Carlos and Sarah’s Surplus of Options

Chicago, United States

3.9

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

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Telephone:
+1 773-827-1330
Website:
www.surplusofoptions.com
Address:
3664 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL, 60613
b/t Waveland Ave & Patterson Ave
North Center
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
600 ftAddison
0.4 miPaulina
0.4 miIrving Park
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Street
Wheelchair Accessible
No
Dogs Allowed
Yes
By Appointment Only
No

Today

Today –
Local time (Chicago) 17:04 Wednesday, 4 June 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Interesting vintage furniture pieces– 1960’s and earlier. Small to large. Many styles. Found art, ameteur art, art objects, unusual home décor items. Vintage photographs, most $ 1.00 each. Also larger framed vintage/​antique photographs. 2d & 3d Works by local, contemporary artisans. Antique and vintage books– fiction, poetry, history, anatomy, art, religion, auto, science, etc. Religious garniture. Vintage lamps & light fixtures. Vintage wool blankets– Hudson Bay, Whitney, LLBean, etc. Occasionally old musical instruments, WE HAVE HAD guitars, conga, ukelin, melodica, foldable pump-​organ, trumpets, flutes, accordian, rain stick. Mirrors, clocks, old metal signs, some old toys and dolls, typewriters, scales. Vintage crates, boxes, containers, jars and antique bottles. Some jewelry. Animal skulls, bones & mounts. Shells, corals, rocks. Stone statues suitable for outdoors. Old eye glasses. Some items do not fit into any of these classifications– come see for yourself.

History

Established in 2009.

Opened July ’09. We (Carlos Chavarria & Sarah Kraut, owners) had an unexpected opportunity to open a store of our own when Sarah’s father offered us his vacant storefront. His own trim shop, Lawrence Auto/​Marine, has just seen its 40th year. Niether Carlos or Sarah had any experience in picking, antiques, or business in general. What began as a donation-​based resale junk store has evolved into a gallery, or museum if you will, of unusual older items, mainly within the art-​object-​furniture realm. We began by exploring garage sales and Village Discounts, but now focus mainly on estate sales, flea markets, and private sales, where we hand-​select every item, load up our pick-​up and haul everything to the store. Every new piece is cleaned-​up good and sometimes refurbished. We enjoy this spontaneous place we started, however you want to categorize it. We are lucky to know the faithful following our store has created, as well as all the other store owners and pickers in The Business.

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20 reviews of Carlos and Sarah’s Surplus of Options

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I bought a funky little pink reading lamp here back in the day, it still works and makes me happy. I feel like Barbie in my 1950’s bungalow with my pink lamp!
My boyfriend eyed a hefty vintage drafting table (it had claw feet and a big price tag). We passed on the table. We just moved and need to make room for what we have currently.
Super eclectic assortment of items in a funny-​smelling space. The employees were nice, not snobby or snooty at all… They even had boxes of free stuff outside on a picnic table that I refrained from looking at directly… Sorry, we just moved, more stuff= apologetic explanations to pissed-​off boyfriend, we can’t have that. I think that means we left a lot there for you to take home!
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I saw a brown ‘50s-​style sofa in the window of this shop that I liked when we were coming home from a night out in Lakeview. It reminded me a lot of a couple of love seats I used to have that my cats had sprayed on and destroyed. Sad face.
The hours are 11am-​7pm, and until 6 on Sundays, so I went back in the afternoon the next day. The sofa was priced a little high for our budget, but my husband and I both really liked it. It was solidly built, in good shape, had almost no wear on the upholstery, and didn’t smell like musty old people. It will probably last longer than the thousand-​dollar sectional we’d purchased a few years prior that was covered in water stains.
So we bartered a bit to get the price down to something we could afford. Sarah was super congenial and helpful, and they threw in delivery for a nominal fee.
Since we still had to get rid of our old sectional (which did not fit in our living room), they offered to hold on to the sofa for up to a couple of weeks, and set up delivery whenever.
Both Sarah and Carlos came after they closed the Wednesday following our purchase, helped us get the couch into our apartment (awkward, as you have to go up a flight of stairs and around a corner), and were extremely pleasant.
Definitely will be going back in the hopes of locating more «vintage» finds.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
This place is great. Truly eclectic; I’ve bought vintage chairs, dental slides from the 1970s, cabinetry, and tons more, all for reasonable prices. I stop by probably once a month and usually bring something home with me. Carlos and Sarah are friendly; they always recognize me and my boyfriend. They also have upholstery classes and art/​jazz events occasionally, both of which I’ve been meaning to attend. One of my favorite vintage shops in the city.
I kind of want to strong-​arm my boyfriend into doing a double review to counteract the silliness of Andy m. and his very upset wife, carolynne m. but that wouldn’t be very helpful to my fellow Unilocalers. So, suffice it to say that I recommend Carlos and Sarah’s for people who understand there is a mark-​up for curating quality vintage collections in an urban environment.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I made some awesome finds here — a cool dress and aluminum cups. I can’t remember what else. Regardless, its a cool place, nice and random where it is and I totally need to go back!
Place rating: 1
Louisville, KY
I hate to give a small business a bad review, but I call them like I see them.
I love resale shops. It’s something my wife got me started with when we first met. A good, vintage resale shop is like a walk down memory lane. You may see something that brings back a fond memory, a toy that you owned as a kid or a lamp that sat in the house you grew up in. But the best thing about these places is the hope that you might find a treasure. Not necessarily a treasure of monetary value, but something that has meaning for you. Unfortunately, Carlos and Sarah’s did nothing for me in this regard.
The oddities that were displayed included, half a car, a clown sign that would give me nightmares, wall art with the outline of a human skeleton, beat up old records and what looked to be a paint by numbers portrait of John F. Kennedy. The only thing of interest I saw was a old, black navy coat that unfortunately didn’t fit me.
I know that art is subjective, so I’m not that surprised that I didn’t find anything to my liking, but my wife had a incident with a incorrectly priced painting that blew my mind. My wife (Carolynne M) found a odd looking painting that was marked on the back at $ 5.00. To be honest, the painting looked like a old trial drawing of a mobster from a R.I.C.O. trial. You know. The ones you used to see in the newspaper in the 70’s before they started letting cameras in the courtroom. My wife took the painting up to the counter. The hipster behind the desk claimed the price on the back wasn’t correct. The $ 5.00 price is what they bought it for. The actual price was $ 40.00. Nice markup Eh? Anyways, if you want to read more about the incident, check out my wife’s review.
Here’s the bottom line: I walked into this place with an open mind. I actually enjoyed browsing through the store. I understand that the beauty of certain items are in the eye of the beholder. Unfortunately, all I got from my visit to Carlos and Sarah’s is a upset wife. Unlike MacArthur, I doubt if I will return.
Place rating: 1
Chicago, IL
Well, here’s a little bit of bullshit you might want to take note of.
I walk in, see a picture on the wall. A good size sticker on the back reads $ 5. I rarely find art that I like for a reasonable price so… sold! I am excited by my find. I take it up to the register. Dude behind the counter says «oh well, except this isn’t $ 5».
I say «um, that is what it is marked?»
He goes and calls someone on the phone and comes back with this big song and dance about how that price is probably what they paid for it, the artist is «someone famous», blah, blah, blah.
I say «well, if you paid $ 5 I will give you $ 10. There, you just doubled your money»
He comes back with, «oh well the price is actually $ 40»
Um, no thanks. Are you kidding me?
Seriously, beware coming in here. You might find something you really love and find out that the price magically is going to increase upon checkout. Isn’t this along the lines of a bait and switch tactic? Either way I am never coming back here. Shady.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
This is more a gallery of found art than thrift store and it’s fantastic. I’m pretty sure I met both Carlos and Sarah and they’re fantastic too. They’ve got a great eye for awesome because there isn’t a piece of junk in the place. It’s truly a paragon of what a second hand boutique should be. Great stuff in a cool space run by easy going and friendly people clearly passionate about their shop. Just perfect.
In their deceptively large store they’ve got sculpture, furniture, wall hangings, eyeglass frames, a dental chair, antique woodworking tools, 70’s television promotional buttons and all manner of unique objects and thingamajigs. I found the coolest little cowboy riding a bucking bronco tie rack you’ll ever see anywhere for a more than reasonable $ 15.00.
There’s at least one small rack of clothing but most of their stock is to be marveled at not worn.
I honestly got nothing but good vibes from the people, the stuff and the business as a whole. They even run an upholstery class in the shop behind the store. I really hope this place makes it.
I’ll be back.
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
I was introduced to Carlos and Sarah’s through a «house tour» posted on Apartment Therapy. Having also just moved into my apartment and looking for vintage furnishings, I thought I’d give them a go. Showed up at 11am on a Thursday (they open at 11) and the door was locked. I figured they were in the back getting ready to open so I waited. At 11:10 I called the store and asked if they were opening at their normal time.
The guy on the line said «uhh, yeah, we’ll be opening just a little after 11» so I went to get a coffee next door, and after returning, the door was still locked. At 11:25 I decided to leave, as there were other resale shops on the to-​do list. Other customers were also trying to get in as I was leaving, so it seems Carlos and Sarah’s missed out on some business. Perhaps some day I will return, but they don’t appear to have very good business practices.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Hello Unilocal,have I ever told you how much I loooove old shit? I really do. Part of it is that I’m part grandma and bemoan the fact that they just don’t make things like they used to. Another part is that I like to think of the past life of whatever I’m buying. Who owned it, where did it come from, was it well loved, etc.
Enter Carlos and Sarah, purveyors of some fine old shit. No lie, the first time or two I stopped by it was a little less organized and a little more overwhelming BUT they’ve really pulled it together and made this a great place.
The name of the business is also no lie as there is a surplus of options for your perusal. You’ll find blankets, clothes, shoes, kitchen gadgets, old tools, furniture, books, vinyl, jewelry, old photos, and tchotchkes galore! The merchandise is well chosen and in really good shape which isn’t always the case at other thrift stores.
The employees are super nice and content to let you wander around pawing everything in sight and wondering where you could fit it into your apartment. Hooray for this surplus of options!
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
When I lived in this ‘hood of Chi town, I would always pass by the store on my way to Trader Joes on Sundays, and they never seemed to be open that early. One day after looking longingly in the windows far too many times, I made a trip by specifically during their hours of business, and was SO thrilled! I have to say, I am an experienced thrifter, and I think that Carlos and Sarah have one of the best spots in Chicago. Such a eclectic variety of clothing, knicknacks, furniture, records and so on. They are super nice folks (they take requests, people!) and are willing to trade/​buy if you have some worthy items.
I no longer live in Chicago, but when I go back for a visit, I will be hitting them up for sure.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
My experience here could not be better. I rolled in 15 minutes before they closed to pick up some friends, and while there found an amazing bookcase. In the absolute back of the store and filled with merchandise. I could have been a decent person and come back later, but my only set of wheels is the zip car I had that night, so I decided to go for it.
The owners where there and could not have been nicer to me about my purchase. You would never have guessed that I came in at the absolute worst time. They cheerfully had the book shelf waiting at the curb by the time I pulled the car up, and took about 10 minutes to patiently and thoughtfully loaded it into the car.
To top it off, my book case is an amazing, solidly constructed mission style beauty that was very fairly priced. For all these reasons, this will be the first place I come to the next time I’m on a furniture or housewares hunt, but they have an excellent selection of clothing and shoes as well!
Place rating: 4
Brooklyn, NY
I went through a whirlwind of emotions with this place.
At first I went in thinking «I don’t really see what the fuss is about…», it’s very small. I was soon greeted by Sarah with a Wednesday Adams meets Courtney Love thing going on, so I continued on intrigued.
The clothes were okay, nothing to write home about but they were relatively reasonably priced. And then I saw it… suitcases filled with old photos! Aside from whatever kitsch value they may have for people, I’m a genuine creep who is morbidly curious about the lives of people I don’t know. I think I spent an hour sitting on the floor sorting through every photo, not bothered other than Carlos who startled me unintentionally to tell me to feel free to look around.
After that I walked around, the place was so small, what other point was there besides the pictures? And then I saw a whole ‘nother back room was also part of the store!
Furniture and bric-​à-​brac, some cheap, some expensive as hell (it is a vintage store after all). I found out they sell prints by etsy artist Brett Manning, someone I had thought about buying work from a few days earlier. They have been reading my mind, but no books-​oh wait-​a bookcase filled with them and comics for a dollar!
I could use lots of further exclamation points about my afternoon there, so I’ll end this with: I got a deal on a jewelry box and photos and you didn’t.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
2nd stop on Mini-​me & I’s «vintage tour.»
This one wasn’t really my scene. Not really a store for clothes as their selection is pretty minimal. They did have a few cute purses though & a cute umbrella I may just go back for. I’m sure you’re thinking– but how can an umbrella be cute-​they soooo can. I’m addicted to vintage umbrellas & purses & I definitely don’t know how to say no.
This store has an enormous amount of records and a pretty big selection of books. Otherwise it’s really more bout the tchotchkes.
I’d go back every now & again but I wouldn’t go crazy outta my way for it.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
This is like my favorite store that I didn’t even buy that much inside of.
This place is an amusing mix of antique and vintage store. They have a light selection of furniture so it’s not quite an antique store and an interesting mix of everything else so it’s not quite a vintage store. What it is, however, is awesome. I came in looking for a cookie jar or maybe a few random odds and ends and found myself spending a good 30 — 40 minutes here looking around. They’ve got old glasses, shoes, a light selection of sweaters and clothes, hats, random decorations, pictures, comics, records and even kitchenware.
Undoubtedly one of the best facets of this place is the prices. You could come here in with about $ 50 and walk out with a good amount of stuff. Random mugs will run you about $ 5 where some places are charging $ 15. You can get chukes and hats for a similar price. There’s just so many odds and ends in here and a lack of scary prices that you’ll be inclined to check out the whole store.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
Used to walk by on my way home from the Addison Brown Line stop. I think everyone else summed it up pretty neatly. Just gotta say that every time I stopped in the owners were friendly and jovial. It’s good to have positive business neighbors that complement the ‘hood.
Also love my «Still Not My President» vintage-​washed TShirt with GWB’s face on it. For 3 bucks, it’s worth the chuckle alone.
Big UPS!
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I stumbled into this place one day when I was taking a walk around the hood. It is just delightful with a little bit of everything. I shopped around the front of the space and they have some great vintage finds at great prices.
In the back the have furniture, records, it’s all a blast from the past. My friend walked away with Prince’s Purple Rain record for $ 1 while I bought some pretty radical clip-​on earrings for $ 3.
Also the owners are young and oh so nice. It’s a nice addition to this neighborhood.
Place rating: 5
London, United Kingdom
A «yes» moment.
Yes, I’ll take that hot little camel colored leather, knee-​length skirt for $ 12.
Yes, I’ll take that super-​soft cashmere, kelly green sweater with zip neck for $ 10.
Yes, I’ll take that vintage/​retro kitty country cookie jar (to store my coffee) for $ 15.
Yes, I love random shit so much it hurts.
But, more importantly… YES, this is a damn fine thrift store.
Carlos and Sarah (the owners) have done a lovely job of amassing quite a collection of oddities. Some vintage clothing, but mostly knick knackery of epic proportions. And hell, I love the cat cookie jar, and you can all go ahead and judge me for it, but it looks sweet. Kitschy as all hell. Perfect.
And, really… the icing on this quirky little corner shop? It’s cheap. As it should be. Glassware, posters, frames, vintage stuff hanging from every which way… and all priced to move. They also buy stuff, take donations, etc.
Fitting room: It’s VERY, very, very teensy. But, it exists… and props to the owners for thinking that through. You will struggle, but you will most definitely know with some sense of certainty that that sexy retro frock is ill-​fitting. (saved me some tears and non-​refundable policy cursing.
Credit cards accepted over $ 25, otherwise CASH be king.
Near Addison brown line. (steps)
Neighborhood parking easy. (meters and side streets)
Add it to the thriftin’ route, friends. This is a keeper.
Place rating: 4
Newcastle, United Kingdom
Totally forgot to review this place! I went here to buy a birthday present for my friend who is like, stuck in the 1950s. I have always enjoyed the humorous and sassy painting on the windows, and the random stuff they leave out on the sidewalk for passersby to examine. I talked to Sarah, at least I imagine it was her since her name is in the title, and she told me they get a lot of this stuff at estate sales and garage sales, which is awesome. Everything was really cheap, and totally random in a really fun way. Don’t go in here planning to find something specific, just explore! And it’s way bigger than it looks. Also, when something I wanted didn’t have a price on it, they gave it to me for cheaper than it probably really would have been. I liiiiiike!
Place rating: 4
Galena, IL
I am no huge fan of resale shops, having grown up with lots of hand me downs, second hand stuff, etc. (stop me before I break into a Country and Western song!). But picture a chubby ten year-​old, wide awake in his bed with sheets purchased from the dead old people’s house up the street. Not a good night’s sleep. I also don’t always have the patience to sift through all the stuff in these stores. And then there’s the smell…
My first test for a second hand, thrift, or resale shop is similar to one for wine. You know how they refer to wine having a «nose?» Well, so does a thrift shop. And with my hound dog sense of smell, if I can’t get past the «nose», I can’t sip the wine. But this yoosta-​be marine shop (which still has photographic remnants of it’s former self) passed the test. And what a great store! It has variety, quality, clothing, furnishings, bric-​à-​brac, everything, including a bunch of fun little rooms to explore, and really nice, helpful owners. I found quite a few things I really liked and may come back and buy, when I start working again (oops, there comes another sad C&W song… P-​O-​V-​E-​R-​T-​Y, by Tammy Whinette)
With its perfect location across from Trader Joe’s on Lincoln, and with easy street parking, make sure to pay them a visit sometime. And ask them what the heck is that big boat sign for out front.
Place rating: 4
Vernon Hills, IL
Every Wednesday and Sunday, I walk past this place not sure what it’s all about. Peering through its windows, it seems to be a wonderful mish mash of a thrift store. After a lazy Sunday afternoon at my home away from home (Knit 1), I stopped in after my curiousity got the best of me. The walls are lined with everything from Pyrex to posters. Carlos’ is one of those thrift stores where you can search and find all sorts of treasures. They have reasonably priced glassware to books to records to games. It definitely has that garage sale feeling to it of searching for gems. It’s definitely an interesting addition to the shops along Lincoln Center.