Used to be the best thrift store around. Now new manager has 'cleaned it up', and the fun has gone out of it. Haven't found much of anything worthwhile in the last 3 visits. Packaged items have changed, lay-out of store has changed and it looks down-right empty. The first give-away that it is not as good as it was, is that you can actually find a parking spot in the lot easily. Used to be you had to circle lot, or park on street they had so much business. But no more, just park in any open parking slot---and there are plenty to pick from. read more

I've been coming to this thrift store for years. It was my favorite of all time. 6 months ago I would have given it a 5. Then Amvets had a management change about 4 months ago. Things have gone down hill fast. I'd give it a 0 if possible. Yes, it's a thrift store but the old management made it a decent place to be. The older ladies that used to work there made it feel homey. They worked there for years. They were polite and helpful. They have been replaced. The new people seem to have been recruited from the local gangs. Their customer service skills might suit the local drug junkies, but they don't really fit a family oriented thrift store. I used to go here 2-3 times a week and always walked away happy. Now I walk away angry. Case in point was the last time I was there. I found something I wanted to buy in the front display but wanted to look at something else. I told the person helping me that I wanted it and can I look at this other thing too. The former employees would set the item safely aside. This time the employee proceed to play with the item I said I wanted to buy. He proceed to try to take it apart. I asked if he would stop doing that. He looked me in the eye and kept doing it. I asked again. He then slammed everything back together damaging it. I left it. What would have been a good find leaving me happy ended up being an incident that makes me feel like never going back. I don't think I'm the only one. Amvets used to be packed on Saturday. There would be no way to park in the lot and the checkout line would snake halfway around the inside of the store. The last few Saturdays I've been there, the lot has had plenty of parking spots and the checkout line is only 1 or 2 people deep. Amvets El Cajon used to be a success. They mucked with it and now it's a disaster. Avoid. read more

my secret spot!

Although it's really dusty, I loved it here! All women's clothing was 50% off!! Awesome deal! It was my first time visiting this store & I got such good deals! I also like how they have all the clothes organized by colors, makes it so much easier to find clothes. I will for sure be coming back. read more

Just left Amvets in El Cajon,I been here a dozen times. Always find prices reasonable. Way more parking than other big thrift stores and they always have new stuff on the shelves. I donate and buy here. Might be a little crowded sometimes but it's because people keep going back. 5 stars! read more

Great deals, for the most part. However, they don't accept returns AND there is no fitting room (and I'm not willing to disrobe in the middle of the store), so I pass up on some clothing. If they offered either a fitting room OR returns, I'd go there more often. Perfect place for me to find inexpensive almost new kids clothes, including some top brands: recently scored a Ralph Lauren button down shirt for my son for $1.95; and a like-new Boden skirt for $1.18 (was 2.95, but that day was 50% off that color tag, and got a bonus 20% discount for checking in on yelp). When I've got an extra hour or so to spend and I'm near El Cajon and I have a few extra bucks, I like to go. But leave time for checking out -- the line can get LONG. I'll be back. read more

They were installing new shelving when I went in there, looks great. The place is nice and clean and organized and it doesn't smell like pee like other places do. They put stuff out all day long so it's a surprise every time you go there. Thumbs up!! read more

I have been going to this store for years. It offers a lot in product some good and some not so good. The prices always seemed to be fair until one day I visited. (now a neighbor of mine had picked up a flat screen monitor for $15.99 in great condition so I decided to check it out) I went and found a few behind the counter. I found the best looking one (it has a small scratch on the top left corner but it was not bad) it worked and best of all the price tag said $15.99 (big numbers said 15 and the smaller numbers said 99 and no other numbers were on the tag). When I went to pay for it the girl rang up $159.99 I corrected her and showed her the tag. She rudely told me that it was $159.99. I tried showing her the numbers and how she rang me up on my other items which would have been $15.99 if she did it the same way. She still refused and was rude. I explained that I could buy a brand new name brand for less than her price. She didn't seem to care and I got so pissed I just left. I should have asked for a manager. This is the first time this has happened and I am sure it was an isolated incident with this employee....Just be careful and watch when they ring you up and watch how they ring up the items to be safe. Otherwise a good store! read more

Compared to Goodwill this place is a dump but the employees were great. I was surprised at the prices too. I guess you have to go on 1/2 off day if they have one. I was surprised at how many people were there and that there was no available handicap parking. I'm assuming the low-income locals use this place as their department store. If they had transportation they would find better deals elsewhere but then you have to figure in the cost of gas and time. read more

This store by far gets my business . Everyday there is something new . The place is clean and theres always somebody in an aisle to help you . I have been going to Amvets for around 5 years . all in all , great store . read more

Shopping at Amvets is like going on a treasure hunt. Sometimes the gems are on top, other times you have to look for them. You can find amazing clothes, shoes, and all sorts of items in this store as long as you have the patience to look. The biggest drawback to this store are the nasty patrons who won't watch their kids or the ones who have "sticky fingers" and try to take items out of your cart that they want after you have found them. I actually had a lady follow me around the store one day who kept asking me if I really wanted an item in my cart. I had to get an employee finally to tell her to leave me along. So just watch your items in your cart. All in all they have great things if you are willing to spend some time, ignore the weird people and do some searching. Parking can be a pain so try and come early before they open at 9 am. read more

Amvets is by far one of my favorite thrift stores. Always something new to look at and the prices are very fair. Half off certain color tags everyday which is very nice. The only part I don't like is they dont have fitting rooms and they don't allow returns. So if you buy some clothes and try them on when you get home and they don't fit, your SOL. read more

Alright, you may want to sit down for this. I have many things to say about this place, some good and some bad. I feel like I should start off by saying that thrift store shopping has always been, and still is, a favorite pastime for my family and I. I am a natural born bargain hunter, and I would love for my children to be as well....but regretfully I think we are gonna have to switch it up and go swapmeet shopping instead. "Thrift-storing" has got to be, um, let's just say....expensive, inconvenient and well, overcrowded. I live in East County and frequent (or used to anyway) this store. I was okay with their prices and even the traffic when there was a bargain to find. Things have drastically changed though in these last 3 or 4 years. I understand we are smack-dab in the middle of a recession and all, and that's why I go to this store- to find the things I need (and want too) at a decent price- but why rob me? The last time I went I had to tell the cashier my thoughts. She acted like I was whining or trying to work one over on her, when all I really was trying to do was give her some customer insight (and maybe she could pass it on? I don't know...) because afterall, we (the customers) are right, right? Yeah, I definitely don't like their customer service (or lack thereof). Anyways, I find16 dollars to be an outrageous price for a pair of USED jeans. There isn't a fitting room so who knows if you just wasted 16 bucks! There's a surprise when you get home....try it on and maybe that 16 smackeroos was worth it, but I doubt it. It never is for me. After spending a few hours scouring through racks and racks of clothes, I may come out with a few things that I absolutely can't live without. I love their variety (which actually isn't their variety but ours)! I can almost find whatever it is I am looking for. I also like the music as well as that "oldy but goody" vibe. However, the traffic through this store is horendous! The looks I get from some people as I cart up and down some of those isles are looks of warning, of defensiveness, of selfish greediness. Sometimes I feel like they should pay me to shop here!!! Now, I'm not trying to be a meiser here, but I really can't wrap my mind around how much money these places make off of us! If you think about it, first the garment, or whatever it may be, is bought (and you are taxed). Then it is used and donated most likely to a thrift store. Then it is resold and re-taxed. This happens everytime someone donates to these stores! Not only are they making money off of us, so is the government. These kinds of things really disturb me. I don't have the money to go buy brand new clothes, and I've donated (I don't know how many times) to this store!!! I think there should be an option when you donate. You can either get a tax write off (for more than what it is now!) or get a percentage off of your total purchase when you shop there. I am almost ready to boycott thrift store shopping for a few reasons. One reaon is that I (personally) haven't seen anyone or any disaster area who has benefitted from these places. Another reason is, I would think that shopping at a thrift store would make both me and my wallet happy, but, not so much. There are no returns on all merchandise and they only accept cash. Hmmmm..... I would be very happy to shop at these places if only they were run more like a yard sale or even a flea market. We should hold "Trading/bartering-markets" instead!!! Just a few of my thoughts.....=) read more

I am embarassed for the real American Vets because of this thrift store in El Cajon, Ca. the employees are not fair with all the clients and have their favorite customers to the point that they will RESALE an item from under you even if you have paid for it and have all the paperwork to prove you bought it. It happened to me. when I spoke with the manager, she could care less....mmmmm.....maybe SHE sold my item herself to her favorite customer. she tried to explaun that the resale of an item can happrn because the employees make mistakes. REALLY? I don't think so! they are smart enough to RESALE IT, i think they are smart enough NOT to RESALE it. If they are not the latter, then they need training to be honest, because THEY KNOW EXACTLY what they are doing. i have heard an employee call her mom to come buy items that she (the employee) wants AND sets them aside for her mother. i have also personally spoken with a couple of the employees there that the manager makes deals with some customers to be able to buy EVERYTHING 1/2 price wheb only certain color tags are on sale .It is sad that because of this store i will not support THE AMVETS OF AMERICA FINANCIALLY AGAIN. I WILL THROW AWAY ANY MAIL THAT COMES FROM THEM AND FIND ANOTHER CHARITY. Amvets thrift store in El Cajon, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF AND QUIT HIDING BEHIND OUR American Vets' name pretending you are helping them when in reality you are cheating them. They deserve better. if i could give this buisness "a -5 stars", i would. read more

I have to say I have been going to this store for years and over the years I have heard time and time again customer's making deals with the management team to discount items that are not on the special colored half price list. NO DIFFERENT TODAY. So I mentioned to the sales staff that if the store manager was going to give discounts it should be for every customer in the store not just certain people. They both agreed and said they feel the same way. I really feel like Amvets has a habit of doing this with certain customer's because I've been down on Pacific Highway and the same thing happens down there. Shame on you for not treating every customer the same. Looks like I will be saving a lot of money by not shopping Amvets. Oh yeah I forgot to mention that I will not be donating to Amvets either. Thrift Stores are big business and we have a lot of great stores here in San Diego to choose from. read more

The only reason I do not give this thrift store a five is because they have no dressing rooms. That being said, the kind of people around this area I might not want alone inside the dressing rooms. Sorry, but it's true. Now I really like to try on pants especially first, but the fact that their very large color coordinated selection of very cheaply priced clothing made it worthwhile to buy several pair and if a few didn't fit, so what! I got 5 pairs of shorts for 20 bucks. Total bargain. On my next visit, I got, I kid you not, 8 different cute shirts and 6 pairs of brand new socks for $27. And they have a very large clothing selection, so it's impossible not to find something you like. I recently put on some weight and since I was about to go on vacation, there was no way in hell I was going to go spend a fortune on fat clothes. Although I'm a cheapskate, thin or plump. This is now my go to thrift store. Thanks Amvet! I LOVE YOU~I also make it a point to go to thrift stores that do something beneficial to the community which Goodwill does not. I meandered around the store and found most of their other prices very reasonable as well, although I just wasn't in the market for anything else. They have frequent sales too on various items. read more