Goodwill

This Goodwill is located right off the 12^th Street BART station. When I went they had a special of half off shoes and clothing which is a pretty big deal!
I only had 5 minutes to look but the little I saw was just okay. It was hard to browse since they didn’t really seem to sort by size or style of clothing. They tried to sort by color though.
I saw a lot of Banana Republic and H&M women clothing there if that helps.
Most of the clothing seemed to be in the $ 7.99-$ 9.99 range but with the half off I think it’s worth it.
I might come back if I am in the area. I rarely am here though so it might be awhile before that happens.

I have been shopping in thrift stores for over 50 years. I went to this Goodwill as 1220 Broadway the day after Christmas. I was charged $ 9.99 for a pair of shoes I did not purchase (I can only wear orthopedic shoes). I called the next day to straighten it out, but was told I had to speak to the manager and to call the following day. I called the following day, but the manager was not there again. For three days, the manager was not there when I called and there was no other help provided. The next two days were busy (my birthday and other holiday-​related events). I tried to call once on Tuesday, but again, the manager was not there. Then I wound up in the hospital. Long story short, when I was finally able to meet with the manager — it was a week and one day since I had been overcharged in the store. The manager said I needed to come down and talk to her in person — and although there was a torrential downpour, she insisted I needed to come soon — that I had already waited too long, but she would talk to me when I got there. She kept me waiting for 20 minutes when I got to the store. When she finally got to me, she said she would not return my money or give me a store credit. (I wish she had told me this without making me drive more than 14 miles each way in the heavy rain with the engine light on in my car.) After some discussion, she made a phone call and then came back and said her director told her not to give me a credit and not to return my money. She said it was partly because I did not bring all my purchases there for her to see (she never mentioned bringing all my purchases back, but I certainly could have done that). She gave me a phone number to call if I still had concerns. I called that number and it was out of order. I called again and she gave me another number to call. I have left two messages and nobody has returned my call to date. One more thing I want to mention: I was the last customer in the store that night and I had a new pair of gloves that someone gave me. I set them on the counter while I got my money out — and they disappeared! I asked the clerk what happened to my gloves, and she said «What gloves?» I absolutely do not recommend this Goodwill to anyone! I am not going to let this matter drop — I will continue to fight for my $ 10. And as Carmie K stated in her review, they also close before their posted hours. They need to either change their posted hours on Unilocal or else stay open to the posted hour. I am sick of getting the run around from these people — they are taking advantage of the people who can afford it the least — and that is low in my book. I have lost 65 pounds in the last year, and I have a lot of great clothes to donate — some of them still have the tags on them. They were in the back of my car ready to donate today — washed and neatly folded — three huge tubs of clothing and four boxes of books. It will be a cold day in Hell before I donate to this place. I hope it was worth it, Tamara (Tamara is the manager that refused to give me my money and gave me the out-​of-​order phone number to call). They could seriously use a mystery shopper in this store.

Closing early? 7PM. I mentioned kindly Unilocal states 8PM. The Latino male cashier rudely shouted at me. «Oh well. Guess you should call corporate then!» Poor customer service. Unwelcoming arrogant Staff.

One dressing room left some of the more bold patrons changing in the isles. To be honest I can’t blame them, the occupant of the dressing room was «sharing it» with her boyfriend if you catch my meaning.
The clothing is cheap AND the selection is just boring.

No selection, and they seriously want $ 8.99-$ 9.99 for nasty, no-​name men’s dress shirts. And it smells like ass.

I’ve only been to goodwill stores in Connecticut but I wanted to stop in here to check it out. Immediately upon walking in, the store smelled like urine. I really couldn’t stay long at all due to the smell and the store was the most drab layout I’ve ever seen. They definitely need to clean that place up.

Not sure about this Goodwill. I’ve been in quite a few, and it’s always a mixed bag. There’s a certain smell, and this one has a little more of that. The stuff tends to be very used of course, and there’s just more of that too. It feels a little dirty too.
I know that it serves and important role providing cheap clothing and jobs, but it’s hard to see this one in a good light. A store like this in Oakland could be a flagship for a growing Oakland, but it needs a lot more work. Won’t go back in a hurry, but given its location near my work, I’m sure I’ll peek in from time to time.

I had great success at this Goodwill! It is in a very convenient location, is organized (by color and style, but not size), and has a lot of great wearable items. I found three lovely tops for work, a button up blouse from Express for $ 8 (I’ve bought this style new before for over $ 50!), a cream form-​fitting sweater from Ann Taylor for $ 7(!!), and a cute Derek Moon Sweater for $ 7. Each of these items alone would cost over $ 20 new, and each were in great condition.
As for the smell of the store, I have to say that this is the least moth-​ball-​smelling Goodwill I’ve ever been to. The only negative thing about it is there is only one dressing room, and its lock is not very good. If you want to shop here, bring a friend to guard the dressing room door, and I am sure you will have a great experience and find some cute clothes! I posted a photo of my tops from today.
I really like to be able to shop Goodwill/​consignment because of the wonderful «green» element, and boy do I love those prices. Happy hunting!
Oh and also you can bring donations in here right through the front door– nice and easy!

We spotted this Goodwill as we walked back to our car, after walking around Oakland’s City Center. A group of men stood out front the Burger King next door with a cloud of green smoke around them, and adult beverages in-​hand. Hehe, oh, Oakland. We walked into Goodwill and I saw a cute dress hanging in front of me (a few sizes too small, but some lucky girl will find that gem!)
We were immediately greeted by a friendly employee who commented on our matching shirts :D (I watched my husband get dressed this morning and then found the «twinning» match on my side of the closet and snuck it on before he noticed.) The employee noticed! While we were there I saw other employees greeting customers as soon as they entered. Clear, friendly greetings.
The store is large and very well organized. Clothing was separated by colors and styles, and house ware items are on shelves in the back. Everything seemed pretty clean and in good condition, minus one jacket that I saw on display in the front window. The sleeves were filthy. I was surprised this one was on display, since they had so many other great items.

Goodwill to me is an important part of any record collectors collection…
I dig at Goodwill because your mother or father lost sight of what it means to have a dope collection of vinyl records! And just when they got tired of keep them up in the garage or closet, they tell you… «Go donate these to goodwill so I can get a $ 2 tax break»… and just then is when I step in robbing Goodwill for phat records.
I’ve ran into PRICELESS records here. just discarded like trash and marked down for pennies!
Have no fear, there is a raw bread of kids out there who understand the importance of classic music, raw formats such as Vinyl, and will go to many lengths to save a copy! So when you see me in goodwill, headphones on, walking with a battery powered turntable in hand, give me a dap! Because likely that shit I’m picking up will be on Adult Swim, Some Movie, or some artists album with a dope beat behind it!
So Unilocal,tune this up. walk in, score!

You know, I think if you liked to poke around and find cool things, this might be the place to do it. I like this location because they accept baby things, and I have somewhere to leave off durable goods my kids no longer use.
Last time I was here a perfectly respectable gentleman (in appearance only) took a leak right behind the electrical box to the South of the store. In broad daylight! So don’t go blaming Goodwill if that section of the sidewalk smells a little funky.
You might also be interested to know that the organization is secular.

I stop in this Goodwill store about 4 – 5 times a month. I have found stemware that is off the hook… perfect sets of wine, martini and champagne glasses! I also found Pottery Barn appetizer plates. the whole set of 6 in perfect condition. no chips, cracks or scratches! I replaced all of my boring glassware with designer stuff and no one knows… :)
Hmm, what else? Clothing is always a success. Gap, A&F…great short sleeves shirts for the warmer days… all in great condition. I have found art and a few pieces of furniture as well… all in good condition. You just have to keep going back. I rarely buy anything brand new anymore. If there are no tears or stains it’s brand new to me!
Stop in– you’ll be glad you did.

Pros: Staff were very friendly and nice fitting rooms. Cons: Could have been cleaner, prices were higher than some other Goodwills for lesser brands, neighborhood didn’t feel great at night for a single female, and not visually appealing store. It was not awful, but definitely was not good. I will not be back…

This store is notoriously bad at opening on time whatever their posted hours are. One time I was at their door perhaps 15 minutes after when they’re suppose to be opened already and found the door locked. Then once inside, their prices are typically higher than their competitors, extremely slow service, credit card reader not working one time, rarely discounts anything, except once in month perhaps 50% off clothing. Their clothing is nicely organized but it’s no bargain. Not a place I would like to shop at, when their competitors open promptly, friendlier staff, and better discounts. But I still come to browse, as I still may manage to find a «bargain.»

It’s mostly clothes. Don’t come here looking for furniture or any housewares that are worth your while. The employees I’ve encountered have been super nice.

One must take the good with the bad. This Goodwill is extremely disorganized, and half the employees sustained drug induced labotamies. Where else can you find a Christian Dior bow tie beside a half can of FaBreeze, both for the same price. Just kidding, I never found a half can of FaBreeze at this store, but if I did, I would run around spraying customers and employees alike. All the smelly homeless people fingering the clothes and emitting strange sounds and smells. Why do they invariably wander into the electronics section to see how loud the radios can play. Enough about them, what about the employees? How comes I find empty bottles for 99 cents? Hmmm, should I buy an empty Yoohoo bottle for 99 cents, or buy a full one at the gas station for 89 cents?
Stupid people aside, I love to peek in when I’m estranged in Berkeley because you never know what you will find. I have found several Armani suits, a pair of Prada shoes and a tuxedo here. Unfortunately, they don’t allow you to take hangers with your clothes, and sometimes you have to wait for a streetwalker to try on the suit first. When I bought my tux, the sales clerk tried to crumble the tuxedo into a ball and stuff it in a bag. She also wanted to put a staple through the tuxedo, which sent me into a defensive posture behind the showcase.
Speaking of which, the showcase is a locked glass case at the front of the store beside the cash register. The items are locked in the showcase, clearly because they were deemed valuable. You can find broken plastic watches, fake Gucci purses and VHS tapes. There are frequently AOL CD’s and obscelete computer products. If there is an apple emblem on an item, it automotically gets overpriced, even if it’s obscelete. The ironic thing is that the valuable stuff typically goes unnoticed as it is shelved in the general circulation areas for people with taste. When you do find that gem, and it’s not sitting against a pair of shitty pants, it justifies the search.

I love this place! Sure, you have to dig through the racks to find cool stuff but it’s totally worth it. The employees are super friendly and they have huge sales.

I have been in here many times during my lunch break… but have yet to buy anything.
The store isn’t super well organized (but it seems like they are working on that) but there is a lot of clothing to look through. There aren’t too many housewares — not a great selection if what they do have.
The workers never seem too friendly. They seem distracted talking to each other and Peoples they know who come in — part of why I haven’t bought anything.
It is a good place to waste some time, though!

I haven’t been in a goodwill store for literally decades. i used to bargain hunt for comics and books at goodwills.
this location is mostly clothee of various sorts. the book section is in the back against the wall on the right.
found 2 books on chinese american history (maybe fictionalized):
–gus lee, «honor and duty» @1.29
–mccunn, «thousand pieces of gold» @1.29
when you buy 2, you get one free, thus:
–tom clancy: net force, point of impact“
checking out:
–friendly service, no problems
–senior discounts available
–parking difficult this part of town.

Convenient location, same block as a 12^th Street BART station entrance/​exit. Pee smells walking past the BART area not so great…
Racks were okay — I went there specifically looking for baby clothes, after much success at another Goodwill location (still debating whether to disclose at this point!), and was hoping to walk away with more good deals. I’m pretty picky — meaning no visible stains, etc. — so I only found one item — a nice German-​made wool sweater for $ 3.99. Generally, onesies are $ 1.99 and sleepers are $ 2.99 but I still didn’t find anything worth getting. Like I said, I was totally spoiled at the other location!
Overall, typical musty smell, not so greatly lit location. Clothes did not *smell* clean — not that they smelled dirty, maybe just unwashed, but I wasn’t so enthusiastic about digging through the baby clothes bin. Some baby and children’s clothes are on hangers but it really is hit or miss.
Definitely not returning to this location… sorry.