Salvation Army Thrift Store

This is the worst thrift store I have ever been to.
First: The store is absolutely filthy. We walked out covered in this weird fine dust, all over our shoes and pants. Clothing was stained with this stuff as though it had been dragged all over the floor.
Second: The prices were un-​effing-​believably high. $ 10 for a used, off brand pair of children’s boots? For two dollars more I can get those same pair of boots new at Walmart. Women’s clothing ranged from $ 5-​$ 20 for off brand, higher for name brand. I will not pay $ 10 for a used sweater, no matter what brand it is.
Third: FALSE ADVERTISING. As you walk in, there is a big whiteboard with the day’s specials posted. On this particular day, the sign said, among other things, «Collectibles 25% off (also shoes, accessories, women’s clothing)»
But when I got to the register with this EIGHT DOLLAR PAIR OF USED SHOES that I only picked up because of the 25% off, the clerk sneered at me and said the sale was only on collectible shoes.
Well, excuse me for not realizing that collectible shoes was even a thing.
Fourth: RUDE RUDE RUDE. These people were awful! I was shoved by a clerk trying to put a shirt back on the rack. Then, I was standing in a very long line to pay for the few items I was able to afford. The clerk made eye contact with me a few times, and then, when it was my turn to be rung up, he grabbed his phone and walked away. He just WALKED AWAY! The clerk who replaced him openly mocked me for not realizing that there such a thing as collectible shoes and purses. (In my low-​class, broke little world, we wear shoes and carry purses.)
If you are a poor person, like me, trying to outfit your children on a limited budget, AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS. If you have more money than common sense, this might be the store for you.

Okay for shopping, if a bit overpriced. DO NOT DONATE HERE. I’ve donated bags of clothing and jewelry and seen male workers pocket things from my donations. The things you give them do not go to charity. Donate instead to the PTO on south industrial. Proceeds go to local schools and workers are very nice, not sketchy like here.

Pros:
— Very well organized.
— Nice selection (the plus size «queen» selection is a lot larger than any other store I’ve been to)
— Fitting rooms!
— The staff was very kind
Cons (besides my personal views on Salvation Army):
— The prices can be very high. Just because it’s from Aeropostale doesn’t mean it’s worth a lot.
— The parking lot isn’t the greatest. People were walking all over, cars weren’t stopping, etc.
I was able to find 2 really nice blazers to add to my collection (up to 6 now!) for only $ 5 total. They had some really nice skirts and dress pants, I just didn’t want to bother waiting for a dressing room a second time. I like that it’s near Briarwood, so if I don’t find something there, I can always check the Salvation Army.

Store is huge!!! Has such a great selection and has good sales a lot of the time! The parking is kind of a mess as it’s always super busy, the prices have also gone up $ 14.99 for a pair of jeans? Maybe $ 10 seems more reasonable, otherwise the shirts are decently priced ranging 99 cents to $ 5.99 overall not too bad considering the brands you can find!

This is one of my favorite thrift stores and I’m willing to drive a half hour to get there.
The store is huge! The staff does an excellent job keeping the place organized, with clear signage to find what you’re looking for. Like most thrift stores, they offer 50% off certain color tags, so make sure to check the specials on the board by the door before you dig in.
The prices can vary. They seem to put a price increase emphasis on higher-​end stuff (who doesn’t?) but sometimes I’ll find things that seem cheaper than they should be. I love browsing in this store because everything is organized on the racks by clothing type, then color. It’s super-​easy to narrow down what you want to find.
The employees have been friendly on my numerous visits, which is just the icing on the cake.
This store can get cold, so as we head into the colder months, I’d recommend wearing gloves when you visit.

Stick to the regular racks, because many of the «Boutique» items can be found online for cheaper.
Shop smart and pay attention to prices because some of the prices throughout the store are odd. Half a box of used crayons for $ 2.99? No thank you. I can get a new box for like 50 cents at a regular store. However, their prices on computer monitors and kitchen appliances are great.
Best part: if you get furniture, they load it into your car/​truck for you.
TIP: check out when the line is short; for some reason the line always seems to go sooo slooowwwly.

they gotta get rid of the hipster (we can smell each other) staff that arbitrarily prices and understands good brands when they see them. i thought this was supposed to be a place for people on a budget. i saw an eddie bauer coat there for $ 45… wtf? is this a vintage shop downtown? anti-​swag. i know y’all don’t condone homosexuality, but you do seem to condone robbing people trying to buy stuff that has been in a basement for 20 years.

I love the Salvation Army as an organization. They do great things for people. But as a thrift store they leave much to be desired. Their clothes are way overpriced. They seem to price by the manufacturer rather than by the condition of their clothing. They also won’t modify their prices for rips, flaws or missing buttons. Value Village has much more reasonable prices

Yes there is a lot of selection but the prices are OUTRAGEOUS! Like, $ 8.99 for a grandpa sweater?! It’s not fair to people who are legitimately using the store to buy winter things – or anything. Profit, not people drive that store for sure. It feels prohibitive. The selection is plentiful, but the quality isn’t that good – or at least it hasn’t been the last few times I was there. Honestly, the prices are offensive. You can find a lot of things in there – just know you’re paying a tax for being in the midst of a wealthy town.

This place has everything! It’s enormous and has separate sections for types of clothing such as womens sweaters, mens pants, shoes, music, home décor, etc. Each clothing section is also sorted by color and size. If you want something cheap and pretty similar to what you’re looking for, you can most likely find it here.
They even have nice clothes like blazers and dress pants that can pass for more upscale than the twenty bucks you paid to the surly looking cashier. It does take some time to browse so plan on at least an hour if you’re looking for a whole outfit or something. Fitting rooms are plentiful and convenient. And don’t come here if you’re sick, the air isn’t so good.
There’s a furniture area where your friends can sit while they wait for you, to take a nap. That’s right around where the bathrooms are too. The bathrooms are kind of small but surprisingly better kept than some fine dining restaurants I’ve been to…
Good thrift book and music selection. CDs were going for something cheap like 3 bucks. I would have gotten some home decorations but I already bought so much.
You never feel rushed to browse or buy, plenty of people were just relaxing on the couches in the furniture area for hours. Of course that’s because the staff is just not helpful, but what can you do. It’s a salvation army, they can’t help you find stuff any more than your friends can in all that heaping mess of clothing and home décor.

I love thrift stores, especially to find skirts for me and shorts for my husband. However, I find some of the price points at this location a little baffling. Just because its from Jcrew doesn’t mean it should be $ 12. That being said, I have had luck and found quite a few things here.
This place is always super busy whenever I stop in, but I’ve never had to wait more than a few minutes to check out. They moved the checkout waiting area to the left side of the registers (it makes so much more sense and lends to a line much better), but some people were confused. I think if they had a sign up it would be helpful.

There are semi-​regular 50% of days and many other very good promotions. I usually go on those days because the prices are better than new but still can be high.
FITTING ROOMS! This is a huge bonus. There are a number of fitting rooms so that you can try before you buy.
My father feels that he can never find good mens clothes here, but i’m not sure if he is really looking. He has no trouble finding dress shirts at value world in ypsilanti (near ford road), so maybe the men’s section is poor.

Awesome! Love the $ 5 for 5 deal!

I can’t help be feel extremely skeevie when leaving this place but as far as thrift stores go, this place is alright. Huge selection. I stopped in to specially find a nylon purse that would keep my contents dry at a concert and that I didn’t mind having to toss it afterwards. Found exactly what I was looking for within 5 minutes. The place is so well organized. But I that is a definite smell throughout that will stick to you and haunt you for the day. I think it’s talc or some kind of powder. Has to be. Ick

I know I have written reviews on this place before but it continues to amaze me at the prices this place charges. They get ALL of their merchandise for FREE and charge retail prices. Two examples this week
1. An Old Navy button down shirt that retails at old navy for $ 12.99 is being sold here for $ 9.99 with stains.
2. A large picture frame that has its original Michaels price tag of $ 17.99 was being sold for $ 12.99
This place is OUT OF CONTROL

Hey guess what?! I get to do six weeks of field work in the brutal, 110-​degree, blazing-​sun Arizona desert! Yup. I actually brought it upon myself. And guess what else? I SWEAT. And get heat stroke easily. Yea. This Eastern European dame does NOT do heat.
You know what will (hopefully) save me? Linen. Lots and lots of linen. And thin high-​quality cotton. You know where I found eight such shirts? Rhetorical question. But just in case you didn’t have your coffee this morning: found them at this Salvation Army. These are shirts that actually fit me well, too, which means I might just wear them in public, not just when I’m camping out near the Mexican border.
I also come here for any and all costume needs. I’m fairly sure that you can pull together at least a couple dozen great outfits that cover yer bum for any dress-​up occasion.
Their selection is generous and as mentioned, organized by color — which I favor. You’ll find a lot of stuff from Mossimo, H+M, and other mid-​range but well-​designed basics. There’s a decent selection of ‘business attire’ for more conservative work environments, but not a lot. Most merch is catered toward everyday wear and tear. Sometimes some more interesting pieces will come through (hell, I picked up a hand-​made dress from France — it sure is purty). But mostly it’s average and contemporary, not quirky, avant-​garde, or retro.
The fluorescent lights in the building change the color shades of clothing something FIERCE. I highly recommend putting your choices in natural light. If you go early enough in the afternoon, the changing rooms will fill with sun (if it’s not shite grey outside). So double check that color lest you want to unknowingly leave the place in a puke-​green shirt or a screaming-​6-​year-​old-​shade-​of-​pink skirt.
The clothing is decently priced. Most is in the 2.99 to 5.99 range. They, like most thrift stores, have 50%-off colored tag days and then they have other special events that knock the cost down SIGNIFICANTLY.
One would think this place would be picked clean because of college students. But either it’s too far off the beaten path, or their clothing turnover is insane. I’ve seen a lot of college kids in there so I’m thinking it’s the latter.
Yup. This Salvation Army is my new mama, dressing me for school every morning.
EDIT: Yea, the home goods are outrageously priced (though the bed linens and tableclothes are a good deal). Don’t come here for anything that doesn’t involve fabric.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store is not perfect (note someone’s post below, about organization via color rather than size), but it’s pretty amazing. Clothing, appliances, books, jewelry, shoes, kitchenware, bedding, mattresses… you name it, it’s here. And it’s cheap.
Student Thursdays — 25% off. Among other weekly and daily specials.

It’s a bit mind-​boggling that I haven’t reviewed this thrift store yet. I would probably qualify as a regular — I stop here once a month or so.
The layout of this store has changed a bit. Now that the dresses are on the left side as you enter, the selection gets a bit more picked over. Still, I saw a few almost-​new frocks sporting labels like H&M, BCBG, Lux, and Tulle (whoa!). On my last visit I picked up a red t-​shirt style dress that probably would’ve been $ 30 at American Apparel for just $ 3. That’s my kind of shopping.
The tops and blouses here are hit or miss — you need to do a lot of searching and trying on (yes, they have try-​in rooms here, though they are messy) to find something. But, sometimes you’ll be rewarded. Jean selection here is not particularly strong — I’d recommend trying Plato’s Closet (even for the non-​tween-​set), however, on my last visit I did find a perfectly good pair of dark denim for just $ 6.
In terms of housewares, there are a lot of dishes and glasses — a lot of basic items you might want to snatch up if you’re setting up a new place. However, there aren’t too many things that catch my eye as decorative objects. Still, last time I managed to walk out with a white ceramic tray that was pretty Jonathan Adler-​esque, and I once saw (and heard) a cool air-​organ for sale in the back here.
This store also stocks a lot of furniture, though I’ve very seldom seen anything that jumps out as really appealing. They only seem to accept furniture in fairly solid shape, though, which is a plus.
As for books, you’re bound to find at least one or two paperbacks worthy of reading, and there are often some really good children’s books, in rarely-​read shape.
The worst thing? The line. The line is almost always ridiculously long, so just be prepared for that, use the time to call or text a friend, and you’ll be ok!

I LOVE Thrift Store shopping.
(translate for young’uns: 1 |_0\/3 C434P)
So SA gets a solid three stars.
Although I often come away having made a purchase, I also generally come away disappointed.
A primary gripe: Men’s clothes are organized by color, not by size. I may purchase shirts in more than one color, but I’m only looking for one size. This goes beyond the convenience of shopping while standing still — I’m not that lazy (yet). Hiding the Larges by mixing them in randomly with the Smalls and the XXXLs makes for a sad Easter Egg Hunt. It’s enough work to find something you think you might wear! Thinking you’ve finally found «It» it and then realizing you could use it to pitch a tent leaves a bad taste in the mouth. :(
As a fairly recent transplant back to this area I’m also surprised that Ann Arborites aren’t buying better clothes — or if they are, they aren’t donating them to the Salvation Army. There’s a lot here, but very little that’s well made. (For better labels — head to Plato’s Closet).
But as I say, when I take the time, I almost always come up with something. And the staff here is always nice. Note that the PTO resale shop and Ann Arbor reuse center are in the neighborhood, so plan time to hit all three!

The people there are rude, and if you ask them a question they treat you like dirt. I have had two bad experiences, and I will never again go there. Treat me badly, okay I might look like a punky college kid. Treat my MOTHER badly, you’ve lost customers.
They are truly a business, but disagree with the customer. You can find cheaper and nicer, NEW, furniture at Art Van down the street and the ikea is even further.
Also, take the middle man out, and support garage sales, and/​or craigslist.