((NOTE: This is for Pell City's new location which does not have an address yet, at least I didn't find one)) I had heard of this thrift store replacing the previous store, but will probably, honestly, not be back. First things first. The pricing was PHENOMENAL. The day I went was 50% certain colored tags, although those were few and far between, mostly for less desirable items. Huge selection for clothing, as well as appliances that were reasonable (used 7-8qt Crockpot for $30, air fryers, etc) and decor/glass and plateware. I did not get the chance to see the books section but it was back there as well. Great mens section for dress shirts and pants. Unusually, they had a pack of paper in the paper goods/office/school aisle. Free Bibles in the front when you walk in. Several videos of third world scenes in Africa and what you donate toward. Worship music throughout the store. The ministry aspect was very apparent and actually made me a little uncomfortable, although we need more good causes these days. Not every shopper may be comfortable with the forwardness of that though, but I am very happy I could visit and see this new establishment! read more

See all

This 280 location does seem to be the smallest Vapor Thrift Store within a 40 mile radius; however, the cause is worthwhile and important. The service has always been very friendly whenever I've visited, and there's a little bit of everything available for purchase. The clothing prices must be reasonable, because I've seen many women there looking through and buying mens golf shirts and such. The outside section of the store has lots of sports and durable medical equipment; plus there's luggage and pet carriers. But the book, music and housewares are my favorite sections of the store, because the prices are so low. I honestly can't believe I used to pay full price for fictional books - never again. There's also plenty of free parking that makes for an enjoyable experience. read more

I know this business relies on donations, but I will never donate to them again. I had two boxes of glass globes from lighting fixtures, I had loosely wrapped them in paper to protect the glass. When I was helping the young man unload my car I told him the box was fragile (and fragile was written all over box as well) and was all glass items, and to please be careful. He took the box and from a standing position dropped it on the floor...CRASH! You could hear the glass break and I said "really dude, I told you it had glass in it" he didn't even act phased. I had more boxes to donate but after that I told him never mind I would go donate to Salvation or Goodwill. He shrugged and went on his way. The old saying "Don't look a gift horse ...." read more

Disappointed in the changes in the store in prices and inventory. I see way too much going into the trash out back. A couple of thoughts: 1. Do not donate sewing patterns as these are trashed. Per staff - "Don't sell quickly enough'. 2. This store may be to raise money for charity elsewhere...another country ? but should also consider their impact on this community which supports them. Not sure it provides the benefit it did at one time as a resource for clothing for reduced income families. 3. Store personnel tend to be rude and disrespectful in their actions and attitude. read more

I stopped by on my way home tonight & the girl at the register was the sweetest person ever but the other one who's name I didn't catch but she was a little bigger kept making comments on what I'm assuming the girl upfront priced.. pretty much letting her know she needed to go up on prices. Everything they put out is donated items meaning it's all free also meaning whatever they sell it for is profit. If you're gonna "correct" your coworkers on their job then that's fine but I think it's rude to do it in front of customers especially when they are clearly checking customers out.. stuff like that needs to be handled in private or while the tasks is being done aka while she's pricing said item she apparently priced too low read more

Store is OK. Went in today and couldn't stay to shop-- air freshener was so strong I had trouble breathing.

I always like to find a thrift store when I am in a new town. Google revealed that this one came highly recommended. Finding this place was a little challenging. For some reason the Waze app can't find this place. I called to find out what they are located near and I was advised that they were across the street from Jim and Nicks. I placed the address for Jim and Nicks in Waze and I was finally able to find it. Walking into the store I was not greeted despite the fact that there were several staff members up front. In my opinion the other patrons were friendlier than the staff. I browsed the women's clothes, men's clothes furniture and the outdoor section. The prices were all over the place! For example, I found a Chico jacket for $7.99. However, I also saw a Free People sweater for $32!! I could not believe my eyes. $32 for any clothing item in a thrift store is absurd. I will say that they had a variety of brands from Forever 2-, Banana Republic, Free Peiple, and various boutique brands. The furniture section was decent. I saw a rug that I liked for $40. There was also a nice barn door stand for $50. Someone purchased it as soon as it hit the floor. The outdoor section was full of sporting equipment. I did not price any of those items. I personally think that they need to have a better system for pricing. Consistency would be ideal. I actually heard several patrons complaining about pricing. One customer said she could find one of the Christmas items at the dollar store and the store was charging $3!!! If I lived in the area I would likely stop in periodically to see if I could find some treasures. Howe we, I would not make any special trips to patronize this store read more

Vapor Thrift Store - Free People sweater priced at $32.99!! You can get this new from Marshalls or TJ Max for that price - Thrift Stores Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

My daughter and I were in the area having lunch so we decided to check out this nearby thrift store. I will start with the pros. The store is neat and organized. The cashier was friendly. Now for the cons. The store is small. There wasn't a lot of inventory compared to other thrift stores. The prices were a bit high in my opinion. I only found one item to purchase. I probably won't return. read more

See all

Not as great as the other location but still a wonderful store. Welcoming staff but higher prices and less selection. Supports a great cause though. read more

Vapor on 280 has been revamped. However, the quality has gone way downhill. I found clothes on the racks with rips and stains. And the prices for clothes have gone up! The prices for books and DVDs are also very high, higher than before. The book section is not well organized as it used to be. The sizes of the clothes are also all mixed up. The old vapor it was much better. read more

This is a great thrift store. They have the regular thrift store junk ***** But also some great shoes and name brands of jeans and things. Always clean and don't stink like some thrift stores do. Always have specials to. If your around it give it a try read more

Vapor Thrift Store - Thrift Stores Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Terrible customer business ethics for a " Christian store ". Mis-lead by Jessica about coming back to purchase an item I was really interested in. Borrowed a truck and told her I would be back. An hour drive for me. She sold it out from under me. Said someone bought it 15 minutes before I arrived. Very suspicious . I wouldn't do business like that. I'll never return. read more

It is a pretty good thrift! It is small but the staff is very nice, they have a pretty good selection of clothing and shoes, and they do carry records which is always a plus for thrift stores! There seemed to be a good amount of people shopping which is a good sign! read more

See all

They sold me a product that they said was in fact what the box stated and that they had made sure it worked as stated on the the packaging and it was a-okay. They said they checked it before placing it on the floor to be sold..and all was well. Well I bought it trusting in their word..and they most definitely... LIED.. I do not have any intentions of returning to purchase anything more from them.. I always thought that Thrift Stores had integrity and a certain level of decency. Boy, was I wrong.. Extremely disappointed read more

Generally I find great stuff here and no problems but recently I purchased a PlayStation 3 game. When I went home and put it in our PlayStation it required a cable and additions accessory. I tried to return it within a day or two and with receipt and management said I could not return it nor exchange it. Not very good customer service not reasonable. I said to them keep it I can't play it without those accessories. The manager didn't even come up front to talk with me not very friendly. Considering they depend on donations that isn't a smart move. read more

Nice place, prices have gone up though. I still come here all the time! It really depends on the week for what the prices are going to look like. read more

I bought a few items here and have donated. The buying process was easy. It's not a big store but they have a good sized inventory for a smaller store. I bought two pieces of furniture and they loaded them for me. The donation process couldn't be easier. I drove through the drive thru around back and they unloaded my donations and gave me a receipt. Super easy process. read more

I donate a lot to Vapor and the process is very easy--you pull up & they help you unload your car. But the last several times I have been very upset about how these items are handled. I realize they may be short handed but there is no excuse for throwing things into a huge pile only to get broken or dirty. I take the time to wash items and carefully wrap breakables only to see them thrown into a heap. I don't donate items that should be in the trash and try to be sure they are clean and in good shape and this very frustrating to me. I may have to find a new place to donate.. read more

It was decent. The first time we went, it was much better.. They've changed their layout and it was a little unorganized. But I found a great multi framed picture frame and my fiancee found a PlayStation for $12!!! It is a little out of the way, bit that's why we go, to find some great finds. I even found a Louis Vuitton purse that I really liked but it was too small for the price they wanted. read more

Somewhere between 3-4, depending on your vantage point. If you're looking for a small boutique-type place that caters more toward clothing and you also value a clean environment, then stop by. But if you want more of a traditional thrift that contains varied items with a large inventory and low prices, then vapor is about a 3 star place. It's convenience does add to the rating, and did I mention there's a Steel City Pops stand outside? My obese soul demands a higher rating but I'm reminded this is not a Steel City review. read more

Some items are priced reasonably, some are very overpriced. Last few days I've gone staff was a bit rude at the register, other staff are great and really nice but I've been really disappointed recently :( read more

Ridiculous place. I bring 120 pressed women's blouses and sweaters on hangers - ready to sell, but they don't except clothes on hangers. What a joke. read more

Excellent thrift store, which has some very nice things...clothing, furniture, miscellaneous, etc. Prices a little bit higher than many thrift stores, but items (especially clothing) are generaly very high quality. Staff members are friendly (many are volunteers), helpful, and knowledgeable. Only drawback is that there is a VERY big "speed bump" you have to drive over both to get in and out of the parking lot. If you don't slow down to an absolute crawl, you'll scrape the bottom of your car. read more

Very good thrift store. Has a lot of nice things, and they're reasonably priced for the quality. Whoever wrote that about the big speed bump out front is correct...it's a bad one. Drive carefully! read more

Pros: For some reason I assumed the prices would be outrageous, given that this place is so close to Greystone and Mountain Brook. NOPE. In some instances the pricing is actually better than Salvation Army or America's Best. We didn't get much but the two things we got were practically new: a nice, high-back office chair and a plaid shirt. We walked out of there spending less than $30, and the chair alone would have been $40 anywhere else. Or rather we'd have never seen it because someone would have snatched it up immediately. Shoes are all in good condition. Everything electronic looks like it works. Some of the furniture was a little beat up but hey, we lucked out anyway. Cons: Something doesn't smell right, and I don't mean because it's a thrift store. It's actually probably one of the cleanest thrift stores I've ever seen. The selection is very simplified, but everything seems to be of outstanding quality. If you aren't familiar with Vapor thrift stores, you might find it odd that the second you walk in there is a shelf of Vapor t-shirts for sale. Turns out the thrift store is owned by a larger non-profit devoted to "establishing self-sustaining centers for humanitarian aid and disciple in third-world environments." So they are missionaries. They also have a promotional video for their non-profit playing on loop in the corner. I have no problem with helping the third world but I have never walked into a Salvation Army or Jimmy Hale and experienced half of the PR blast as I did here. Though not necessarily enough to put me off from the thrift store entirely, it's enough to make me wonder how many people shop here and just sort of accept the whole "oh yes I'm helping children in Africa" at face value. Eh: The clothing is all nice quality, but as far as "fasionably updated" it doesn't always hit the mark. I wear women's plus size so my options are always limited, but at least they keep things organized true to size for the most part. Like I said before, the selection is kept small on purpose probably, but everything is quality and I am not the type who always has hours to spend going through a mile-long rack of clothes. Overall: I will probably not venture all the way down 280 on a regular basis to go here, but I'd hit it up if I was in the area. Definitely go there at least once! read more

This is an all time absolute favorite of mine- I have had the opportunity to hear the founder of Vapor Ministries-he has an amazing story to tell-and the thrift stores are only a small part of how they get funded-so before you go and decide something is fishy you should always do research first-My daughter was in college at Southern Union and we always found something useful at the 280 location-clean-no smell-helpful people - glad to be there to help check out your purchases-I hope it continues for many more years! read more

sold son a boxed toy that was missing so many parts that it is useless -( something you put together). would not let us return it. wanted to know if we would like to donate it and get 10% off. why would we donate it? - so some other child could be disappointed? not my idea of a christian store at all. the cashier was abrupt too - not nice. will not go there again. dont act like some religious store if you arent going to be fair!!! read more