The Carousel Shop

Hey, volunteer ladies, maybe you could act slightly happy that I brought in three big bags of donated clothing, mostly never worn or worn only once, instead of acting like I was interrupting your super fun time? I mean, I could have gone to Goodwill, and finding parking for your shop was frankly a pain. Other than that, you have nice stuff, but like all resale shops, it’s hit or miss with what you’re looking for.

I like stopping in here every once in a while, but haven’t bought anything in a long time. The store isn’t that big, and they stock their items by season, so thinking you’ll be ahead of the game and getting a winter coat in summer isn’t going to happen. The store is well organized, and its nice that they have dressing rooms to try on things. I find the prices a little steep for what you get at times, which is another deterrent to buying. The proceeds do benefit the Community Nurse Association, which helps out local patrons. Check out the downstairs for housewares!

My mom volunteers here once a week and she wanted to take me to show me around one Saturday afternoon. I’m glad she did because I actually a cute little tote beach bag for $ 3!
The clothes are in good condition (they won’t sell it if it’s not in decent condition) and they have a pretty good selection for women, girls, boys and men. They also have home décor (frames, tons of vases, and glassware). Downstairs there’s a small room filled with children’s toys and outside they have a variety of books. The service is friendly and you can’t beat the location in downtown La Grange. Parking is easy, too.
The best part of Carousel is that most of the sales rep. are volunteers for a good cause — Community Nurse Health Center. Proceeds go to help those who have limited access to health care. Since it’s for a good cause, I’ve started giving my mom clothes, shoes, and purses that I don’t wear anymore. Carousel makes thrifting fun!

My new favorite thrift store
Will stop there again

After reading the other Unilocal reviews about Carousel, I decided to venture there. I’m so glad I did because I have a new favourite thrift store!
The selection at Carousel is great. I’ve gotten two dresses, several work shirts, skirts, and fun tshirts. They also have a lower level for tchotchkes, books, and assorted glassware. Their items are all in very good-​new quality. I’ve even gotten shirts there with the original price tags still on them.
Staff at Carousel are alright. They’re generally all old retired-​aged women, and that’s fine because they’re generally nice. They’re somewhat slow when it comes to transactions, but that doesn’t take away from my experience.
The actual building the Carousel is in is pretty nice. It’s in an easy to get to location, and people can either park on the street, or in designated parking garages/​lots. The inside also only smells like the clothing they carry, not like mold or mothballs, which can sometimes be the case with thrift stores.
They also accept credit cards for purchases over $ 5, which is very nice! Their prices are always reasonable. I’ve walked out with four items and spent $ 18. Although LaGrange can be pretty ritzy, it’s nice that their thrift store is reasonable with their pricing.
I’m planning on continuing to visit the Carousel for all my thrifting needs!

This place is kind of my hidden gem. There are two floors. Not much to find in the clothes, purse department and it isnt very large, but oh the housewear selection downstairs is pretty good! I’ve found some great hidden gems down here, and things aren’t overpriced here, except for maybe some of the books. Although I did find a couple vintage books here. Random pieces of art work I have found here as well. You’re more likely to find vintage-​y items here. And the two older ladies that were workin the bottom level when I was there were a riot, and super nice:) Great for house wear items and they do also have a small vintage section. Definitely worth checking out.

After living in the ‘burbs for few years, I finally had to admit that I was wasting too much time driving back to my old Chicago ‘hood to feed my thrift addiction. The Carousel Shop is a good local option, and supports a terrific cause (Community Nurse). I’ve found designer shoes and clothes for me, like-​new dress shirts and polos for my husband, books galore, and household goodies like still-​in-​the-​box juice glasses. Selection is more limited than in the larger city thrift stores, but isn’t it all about the thrill of the hunt? If you live in the neighborhood and have a little time to kill, do a quick browse through this shop. Don’t miss the basement if you’re a crafter.
My best score: a gorgeous wedding dress (!) that I used for a Halloween costume — only $ 20, including the veil. :-)

This place is kind of a hit or miss. The selection isn’t all that great, but there are a few gems hidden away if you know how to look. It isn’t one of my regular thrift stores, but I do pop in whenever I’m in the area.

The clothing here is in decent shape but I have yet to make any really good finds. It’s hard to get excited about a store that’s goodwill-​quality but with smaller racks doesn’t offer goodwill options.
The baby clothing selection is super small, and the day I went there was another woman who had clearly cleaned out the rack just before I got there, walking away with the best and leaving me with the rest.
I would rate this as «not worth a trip from the city.»

Carousel is great. It’s never crowded and its full of goodies. The clothing options don’t usually result in much for me personally, but I’ve found most of the satin slips I wear under most of my dresses there, all beautiful, all in fabulous condition, and all dirt cheap. I also found a mantilla style wedding veil for seven dollars, and snapped it up because I’ve always wanted that to be what I wear for my wedding. They have cute crafty things upstairs that I think a few artists contribute to. I bought a pig carving made out of a corn cob thingie from that little corner of the store.
The best part of the shop, however, is the basement. I love galloping down there and exploring. It’s got their housewares, toys, and general knick knackies down there. They usually have a bunch of fabric remnants, bric a brac, and notions mixed and packed into little baggies.
I love this place!

I really like this shop! I stumbled upon it while searching for local spots to donate client ‘stuff’ resulting from a good closet or garage purge.
I’ve been dropping off donations for about six months when on my last visit I decided to have a look around at the wares. And it happened that I was in the market for a few business suits for an upcoming convention.
Well I struck pay dirt, finding four (yes, I only needed two but I couldn’t resist) women’s suits. One Armani, a Cerruti 1881, a Dana Buckman and a brand «X». Three suits were $ 25/​each and one was $ 15!!! Well, now I’m hooked. Every time I drop off… I gotta look! It’s fun, almost like getting great designer stuff for free AND the money goes to a great cause.

So this, THIS my friends, is my favorite thrift store in the whole wide world. Tucked into quiet Calendar Court off La Grange Road, this two story thrift store is chock full of anything your little heart could desire at fantastic prices. The top floor contains books, clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry and whatever housewares the staff deems «vintage.» The lower level has all other housewares, sporting goods, toys, and craft supplies.
Being a suburban thrift store, I tend to find the Carousel shop far, far cheaper and less picked over than Chicago’s thrift stores. Over the summer I purchased a vintage 1960’s dress for $ 2.50 that would have easily run in excess of $ 20 in the city. I regularly find work pants, skirts and sweaters for $ 4-​$ 6 and the Carousel Shop keeps me in cashmere for under $ 10. However, one disadvantage is that, unlike a consignment store or a vintage clothing store, the staff doesn’t do much to edit donations. What that means is you’ll find some items that are in style and in fantastic condition (some still with tags) and some that are decidedly worn and/​or hopelessly outdated. I’ve never seen anything stained or very obviously damaged, though, unlike at say a Unique Thrift or Village Discount Outlet. In general, the clothing is of good quality — La Grange is a pretty upscale neighborhood and the donations the Carousel Shop receives tend to follow suit.
Best of all, it’s shopping for a good cause. All proceeds from the Carousel Shop (which is staffed by volunteers) benefit the Community Nurse Health Association, which provides health care and social services to low income families out of four clinics in La Grange.