Chicago resident here: we love Village Discount, although we shop for clothing and glasswear/ dishes. I do agree with your high marks for Brown Elephant, and they support a great cause.
An interesting store to go to for artists is the waste shed. They have a lot of craft and office supplies, and all of the prices are suggested donations.
Hi there: just a heads up that the Chicago Metro area encompasses MUCH more than the loop and the Northside. Those areas are maybe only about 30% of the city.
There are nearly 50 Goodwill stores in Illinois but most are outside the city. They stopped taking furniture donations during the pandemic and never really started again. Prices are better than other cities but have gone up lately. Best days to shop are monthly Customer Appreciation Day (25% off) on Tuesdays and Senior Discount Day (15% off) every Wednesday. Goodwill is also one of the only thrift stores that stacks discounts so you can get really low prices on certain items if you go on these days.
Please also be aware that outside the city proper, there are multiple Goodwill regions operating - some offer Perks Rewards and some do not, depending on which entity is operating the store.
I think Facebook Marketplace has changed the game for Goodwill and Salvation Army. I tried to donate a 1950s dining room table to SA in suburbs and was told they’ll only take current styles in perfect condition because they get so much furniture and not enough floor space … and it doesn’t sell quickly (again I think FB marketplace factors into that because pricing can be cheaper and flexible there).
Rebuilding Exchange is a great organization. They train people for work in the trades. They also have workshops for the general public. I learned how to make a table top using 19th century salvage lumber.
If Chicagoans don't mind a drive, I would highly recommend Sparrow's Nest chain of stores in the suburbs. I have spent hours in their furniture and home decor departments, and own several lovely pieces of furniture from SP. Inventory moves very fast. If you fall in love with something - buy it. It will not be there the following week, or it will be marked sold. Another "find" is Upscale Rummage in Libertyville. There are no words. Plan for a whole afternoon. I am seriously thinking of volunteering there just to be amongst their inventories. Another great place for thrifting is St. Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Stores. The experience varies amongst the two store I frequent, but their prices are very reasonable.
Chicago resident - weird seeing all the places I go in a video that's not mine, haha... Village Discount used to be a great place to go. Now they've raised all their prices without any increased monitoring of quality. Packed and dirty stores. It's a shame.
Exactly! We still go, because it's cheaper than Brown Elephant, but the prices have definitely gone up. The "white tag" items, which used to be a very selective group of higher quality/branded items (and not included in color tag sales), are now liberally placed throughout the store. I'm just shopping for myself, but we see a ton of resellers in there all the time, too. I think that's part of why prices have gone up across the board. Oh! and dirty, yes! - I'm always sneezing if I'm in there for any length of time!
I haven't lived in Chicago for a few years. The Village Outlet on 47th near Western on the southwest side was my go-to, but I kept seeing employees literally dragging clothes down the floor when taking them to the racks for hanging, like that's how they clean the floor 🤮 I couldn't even pick through the overcrowded racks because I'm allergic to dust. I did get some great finds back in the day though.
Andrew, this is so wild. I was in the chorus for Aida and got to watch you dance (beautifully) from stage right. I thought you looked familiar at the time and now I realize why!!! Love your channel and love your work. I wish I would have put two and two together before we closed!
Loved the extra long episode! Great idea to rate thrift stores and your system was well thought out and easy to understand. It was a fun watch and I smiled to see your pic in the marquee poster. So glad you’re back!
Three stores to check out in northwest Chicago suburbs are Wings Resale (3 locations), Lucille's Resale in Arlington Heights and Pink Geranium in Barrington.
Wow, I appreciate your thorough evaluations even though I don't live anywhere near Chicago! Still interesting though. Thanks! Fascinating to see those train station walls along with a vintage photo of them! 14:35 Very cool. That had to have been frustrating leaving things behind due to lack of space. Glad you're back.
I kinda like a little bit of chaos when im thrifting. Only because sometimes the good finds are hard to find and makes you do a treasure hunt for them.
Great to see you, Andrew! I admire your ability to make an interesting episode while far from your home base. I just wish you were dancing in Dallas when you recorded this so I'd know where to go! Again, great to see you! I hope Queenie isn't wasting away while pining for you.
Thanks for making a video even though you're busy with other things. We don't have a many thrift stores in my area and they are very spread out, but I feel inspired to do my own hunt and list.
I've been buying and reselling for 40+ years.....now health issues have pretty much ended that for me. I still thrift and go to flea markets (I used to do the one in Rosemont) it attracts a mixed crowd, but there are ALWAYS a lot of 30 somethings looking for 70's and MCM. I live around the Joliet area now and tend to stick to the thrift stores a little farther south. We do have a lot of Goodwills....even one that does the "bins" that you have to dig through. And even in nicer locations, designer bags and jewelry are in cases at the checkout. As someone who has both bought and sold on Marketplace, the prices on items sold in the city (especially artsy neighborhoods) are at least double for the same item in the suburbs. I ran a Tea Room that also had a shop in it in a tiny southern Illinois town. A week before we actually opened, a couple came in and bought several things including a farm table I had listed for $300. When I tell you they couldn't give me the money fast enough....turns out they had a store in Evanston and sold my table for $1200!! I knew what they were going to do with it from the get go, but my philosophy is if you pay me what I'm asking for it, and turn around and sell it for 4x's as much.....good on you. And that's why thrift shops in the city price so high.
I enjoy thrifting so this video was fun to watch. I don't live in the city, currently, but I do visit often. Brown Elephant has been my favorite since 1990. I think the new Lakeview location is open now. Mt. Sinai is definitely pricey. Difficult (for me) to call it a thrift. Goodwill is all over the suburbs. Many locations to choose from if you leave the city. Fun to get project ideas at Rebuilding Exchange. I think I have found deals at just about every store you visited. Like any thrift trip, all can be hit or miss. I like the thrill of the hunt to find interesting books, art and decor mostly. Glad you had a good time in my favorite city!
This is SO helpful! A friend of mine is buying her wedding dress in Chicago this summer, and I know we'll also want to go buy some more regular clothes. But it's also cool to see what thrifting looks like for other things too
I was interested in the video because I do love thrifting. But then he decides that "entire Chicago" means only the north side. He should change the title to reflect that.
@@chicee123 honestly yeah. im also pissed he talked sh about village discount tho. one of the last thrift-priced-thrift stores. but maybe its best to keep the yuppies out of there with their discover card, gonna raise the prices.
Great seeing a video Andrew, have missed you. (which is understandable and not a slam) I agree on both the brown elephant, and the rebuilding exchange! that looked like a place I'd need to pack a lunch to visit!
Just watched your video and realized I was at that Salvation Army at the same time as you, I recognized all the furniture you were showing! That Salvation Army is way over priced, I only go there in the hopes of finding a pricing mistake, and I do quite a bit. Okay so you really are spot on with your observations, I go to all of these places except the Mount Sinai store. One place you perhaps were a bit off with is Unique, you have to brave going on Mondays when everything is half price, customers will turn the place upside down, so by midday the place is a mess. Turn over is quite good there. If you donate to the store they give you a coupon for 20% off. I have to say I get more treasures there than anywhere else!
When I was living in Chicago I went to Village Discount because I needed any clothes I could find cheap. I got to the point I could feel the high quality fabrics and eyeball the larger sizes I needed so I could race through the racks. Also I would only concentrate on 1 or 2 sections at a time. Now I just go when I want a grand adventure of a treasure hunt for fun
I live in Chicago. The BEST thrift store in the Chicago area (sorry outside the city) is the Salvation Army on Nerge Rd. Amazing clothes finds, and houseware. Most of my apt's furniture is from there. also it is clean and organized. I highly recommend!
Salvation Army always seems to be wildly overpriced on some things. I will say the one area that I've managed to get really high-end pieces for super-cheap is in smaller paintings. The staff at Salvation Armies (Salvations Army? Dunno the plural) tend to overprice large artworks, but they can't identify an original smaller painting (anything smaller than 8.5X11) to save their lives. I found paintings worth several hundred to several thousand dollars in the "frames for $1 each" bins at Salvation Army, and I bought them because I liked them as artworks, not to resell, But if you're interested in art to try to find something of worth, Salvation Army, in the frames area (in my area, that's in the big junk-filled garages in the back), you can find some really great art.
Salvation Army staff don't know how to price things which was good for me. I found an authentic Chanel blazer for $24.99, and have bought Prada, Dior, Gucci clothing plus Meissen, Tiffany & Co. and other high end brands there. Sadly, the honey hole where I got all these great finds closed a few months ago.
I am so glad you said that about Salvation Army store. They were selling the same plate i bought at the dollar store for $14… i used to love going there, and feel weird complaining that Salvation Army prices are too high….
You’ve been missed! I got to check out the architectural salvage store. The price points within the city, especially Chicago, are going to be higher. I’ve found the best prices are outside the city, but some of the coolest things are going to be in Chicago due to its history. Example: Pullman Company with their luxury train cars was headquartered in Chicago. The people surrounding Founder George Pullman were the most wealthy. A lot of their mansions are gone, but their wares are everywhere.
Brown Elephant used to be a bowling alley, not a church. Also, the West Loop is a high-theft area re: Goodwill. I donate most of what I have to declutter to Brown Elephant, bc it’s near my house and because it’s the retail store for Howard Brown. But I also donate to direct-to-user stores-like clothing and other items people really need. They’re mostly in the suburbs.
Hey there! Native Chicagoan and thrift vlogger here. Loved to see this video and your take on the stores! I am a frequent patron of Unique (the one you visited, mainly). I've found some pretty cool things in the past (lots of Haeger, swung glass vase for $10, etc.), but I do agree their prices are on the higher end. The Salvation Army prices, in my opinion, are incredibly ridiculous. I used to go to the Grand and Union one, but I went to the Sheffield one recently (I believe). I was shocked that they were asking (in some cases) above retail price on some items. I'm definitely going to check out the Brown ELephant in Andersonville after watching your video. I work in that area now, so it will be easier for me to get there on public transit. Also, Goodwill is definitely more of a suburbs chain. Also barely any Savers in Illinois and not sure why it's called Unique in Chicago. Subscribed and can't wait to see more content.
Totally agree about the Sheffield area/Clybourn Salvation Army prices. The number of times I've rolled my eyes at a price tag higher than the original MSRP, and it's not a vintage item!
Love that ReStore! I got a 5 drawer antique chest of drawers there, and the fabulous staff helped me fit it into my tiny GTI! Lucky I was only going 2 miles, but I did it!
Omfg I gasped when I saw this title. An immediate sub. I’m a huge huge thrifter in Chicago and I have not watched yet (I am about to I am just way too excited lol) but my favorite thrift is the Roscoe village village discount!
Ok. I couldn’t understand more why village discount read that way. I’m from California and when I moved here it was the first thrift I went to and it was so sad. And across the board they are bad for home goods. And. The Roscoe village and the Andersonville village discounts are the ones to check out for outrageous clothing finds. I always walk away with designer pieces that were priced by someone who missed the obscure branding or solid, like new basics, or a weird early 2000’s weirdo piece from Diesel and the BAGS. Omfg the bags do a lot of work there. Shoes and home stuff are both usually misses for Village.
Also also this video was wonderful! I followed you on instagram and can’t wait to check out your other videos 💜 (also I’m redoing a bathroom and I’ve never been to restore and I can’t wait to go asap thank you)
I live in Chicago and I thrift them all. Even Mt. Sinai, which I don't thrift anymore. I shop Unique for Womens lingerie, Appliances&electronics, and menswear. It has toooo much womens wear and it would take up too much time to shop and compete with other women for clothingl Unique on Monday (1/2 off) is a mess, and you need PATIENCE. I'm a regular at Unique and unfortunately, the reason it looks disheveled is because of the buyer and their "children". Everytime I go there, toddlers running around and tearing up toys and books. Grownups don't pickup the clothes that fall down. They walk over stuff and throw it around. So blame the customers. Mt. Sinai needs MORE SPACE and they just moved to that space about 5 years ago. Reco: THE Xchange on Broadway. Elliot's Consignment on Broadway. McShane Exchange on Halsted.
I think they are a fund raising arm for the hospital and a lot of the doctors’ wives donate to them, hence good quality items and high prices on them. Back in the day they used to be the volunteers and did pricing so knew the value of the stuff. Not sure if it’s still the same.
I've been wondering where you were! I was born in Chicago! What a great city! I grew up in Glenview. I haven't been there in a very long time, none of my siblings or my parents are there anymore. Eat up Andrew! Great food there! Sorry, I haven't even said anything about the thrift stores! Have a great time there! Go to the Art Institute if you have time!
@@REISSUED So glad you got to go! Just the building alone is amazing! I haven't been to that one. The Science and Industry Museum is great too, we used to go to all those places when I was a kid. ❤
Hi from Australia, not sure how the thrift stores accept donations, here are often signs out where you leave your donations stating what they are not accepting due to been over stocked. As for furniture, some thrift stores will collect, however you have to email photos and they will let you know what they will take. This is to reduce stock they know they won’t sell and reduce costs to dispose of items. One thing here we call thrift stores Op shops. Short for opportunity shop.
I grew up with "The Illustrated Treasury of Children's Literature" copyright 1955 - and still have it!!! (Sadly sans dust jacket.) Great find! Enjoy! Also, I lived in Chicago many years ago during my starving artist days and scored a lot of clothes and furniture at Amvets on Halsted just north of Diversey (long gone). I still have many of my finds - including the chair I'm sitting on as I write this! ($2.00 at the time.) Thrifting pays.
The second one, the Salvation Army, used to be the greatest thrift store before they tore it down and built that corporate store. It used to have two floors. It was huge and cramped because it was full, and things were super cheap. Because the area was rich people they had brand new item. I used to come home with unopened brand new items. I miss it. 😢 it was the best. R.I.P. OG SA
Interesting to see with your creative eye what other areas have to offer. My part of the country is woefully inadequate when it comes to thrifting , more along the lines of Unique. Junk. Also, any place I can watch a video of any of your dance performances?
@@REISSUED did you go inside the logan square one? the furniture is in the back, and its also the best one but good luck w the sea of people. go in the AM during the week and dont mess with the old ladies they will hit you with their cart and say move. i love them
I used to live next to mt. Sinai, and would go about once a week. I would say their turnover rate is quite high. Still, it is crazy annoying to get furniture from there
I don’t think things are selling quite as briskly right now, by what I see on FB marketplace people are offering pretty nice furniture free and it’s not moving.
A fee notes... Unique has half-price Mondays, which in my experience means it moves most merchandise on Monday. I personally find them really expensive but competitive on Mondays. They used to be the place to go, but have definitely lost quality. Chicagoland Good Wills quit carrying furniture a few years ago. They said transport and placement was too difficult and they didn't have space. I do like some of the suburb locations for things like ceramics., pottery, and kitchy finds. I try to stay in the suburbs and stop by the thrift stores and resale shops before running other errands, and I have found that pricing is wildly erratic, but some areas have some really good finds. I also feel prices are more fair in this area, but my other thrift experiences are in. SWFL , where many stores charge over original MSRP for absolute garbage, so my viewpoint may be skewed. I hope the information is helpful.
I can't believe how many of your recent videos I've been missing! Must have been in hibernation or sth. The third store (for building) seemed amazing! I highly agree on clothes needing to be sorted by size and books by subject.
1) Yes, thrift store prices have soared! Where do poor people shop anymore? Sad. 2) Someone should do a sociological study of American communities based on the 'archaeology' of thrift store donations. In some hip cities like L.A., people turnover their decor faster, so there are more contemporary finds in thrift stores.. In other more 'academic/professional' cities, like DC, people seems to hang on to their interior decor longer.
I feel like dollar stores are resale shops. Do you find that you have to look out for pickpockets in the busier stores? I did, at a thrift store in Oak Lawn (southwest suburbs).
One thing that would be helpful would be to provide the addresses of the thrift stores you visited, unless that's verboten for some weird reason. I shop at the Unique you mentioned (the address is 3748 N. Elston) and I found an early 20th Century Czech vase there for $5. The books at Unique are categorized by category/genre, so you may want to revisit for that reason. If you look for them, you can find valuable items at this Unique and at the one in the Brickyard mall (6560 W. Fullerton Ave.), which is where I found an art deco waterfall nightstand ($30), a Moravian doll in authentic folk dress ($11.00 worth 10x that much) and an early 20th Century Ed. Maurer German stein with a sepia pic of the founder of the company embedded on the underside of the lid ($3.50). I have also found quality artwork at both stores. That said, I appreciate your video, good job! I think I've been to all the stores you mentioned, but not lately because I'm at the point where I don't need anything except the occasional band T-shirt or book. But I will revisit in case JD Vance discovers my couch and I have to replace it, or if I just get tired of the 19th Century wooden chest with circular dovetailing I bought on Marketplace (not bloody likely, but could happen). Shop on!
That Goodwill is not new. It has been there since at least 2010. We used to go to a gym near there (Flirty Girl), and we would get items our shows. I think they don't have furniture in that store, because it there is no parking to stock it in the store or for people to take it out and load it in their cars when they buy it.
So you wanted to go Chicago Thrifting but instead went to Goodwill and Salvation Army? Yikes…. The local neighborhood, small business thrift stores are where it’s at!
Unfortunately the Village, Unique, and Goodwill are all "grift" stores, they don't serve a cause other than their own existence, these places are charging outrageous prices for stuff they got for free. Thanks for bringing up the Village's asinine organizational sensibilities. The Rebuilding Exchange looked awesome!
The Best thrift stores I'd found in the Chicago area are all in the suburbs. I used to love stopping a Goodwill on Barrington Road near Schaumburg, I'd stop there when driving up from Batavia to Schaumburg to visit family. Granted, this was well before the pandemic so I'm not sure if things have changed since then. I would get designer brands at deeply discounted prices, sometimes with tags still attached.
Chicago resident here: we love Village Discount, although we shop for clothing and glasswear/ dishes. I do agree with your high marks for Brown Elephant, and they support a great cause.
looove the village discount for clothes. Lots of hidden gems, and the price is always right
I love the Albany Park Village Discount ❤
its definitely the best thrift store of all of these, one of the last true thrifts left, and the disrespect has me a little taken aback. haha
Remember Unique Thrift stores ? They were the best and I miss them to this day .
An interesting store to go to for artists is the waste shed. They have a lot of craft and office supplies, and all of the prices are suggested donations.
Hi there: just a heads up that the Chicago Metro area encompasses MUCH more than the loop and the Northside. Those areas are maybe only about 30% of the city.
Yeah, I noticed that he seems to be saying Metro Area when he means the city proper (as opposed to the suburbs). Still a good video though!
There are nearly 50 Goodwill stores in Illinois but most are outside the city. They stopped taking furniture donations during the pandemic and never really started again. Prices are better than other cities but have gone up lately. Best days to shop are monthly Customer Appreciation Day (25% off) on Tuesdays and Senior Discount Day (15% off) every Wednesday. Goodwill is also one of the only thrift stores that stacks discounts so you can get really low prices on certain items if you go on these days.
Omg you’re amazing Linda! Thanks for the info!
Please also be aware that outside the city proper, there are multiple Goodwill regions operating - some offer Perks Rewards and some do not, depending on which entity is operating the store.
I think Facebook Marketplace has changed the game for Goodwill and Salvation Army. I tried to donate a 1950s dining room table to SA in suburbs and was told they’ll only take current styles in perfect condition because they get so much furniture and not enough floor space … and it doesn’t sell quickly (again I think FB marketplace factors into that because pricing can be cheaper and flexible there).
@@jenne3012 The one on Washington and Racine participates in the rewards program.
Rebuilding Exchange is a great organization. They train people for work in the trades. They also have workshops for the general public. I learned how to make a table top using 19th century salvage lumber.
If Chicagoans don't mind a drive, I would highly recommend Sparrow's Nest chain of stores in the suburbs. I have spent hours in their furniture and home decor departments, and own several lovely pieces of furniture from SP. Inventory moves very fast. If you fall in love with something - buy it. It will not be there the following week, or it will be marked sold. Another "find" is Upscale Rummage in Libertyville. There are no words. Plan for a whole afternoon. I am seriously thinking of volunteering there just to be amongst their inventories. Another great place for thrifting is St. Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Stores. The experience varies amongst the two store I frequent, but their prices are very reasonable.
Chicago resident - weird seeing all the places I go in a video that's not mine, haha... Village Discount used to be a great place to go. Now they've raised all their prices without any increased monitoring of quality. Packed and dirty stores. It's a shame.
Exactly! We still go, because it's cheaper than Brown Elephant, but the prices have definitely gone up. The "white tag" items, which used to be a very selective group of higher quality/branded items (and not included in color tag sales), are now liberally placed throughout the store. I'm just shopping for myself, but we see a ton of resellers in there all the time, too. I think that's part of why prices have gone up across the board. Oh! and dirty, yes! - I'm always sneezing if I'm in there for any length of time!
Very dirty
I haven't lived in Chicago for a few years. The Village Outlet on 47th near Western on the southwest side was my go-to, but I kept seeing employees literally dragging clothes down the floor when taking them to the racks for hanging, like that's how they clean the floor 🤮 I couldn't even pick through the overcrowded racks because I'm allergic to dust. I did get some great finds back in the day though.
i went to that village discount once… that was enough for me lol. i felt like i was gonna get buried by clothes
Andrew, this is so wild. I was in the chorus for Aida and got to watch you dance (beautifully) from stage right. I thought you looked familiar at the time and now I realize why!!! Love your channel and love your work. I wish I would have put two and two together before we closed!
(ps, I'm the one on the far left of the picture you posted haha)
Omg that’s crazy! I wish we had connected!
Loved the extra long episode! Great idea to rate thrift stores and your system was well thought out and easy to understand. It was a fun watch and I smiled to see your pic in the marquee poster. So glad you’re back!
Thanks Lisa! ❤️
Three stores to check out in northwest Chicago suburbs are Wings Resale (3 locations), Lucille's Resale in Arlington Heights and Pink Geranium in Barrington.
I LOVE Wings AND they brought back half off everything days at the end of the month!!
I love Lucille in Arlington Heights! One of my faves for home stuff.
Oh I’m definitely hitting these up the next time I’m in Chicago!
My stomping grounds. Am at all three, every week. Lol
Wings is my favorite when I'm visiting my family out in the burbs!
I was just thinking the other day that I'd been missing your videos. Glad everything is good well in Chicago.
Me as well.
The thrift stores in the south suburbs are iiiiiincredible. Think Homewood, Country Club Hills, etc.
Thank you. I just knew the Southside would be ignored.
Pass it on in Crestwood, which is just outside of the city.
This was a unique video. I can't say anyone has rated op shops on a video before. Some excellent tips! Thanks Andrew🙏
well why would someone because no one wants to call attention to the best places with the best deals otherwise it’ll be picked over 😂
West loop is alot of renters and college students, so makes sense that there's not alot of home stuff
Great insight!
Wow, I appreciate your thorough evaluations even though I don't live anywhere near Chicago! Still interesting though. Thanks! Fascinating to see those train station walls along with a vintage photo of them! 14:35 Very cool. That had to have been frustrating leaving things behind due to lack of space. Glad you're back.
So cool that you are doing Aida with Lyric! Looks like a very interesting take on the classic...
Please visit Green Element in the Edgewater neighborhood (near Loyola University). They have some very cool finds. The entire back is furniture.
I love that you are working for Lyric in Chicago! ❤ So cool!
I kinda like a little bit of chaos when im thrifting. Only because sometimes the good finds are hard to find and makes you do a treasure hunt for them.
Great to see you, Andrew! I admire your ability to make an interesting episode while far from your home base. I just wish you were dancing in Dallas when you recorded this so I'd know where to go! Again, great to see you! I hope Queenie isn't wasting away while pining for you.
Thanks for making a video even though you're busy with other things. We don't have a many thrift stores in my area and they are very spread out, but I feel inspired to do my own hunt and list.
Hey Gabby! You absolutely should do your own list! Thanks for watching ❤️
I've been buying and reselling for 40+ years.....now health issues have pretty much ended that for me. I still thrift and go to flea markets (I used to do the one in Rosemont) it attracts a mixed crowd, but there are ALWAYS a lot of 30 somethings looking for 70's and MCM. I live around the Joliet area now and tend to stick to the thrift stores a little farther south. We do have a lot of Goodwills....even one that does the "bins" that you have to dig through. And even in nicer locations, designer bags and jewelry are in cases at the checkout. As someone who has both bought and sold on Marketplace, the prices on items sold in the city (especially artsy neighborhoods) are at least double for the same item in the suburbs. I ran a Tea Room that also had a shop in it in a tiny southern Illinois town. A week before we actually opened, a couple came in and bought several things including a farm table I had listed for $300. When I tell you they couldn't give me the money fast enough....turns out they had a store in Evanston and sold my table for $1200!! I knew what they were going to do with it from the get go, but my philosophy is if you pay me what I'm asking for it, and turn around and sell it for 4x's as much.....good on you. And that's why thrift shops in the city price so high.
I love the Restore. Just picked up some leather cantilevered chairs from there this week!
Ooooh those sound amazing!
I enjoy thrifting so this video was fun to watch.
I don't live in the city, currently, but I do visit often.
Brown Elephant has been my favorite since 1990. I think the new Lakeview location is open now.
Mt. Sinai is definitely pricey. Difficult (for me) to call it a thrift.
Goodwill is all over the suburbs. Many locations to choose from if you leave the city.
Fun to get project ideas at Rebuilding Exchange.
I think I have found deals at just about every store you visited. Like any thrift trip, all can be hit or miss. I like the thrill of the hunt to find interesting books, art and decor mostly.
Glad you had a good time in my favorite city!
Thanks for sharing this info Amy! Very helpful ❤️❤️
This is SO helpful! A friend of mine is buying her wedding dress in Chicago this summer, and I know we'll also want to go buy some more regular clothes. But it's also cool to see what thrifting looks like for other things too
So fun! Yeah definitely hit up Goodwill and Salvation Army for clothes… but there are so many cool vintage and resale spots for clothes too!
excluding the south side as someones whose not from here is also, wild. you do understand the implications of that right
I was interested in the video because I do love thrifting.
But then he decides that "entire Chicago" means only the north side.
He should change the title to reflect that.
no exactly but also this is good, we gotta keep our shit secret lolll
@@jennyfab312He could call it "The Scared White Person's Guide to Thrifting in Chicago: From Downtown to Andersonville"
@@chicee123 honestly yeah. im also pissed he talked sh about village discount tho. one of the last thrift-priced-thrift stores. but maybe its best to keep the yuppies out of there with their discover card, gonna raise the prices.
Great seeing a video Andrew, have missed you. (which is understandable and not a slam) I agree on both the brown elephant, and the rebuilding exchange! that looked like a place I'd need to pack a lunch to visit!
Just watched your video and realized I was at that Salvation Army at the same time as you, I recognized all the furniture you were showing! That Salvation Army is way over priced, I only go there in the hopes of finding a pricing mistake, and I do quite a bit. Okay so you really are spot on with your observations, I go to all of these places except the Mount Sinai store. One place you perhaps were a bit off with is Unique, you have to brave going on Mondays when everything is half price, customers will turn the place upside down, so by midday the place is a mess. Turn over is quite good there. If you donate to the store they give you a coupon for 20% off. I have to say I get more treasures there than anywhere else!
This looks like so much fun! I love going to thrift stores when I'm out of my town. Great job with the ratings, thanks for sharing.
Sell me your mirror!!! I’ve been looking for 1 in the Goodwills 😂
I’m in Chicago too!!!
New subbie!!!
Chicago is amazing!! Enjoy!!!
When I was living in Chicago I went to Village Discount because I needed any clothes I could find cheap. I got to the point I could feel the high quality fabrics and eyeball the larger sizes I needed so I could race through the racks. Also I would only concentrate on 1 or 2 sections at a time. Now I just go when I want a grand adventure of a treasure hunt for fun
Love this video. I used to enjoy shopping at mount sinais back when i lived in Lakeview
I live in Chicago. The BEST thrift store in the Chicago area (sorry outside the city) is the Salvation Army on Nerge Rd. Amazing clothes finds, and houseware. Most of my apt's furniture is from there. also it is clean and organized. I highly recommend!
Salvation Army always seems to be wildly overpriced on some things. I will say the one area that I've managed to get really high-end pieces for super-cheap is in smaller paintings. The staff at Salvation Armies (Salvations Army? Dunno the plural) tend to overprice large artworks, but they can't identify an original smaller painting (anything smaller than 8.5X11) to save their lives. I found paintings worth several hundred to several thousand dollars in the "frames for $1 each" bins at Salvation Army, and I bought them because I liked them as artworks, not to resell, But if you're interested in art to try to find something of worth, Salvation Army, in the frames area (in my area, that's in the big junk-filled garages in the back), you can find some really great art.
Salvation Army staff don't know how to price things which was good for me. I found an authentic Chanel blazer for $24.99, and have bought Prada, Dior, Gucci clothing plus Meissen, Tiffany & Co. and other high end brands there. Sadly, the honey hole where I got all these great finds closed a few months ago.
I am so glad you said that about Salvation Army store. They were selling the same plate i bought at the dollar store for $14… i used to love going there, and feel weird complaining that Salvation Army prices are too high….
I'm so glad you visited the Brown Elephant in Andersonville. That's where I live and I would have recommended that you visit!
It’s a great spot!
This was a doctoral presentation. I am about 7 minutes in and still hearing your qualifying criteria is cracking me up! lol
Haha it was so extra! But I wanted to give all the info!
I love that Corbusier Chase Lounge in Cow hide ….. if it’s authentic , it fetches more than £7k
Oh wow! That might have been a great find!
You’ve been missed! I got to check out the architectural salvage store. The price points within the city, especially Chicago, are going to be higher. I’ve found the best prices are outside the city, but some of the coolest things are going to be in Chicago due to its history. Example: Pullman Company with their luxury train cars was headquartered in Chicago. The people surrounding Founder George Pullman were the most wealthy. A lot of their mansions are gone, but their wares are everywhere.
You’re spot on about price points being higher within the city… same way in ATL. But yeah Chicago has some super cool stuff!
Brown Elephant used to be a bowling alley, not a church. Also, the West Loop is a high-theft area re: Goodwill. I donate most of what I have to declutter to Brown Elephant, bc it’s near my house and because it’s the retail store for Howard Brown. But I also donate to direct-to-user stores-like clothing and other items people really need. They’re mostly in the suburbs.
It was the Calo Theater before it became a bowling alley (and then a theater, again). The name is still on the building! :)
This Unique is my go to thrift store. Every Monday everything is 50% off. The village discount is so overwhelming to me though
Hey there! Native Chicagoan and thrift vlogger here. Loved to see this video and your take on the stores! I am a frequent patron of Unique (the one you visited, mainly). I've found some pretty cool things in the past (lots of Haeger, swung glass vase for $10, etc.), but I do agree their prices are on the higher end. The Salvation Army prices, in my opinion, are incredibly ridiculous. I used to go to the Grand and Union one, but I went to the Sheffield one recently (I believe). I was shocked that they were asking (in some cases) above retail price on some items. I'm definitely going to check out the Brown ELephant in Andersonville after watching your video. I work in that area now, so it will be easier for me to get there on public transit. Also, Goodwill is definitely more of a suburbs chain. Also barely any Savers in Illinois and not sure why it's called Unique in Chicago. Subscribed and can't wait to see more content.
Totally agree about the Sheffield area/Clybourn Salvation Army prices. The number of times I've rolled my eyes at a price tag higher than the original MSRP, and it's not a vintage item!
Love that ReStore! I got a 5 drawer antique chest of drawers there, and the fabulous staff helped me fit it into my tiny GTI! Lucky I was only going 2 miles, but I did it!
On Monday Savers has everything half off.
Omfg I gasped when I saw this title. An immediate sub. I’m a huge huge thrifter in Chicago and I have not watched yet (I am about to I am just way too excited lol) but my favorite thrift is the Roscoe village village discount!
Ok. I couldn’t understand more why village discount read that way. I’m from California and when I moved here it was the first thrift I went to and it was so sad. And across the board they are bad for home goods. And. The Roscoe village and the Andersonville village discounts are the ones to check out for outrageous clothing finds. I always walk away with designer pieces that were priced by someone who missed the obscure branding or solid, like new basics, or a weird early 2000’s weirdo piece from Diesel and the BAGS. Omfg the bags do a lot of work there. Shoes and home stuff are both usually misses for Village.
Also also this video was wonderful! I followed you on instagram and can’t wait to check out your other videos 💜 (also I’m redoing a bathroom and I’ve never been to restore and I can’t wait to go asap thank you)
So glad you enjoyed this one! ❤️
I live in Chicago and I thrift them all. Even Mt. Sinai, which I don't thrift anymore.
I shop Unique for Womens lingerie, Appliances&electronics, and menswear. It has toooo much womens wear and it would take up too much time to shop and compete with other women for clothingl Unique on Monday (1/2 off) is a mess, and you need PATIENCE.
I'm a regular at Unique and unfortunately, the reason it looks disheveled is because of the buyer and their "children". Everytime I go there, toddlers running around and tearing up toys and books. Grownups don't pickup the clothes that fall down. They walk over stuff and throw it around. So blame the customers.
Mt. Sinai needs MORE SPACE and they just moved to that space about 5 years ago.
Reco: THE Xchange on Broadway. Elliot's Consignment on Broadway. McShane Exchange on Halsted.
I just had flashbacks of my childhood when buying used clothes wasn’t cool lol
Mt. Sinai used to be great! They got out of control with pricing and stopped doing frequent sales. The vibe of the place so I stopped going there.
Yeah they have such cool furniture but the pricing is out of hand
I think they are a fund raising arm for the hospital and a lot of the doctors’ wives donate to them, hence good quality items and high prices on them. Back in the day they used to be the volunteers and did pricing so knew the value of the stuff. Not sure if it’s still the same.
I've been wondering where you were! I was born in Chicago! What a great city! I grew up in Glenview. I haven't been there in a very long time, none of my siblings or my parents are there anymore. Eat up Andrew! Great food there! Sorry, I haven't even said anything about the thrift stores! Have a great time there! Go to the Art Institute if you have time!
The Art Institute was fantastic! And we really enjoy the contemporary art museum as well!
@@REISSUED So glad you got to go! Just the building alone is amazing! I haven't been to that one. The Science and Industry Museum is great too, we used to go to all those places when I was a kid. ❤
Haha Village Discount! That used to be my place, even though it is for sure dingy. I once found a pair of sunglasses for $2 that I resold for $250 :)
it's good to see you again!
Hi from Australia, not sure how the thrift stores accept donations, here are often signs out where you leave your donations stating what they are not accepting due to been over stocked. As for furniture, some thrift stores will collect, however you have to email photos and they will let you know what they will take. This is to reduce stock they know they won’t sell and reduce costs to dispose of items. One thing here we call thrift stores Op shops. Short for opportunity shop.
I grew up with "The Illustrated Treasury of Children's Literature" copyright 1955 - and still have it!!! (Sadly sans dust jacket.) Great find! Enjoy!
Also, I lived in Chicago many years ago during my starving artist days and scored a lot of clothes and furniture at Amvets on Halsted just north of Diversey (long gone). I still have many of my finds - including the chair I'm sitting on as I write this! ($2.00 at the time.) Thrifting pays.
Yeah it was a great find! Looking forward to taking inspiration from it!
People that expect a thrift store to be curated, clean, and well organized crack me up.
I love Brown elephant.
The salvation army is way, was too expensive.
There’s a Goodwill on 95th and Western.
I like that one a lot.
He apparently doesn't go south of downtown
The second one, the Salvation Army, used to be the greatest thrift store before they tore it down and built that corporate store. It used to have two floors. It was huge and cramped because it was full, and things were super cheap. Because the area was rich people they had brand new item. I used to come home with unopened brand new items. I miss it. 😢 it was the best. R.I.P. OG SA
As a thrifter this video was EVERYTHING to me! I live in Chgo but thrift in the suburbs mostly.
Unique thrift on Elston is usually messy fro, my experience.
I love brown elephant, their oak park location is my fave but the Chicago locations definitely get more items
Interesting to see with your creative eye what other areas have to offer. My part of the country is woefully inadequate when it comes to thrifting , more along the lines of Unique. Junk. Also, any place I can watch a video of any of your dance performances?
Restore in IL is INSANE with their prices. Some pieces I feel are priced retail or higher!! I’ve stopped going there
22:30 Village Discount Outlet; you didn't go UPSTAIRS! That's where the Furniture is!
Is there a third floor?! The only stuff on the second floor was menswear…
@@REISSUED oh WOW. I guess they changed it. That's where the furniture used to be.
@@REISSUED did you go inside the logan square one? the furniture is in the back, and its also the best one but good luck w the sea of people. go in the AM during the week and dont mess with the old ladies they will hit you with their cart and say move. i love them
I used to live next to mt. Sinai, and would go about once a week. I would say their turnover rate is quite high. Still, it is crazy annoying to get furniture from there
Good to know! Thanks for sharing that info! ❤️
I don’t think things are selling quite as briskly right now, by what I see on FB marketplace people are offering pretty nice furniture free and it’s not moving.
Just subscribed! I may need to pop up to Chicago and do some thrifting!
Wow, the entire south side of Chicago is not the Metro area?
of course not hes a white transplant im sure he wouldnt even cross 31st street bc some person from indiana said no one goes there cuz its "dangerous"
We have a lot of thrifts. The closer to the city you get, the more expensive. The surrounding suburbs are best.
A fee notes...
Unique has half-price Mondays, which in my experience means it moves most merchandise on Monday. I personally find them really expensive but competitive on Mondays. They used to be the place to go, but have definitely lost quality.
Chicagoland Good Wills quit carrying furniture a few years ago. They said transport and placement was too difficult and they didn't have space. I do like some of the suburb locations for things like ceramics., pottery, and kitchy finds.
I try to stay in the suburbs and stop by the thrift stores and resale shops before running other errands, and I have found that pricing is wildly erratic, but some areas have some really good finds. I also feel prices are more fair in this area, but my other thrift experiences are in. SWFL , where many stores charge over original MSRP for absolute garbage, so my viewpoint may be skewed.
I hope the information is helpful.
Great info! Thank you!
Nice to see your video. Come to Boston to dance and shop!!
Sounds fun!
I can't believe how many of your recent videos I've been missing!
Must have been in hibernation or sth.
The third store (for building) seemed amazing!
I highly agree on clothes needing to be sorted by size and books by subject.
Some of the dark dingy places are the best finds. You have to jump in and hang on.😂
1) Yes, thrift store prices have soared! Where do poor people shop anymore? Sad. 2) Someone should do a sociological study of American communities based on the 'archaeology' of thrift store donations. In some hip cities like L.A., people turnover their decor faster, so there are more contemporary finds in thrift stores.. In other more 'academic/professional' cities, like DC, people seems to hang on to their interior decor longer.
We really like shopping at thrift stores, our channel is similar as we review small businesses, hotels, restaurants etc. Nice video! 👍
Enjoyed this episode! Thanks🇦🇺
I love thrift stores but we don’t have those big ones in Madrid❤❤❤
Green Resale in Edgewater is a great thrift store to checkout!
I feel like dollar stores are resale shops. Do you find that you have to look out for pickpockets in the busier stores? I did, at a thrift store in Oak Lawn (southwest suburbs).
One thing that would be helpful would be to provide the addresses of the thrift stores you visited, unless that's verboten for some weird reason. I shop at the Unique you mentioned (the address is 3748 N. Elston) and I found an early 20th Century Czech vase there for $5. The books at Unique are categorized by category/genre, so you may want to revisit for that reason. If you look for them, you can find valuable items at this Unique and at the one in the Brickyard mall (6560 W. Fullerton Ave.), which is where I found an art deco waterfall nightstand ($30), a Moravian doll in authentic folk dress ($11.00 worth 10x that much) and an early 20th Century Ed. Maurer German stein with a sepia pic of the founder of the company embedded on the underside of the lid ($3.50). I have also found quality artwork at both stores. That said, I appreciate your video, good job! I think I've been to all the stores you mentioned, but not lately because I'm at the point where I don't need anything except the occasional band T-shirt or book. But I will revisit in case JD Vance discovers my couch and I have to replace it, or if I just get tired of the 19th Century wooden chest with circular dovetailing I bought on Marketplace (not bloody likely, but could happen). Shop on!
Cool video! I live near Brown Elephant in Andersonville - are you still in town? Have you discovered any cool Chicago stores since shooting this?
That Goodwill is not new. It has been there since at least 2010. We used to go to a gym near there (Flirty Girl), and we would get items our shows. I think they don't have furniture in that store, because it there is no parking to stock it in the store or for people to take it out and load it in their cars when they buy it.
Good disclaimer
Our Goodwill (western suburbs of Chicago) doesn't accept donations of Furniture.
Very interesting!
We love village discount in little village
So you wanted to go Chicago Thrifting but instead went to Goodwill and Salvation Army? Yikes…. The local neighborhood, small business thrift stores are where it’s at!
i know, supremely disappointing. turning me off of the video big time
"rating every thrift store in Chicago"
Ignores the ENTIRE Southside.
I wonder why????
18:20 holy shit I think I bought that chair
Do you not have value village in Georgia, I think they are companion stores to Savers? We had them in Charlotte
Ah I wondered about that… I didn’t see VV as a sister brand on the Savers site… but maybe I missed it. Not a fan of VV either 😂😜
I just saw the Joffrey Ballet's closing day of Mid Summer's Night. Did you work on that production?
Unfortunately the Village, Unique, and Goodwill are all "grift" stores, they don't serve a cause other than their own existence, these places are charging outrageous prices for stuff they got for free. Thanks for bringing up the Village's asinine organizational sensibilities. The Rebuilding Exchange looked awesome!
Was the LeCorbusier chair original?
You never left the north side :/
Bro, you doing a play and no backstage POV?
It was a union house so they are super strict about no filming… but here’s a bts promo - m.th-cam.com/video/JNqLTxI9_h0/w-d-xo.html
@@REISSUED Great promo. I see ya 👍🏿
You are right Unique Is the worst. I won't go there at all. That store looks like that all the time. Plus the pricing is ridiculous.
The Best thrift stores I'd found in the Chicago area are all in the suburbs.
I used to love stopping a Goodwill on Barrington Road near Schaumburg, I'd stop there when driving up from Batavia to Schaumburg to visit family.
Granted, this was well before the pandemic so I'm not sure if things have changed since then. I would get designer brands at deeply discounted prices, sometimes with tags still attached.
😻
ditto
🎶💕
LOL. Every Thrift store in Chicago. "I went from downtown to barely the North Side." Uhh.. OK.
Hey let’s see if you go to any of the ones I go to 😂
Mount Sinai was a thrift store? The prices were terrible. I would say 0/5
Is there a Goodwill Bins Store in Rockford which is near Chicago?