring it back. I accept that and so can you, just keep it in mind. With Costco, Lowe's, and H.D. taking anything back, it is a bit of a reversal but the whole place is a bit of a reversal!
Strolling through the warehouse, I get the same feeling I get from walking through the humane society with all the animals diverted from premature death wanting to be taken home. The items here are likewise diverted from the landfill to be adopted into another life.
The material is fantastic and has SO much more feeling than a new product. Much of it is old stuff, some of it older than we will ever be, and deserves another life on the planet. You are challenged to make use of it which is not without some commitment. If you don't use it, it will be your issue to dispose of it! As other posers have mentioned, they don't take things back. With so much stuff coming in every day, they don't have the room! So think it through, I have had many successful projects from my findings, but not always. Do be aware of the old paint that may likely contain lead. Heavy metals are not good for anyone, especially pregnant people and kids. I have removed the paint and painted over it to limit releasing it. Do not sand it or plane it off, that just throws it everywhere. I have used a soy based remover from Wood Craft with great results.
Sometime my eyes are bigger than my vehicle. Keep your friendships with truck owners solid! I have done well with a roof rack and have a favorite moving crew if I need them. They allow just 3 days for you to get your purchase off the site and they mean it. At some point it is considered abandoned and it is reclaimed with no refund to you! So be sure to have a plan in place when you buy it to get it to it's next life. (The commitment thing again.)
It can take time, and frequent visits, for the universe to reveal it's treasures here. Be patient. Sometimes I find just what I didn't know I needed, other times I find nothing. The stock of materials is constantly changing so being there at the right time plays a role. You can call to see if an item is there, but the staff really doesn't have time to be your personal shopper, and let's face it, with a "no holding" policy, it could be snapped up before you get there, so just go there already and see for yourself.
Customer service, well, remember it is a nonprofit. I rarely get the help I need at Home Depot or Lowe's for that matter and the few workers here have a big space to keep organized with no corporate guide plan to set the materials up with, so don't expect too much. Expensive things can get moved around and can be left in the cheap bin, that doesn't mean it will be at the cheap price! Make no assumptions till you get the final price at the check out. The staff all seem to love the Re-use concept and have the "warm fuzzy" feeling of doing a good thing for the planet. They are interested in what you are doing and often have suggestions to offer from personal experience or other customer's success, so make friends. They also know of items that just arrived on the floor and can show you alternatives you may not have thought of.
I find the pricing goes both ways. Some are on the high end and on the low end in my opinion. Being that most of the material is not available outside the place, it can be hard to compare and easy to be subjective with. Don't bother to try and negotiate it, the very effort will cause a digging in of heels. Rather, just understand that the price, weather you agree with it or not, is what it is, and was decided on from several years of selling old stuff and the need for the place to stay in business. Being a N.P.O., I feel they are doing us, the island, and the planet a service and should charge what they feel they need sell it for. You don't have to agree, or buy it. If it is too high a price for you, then pass and let them sit on it till someone comes along who sees it as a bargain. If you DO pass, it will often not be there when you come back after changing your mind. This has happened to me more than once.
So enjoy! It is a shopping experience like no other. It stirs the creative juices, challenges you, puts you in with like minded people, exposes you to history, and helps the planet.
Try getting all that at any other shopping venue! read more