Old inventory that sits for months due to outlandishly high prices. Straight up hiding chips on hard goods with price stickers. Today I bought a set of coasters which they had taped together and hidden the broken one on the bottom!! So you have no way of knowing what you are buying is broken. Come on now. They still asked 6 dollars for the set of 4 knowing that they are damaged. It's just crazy. read more

My friend and I took a 3 month break from coming here because of the unpleasant manager, old inventory etc. Today, sadly, was an experience in deep patience. The music is stuck in 1984, and it's LOUD- you can hardly talk. Several people around us were complaining and someone asked to turn the music down- it's pre-set. Ugh. No music, different music- stop the music. read more

Alpha Thrift Store - Lable on back of souvenir from USSR. - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Goleta, California

The prices here are often ridiculously high! You can buy a dress at Ross for less money. I was in here yesterday and their dress prices have risen to an average of $12 per dress. Many of them are much more than that. You can find nice, high quality things, sure, but be prepared to pay a lot! read more

The type of pricing to expect here FYI...most items are outrageously priced. Like worn out old tank tops for 8 bucks. read more

Alpha Thrift Store - Pricing - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Goleta, California

Their website claims that they're up until 545. I was there at 5:15 and the door Please put accurate information on your website read more

1. Parking SUCKS, you will most likely have to wait. 2. They don't reprice at the cashier and LOTS of things are not priced. They staple prices with flimsy paper so it's easy to come off while sorting through items. It's not the costumers fault but at the cashier they will NOT reprice and sell. I don't believe it's that hard to price something (they receive for free) on the spot and sell it. They make you feel like you're stealing, it's so uncomfortable. 3. Costumer service is bad. The alpha thrift location on Milpas is overpriced but has WAY better costumer service at least! 4. Lastly, it's all OVERPRICED, I try to buy second hand to be sustainable but it feels like a scam at this location. Receiving used items for free and pricing them almost at full price is unreal. I WILL NO LONGER BE GOING OR DONATING. read more

I have been there a few times, the people that work there are so friendly, the selection of high end brand name items is amazing and so is the value. I travel almost 2 hours each way for my visits read more

Extremely rude, unfriendly employees. Me and my friend came in to shop and left our starbucks drinks outside to be courteous of the store. An employee took our drink from outside and threw them away. The clothes were also very overpriced. DO NOT RECCOMEND‼‼ read more

I want to start by saying I've found some good things here. I prefer it to other thrift stores in the area, HOWEVER... the customer service is seriously flawed and has left me upset more than a few times. They don't have a single person who can price items working at any time in store. Yes you read that right. AND like other reviews say, their items frequently don't have price tags. The kicker is, not only will they will not sell it to you, but they won't even let you put it on hold for when it does get priced. It seems very scammy and greedy to me. You're a thrift store, you get this stuff for free, and you won't even price an item for a willing customer to BUY? This policy needs to be changed. Besides this, they are rude about shutting down dressing rooms, and have even stopped me in the past for trying on clothes in front of a mirror 15 minutes before closing??? (This happened a couple times but admittedly not recently). Anyways, I hope the owner sees this and changes the policy on pricing. It seriously SUCKS and doesn't make any sense. read more

I have found some wonderful items here... as well as overpriced ones too. I will say I appreciate how the clothes on the rack sometimes look as if it's been ironed. My friends and I have bought some lovely dresses for super cheap, with inflation the cost has gone but I believe there are still some hidden gems here. Also I love that they have dressing rooms and I don't have to try on things in between aisles. The parking can get a little tricky so I'd suggest arriving early. read more

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I don't live in the area, I just happened by this place and came in 15 minutes before the closed. I was bummed the minute I heard they were closing because there was so much to look at, lots of vintage knick-nacks at reasonable prices. I grabbed one item that looked like really authetic carved ivory (it wasn't) but what a find! Totally unique and definitely not of this era, and it was only $8. I am planning to return soon, with friends. I will definitely be a repeat offender even though i live an hour away. read more

Alpha Thrift Store - Carved ivory-look asian statue. $8. - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Goleta, California

this place is horrible the staff is ghetto and rude. eveything is so expensive and it's not even good brands or anything they have Costco clothes prices for more then Costco. don't come here just don't do it read more

Message to all you haters - this is a great thrift store for the following reasons: 1. Clean & Organized 2. Great hours 3. Great Parking 4. Fair Prices 5. Helpful Staff 6. Good Finds 7. Good Lighting 8. Lots of Name Brands 10. Found $1,000 of retail items in like new condition for $50. Highly recommend read more

Rude supervisors the past year or so. Pricing is so cute n consistent or overpriced. Cashiers will at times want to charge hire than tagged price. read more

OVERPRICED for a thrift store!! Used coffee table was priced at $300, you've got to be kidding! It's used, for crying out loud, might as well buy a new one. read more

The store was well organized and for women there was so much to look at. The men section was a bit smaller but there were still some good finds. The store is somewhat big! You could definitely find some good finds here! read more

Alpha Thrift Store - Front of store - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Goleta, California

This thrift store sucks so bad. Terrible parking, everything is overpriced, the employees, especially the loud mouthed short woman, are awful. Avoid this place if you value your sanity. read more

Worst thrift store ever! My dad recently bought a designer bag thinking I (his daughter) would love it, however when he pulled it out to show it to me I realized it was the worst knockoff I had ever seen! My dad who is not a confrontational man and who regularly frequents this store asked me to not go and try to return the bag as he didn't want to make things awkward the next time he goes to shop at this store. When I went to speak to the store manager named Remy she claimed that they could not offer any sort of refund, and was very rude about it, claiming that they can not guarantee the item to be authentic yet with those prices you would think they would be authenticated! Not sure if they know but it is illegal to sell fake designer goods, and have since reported this store as they want to continue selling them to customers. read more

PRICES, PRICES, PRICES, are continually going up. Like retail Ross etc, this is supposed to be a THRIFT STORE, not a retail store. Where the sole purpose is to sell at affordable prices to your lower income population who struggle to pay retail. This store is getting far away from THRIFT PRICES. BRING IT DOWN A NOTCH ALPHA, you are way over due for it! read more

This store has by far the worst customer service I have ever seen, the owners should really reconsider who they hire to run their business. Rude, disrespectful, and just plain embarrassing, that is how I would describe the Female manager. She needs to be fired immediately!!! On several occasions I have seen the manager of alpha thrift store disrespect the employees and customers of this location, who does this lady think she is? She really needs to learn how to do her job right or work somewhere she doesn't have much interaction with other people, because clearly she can't even do that right. How pathetic!! Really sucks to see that people just hire just anyone now a days read more

I'm not sure how they price the items, but they are insane and way too high. After a not favorable review, ALL OF A SUDDEN, someone writes how neat the store is and how pricing is good.....LOL!! I donate a lot of boxes of items, and I was surprise to see some of the prices on items I have donated......It appears they Goggle Ebay and are using those prices......not cool read more

Not my favorite thrift store the alpha thrift that was down the street in old town was a lot better bummed that one is gone because this one doesn't have too much of anything and most of the stuff is overpriced including the clothing. Skirts are almost $8 a piece which is so odd to me for a second hand store and how much inventory they have being donated. They often have large furniture items outside & in which is great but for everyday items since they've done their changes over the years really isn't worth a visit read more

Organized but way too pricey!! I used to love this thrift store but they are pricing items that are free to them, way too high!! Stop being greedy!! read more

Alpha is a good thrift store. They mostly sell clothing by category and they are all the same price. Shirts are $6.50, pants $7.50 etc. They used to have more furniture but I guess it was taking up quality space? The purses are the exception to their reasonable pricing. Any name brand is way over priced! Love the fact they do weekly sales of colored tags. read more

Like the other Alpha Thrift stores in the area, this one is overpriced. It's also a fairly large store with some free parking behind the building. They have lots of clothes, a good variety of knick knacks and collectibles as well as electronics and household miscellaneous. When I was there last weekend they had a Craftsman table saw for like $40 and some sort of commercial food prep machine. I don't buy clothes here because they're too expensive, but in their non-clothes items you can sometimes find some really cool things. The fact that the building is quite large allows them to offer big or bulky items (like a table saw) that wouldn't fit in a smaller thrift store (like downtown). read more

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This place is the worst..ever increasing prices coupled with a selection that is just meh makes this a no go for me. I have been coming here for years and I'm over it..go with the mindset that you are shopping a boutique rather than thrifting and you might not be irked by the prices/lack of selection. Also, every time I'm here they are continually breaking large amounts of glass as they unload and sort items in the back..not exactly inspiring trust that these things haven't been damaged before I purchase. read more

I attended the Alpha sponsored art studio called "Slingshot", 220 W Canon Perdido, and was amazed. Slingshot is a studio and gallery for artists with inteelectual disabilities. It is well worth a visit. Today I dropped off some donations and felt a glow of satisfaction and a surge of joy about the process. read more

This is my favorite thrift store in Goleta, and I have been a thrifter my whole life. It is well organized, easy to find what I'm looking for, and CLEAN. I don't sneeze when I come in here. I usually have allergy fits in other thrift stores. This is a great place to find deals and it's easy to drop stuff off too. Just be careful, the parking lot is often crowded, and get get tight and hectic! Stay calm and spot will eventually open. The places next door will tow! Po read more

This store is TERRIBLE. So disorganized with multiple rude and intimidating employees. I went there with my boyfriend to find a pair of dress shoes. After trying a couple pairs on, the last thing I expected was for my original shoes to be gone from where I left them. After bringing this up to the manager and some employees, they checked the cameras and after making me wait for 45 minutes I was promptly informed that THEY SOLD MY SHOES TO ANOTHER CUSTOMER for a FRACTION of the price. Apparently if someone brings them something without a price tag, they make a price on the spot at the register, so watch out folks! They were originally over $80 and these people sold them for an INSULTING $12. They offered to give me a free, much worse pair of shoes and intimidated me out of asking for the rest of my stuff off free. Terrible customer service! read more

HORRIBLE EMPLOYEES. I went in and had a basket full of not great but decently priced clothes, I heard the employees gossiping about how I was stupid for grabbing a LABELED item out of a section that was apparently not for sale anymore. The girl spoke in Spanish assuming I didn't speak it, but she accused me of being a thief. I dropped my items and walked out. The employees tailed me and my friend the entire time. So uncomfortable read more

Overpriced to start. They also treat employees unfairly with unmentionable practices. The main property is dingy, unkempt, and dreary. I would never subject a family member anywhere within this organization. read more

This is the mother of all central coast thrift shops, and I was excited to be coming here again, especially when I learned that the State Street location had closed and they had opened in a larger space on Hollister in Goleta. I was not disappointed. Picture racks and racks of carefully displayed clothing. Boxes of holiday decor. Bric a brac and kitchen ware all neatly displayed with others of their ilk. I like a thrift shop that is arranged in a way that makes sense for a fucking change. I got a cupcake tin and several silverplate forks in fab condition for about $10. Some of the prices seemed a little high for what you got, but they have specials and sales quite a bit, so you can generally manage to find something for a great price - and it all goes to charity, so it's hard to quibble over the prices. My big find last time I was there were a couple of gorgeous old ceiling fixtures - one is milk glass with cut outs of plain glass and is so pretty and the other is a pale PINK! I paid $1.25 for each of them. Sure I had to get them wired, which cost another $100 or so, but they are totally unique, and I really savored the moment when the lamp guy offered to buy each one from me for $300 each! It was like I had my very own personal Antiques Roadshow moment! read more

I have an addiction. To thrift stores. Alpha thrift is NOT a thrift store. If you charge $20 for a USED, DONATED sweater, then you are not a thrift store! Every time I go in here I get so mad because everything is outrageously priced. Here is my thing, if you wanna charge double digits, then call your self a boutique or a vintage shop, whatever! Thrift stores should never cost more than $7, and thats pushing it. You wanna a good one, go to the shop in the Magnolia shopping center, its cheap and pretty good. Support them cause they don't rip their customers off! read more

I had to laugh when I came here earlier this week and saw used men t-shirts going for $6.99 and up. I didn't even bother looking at the other clothes. The book selection was pretty good, but prices are based on size, which is pretty bizarre. With the minimum price being $1.95, I didn't waste too much time here. The bric-a-brac section is fun -- lots of variety and a lot of stuff marked off 30%. Personally, I think it's more than reasonable for thrift stores to charge what they can get since they are raising money for charity. I think the people managing this place have to think a little more about what people are going to be willing to pay so as to maximize the money they take in. I certainly wouldn't pay $20 for an old clock radio or $3.99 for a scratched cd. What I probably should do is donate directly to the Alpha organization, which focuses on helping developmentally disabled people. read more

This review is as a donater (is that a real word? why does it look so weird?) I had some clothing that I wanted to donate because I believe in the community that Alpha services. It was good quality clothing (new, some still with tags and bought at Nordstrom, Lucky Brand and Wendy Foster. The items were clean and ironed and a lot of them still had tags on them.) I had them on hangers in garments bags and when I dropped them off, the guy shouted at me "Put them there" and pointed towards a pile of what looked like throwaway junk. I started to explain that they were all ironed and ready to go and he just gave me a stern look and pointed towards the pile again, like I was a child who'd disobeyed him. Listen, I totally get that people bring a bunch of junk to donation drop offs because they're too lazy to throw stuff out or take it to the dump. But this was nice stuff that I felt happy to donate because I knew it would be something they could sell. I ended up leaving them where he said, but darn it. I wish he'd been nicer and more willing to understand that I didn't want to leave my stuff in a pile. It would have just made more work for them to iron it all again. read more

I love thrift stores and this is a good one! When I lived in Santa Barbara, I used to shop her about once a week. They often had new merchandise and always had good prices and a good selection. I even found furniture to buy here. The store overall seems pretty clean for a thrift store and does not really have a "smell" (which is a good thing!). Clothing is well organized too. Any who lives in Santa Barbara and likes to be thrifty should check out Alpha! You can of course donate things you are not using anymore here too! read more

Went to the Goleta location [on Hollister, there are actually two but this was the one that was next to the freeway] -- wow. Up there with SF Bay Area's Thrift Town in terms of AMAZING LEVEL OF ORGANIZATION. All the Pyrex on a shelf, all the traditional Mexi-wear on a special Spanish Days rack, clothes sorted by type/color etc. Loved it. Minus a star because overall prices were kind of jacked up [I wouldn't have bought anything if they didn't have the half-off blue tags special that day and I didn't see a whole lot of higher-end stuff, much less anything with store tags still on as mentioned in Jillian's review]. read more

This place drives me nuts. It's got a seriously decent assortment, but I rarely walk out with anything because I literally cannot believe what they want for their stuff. Just to give a reference... the sort of sweater you would be totally ok with picking up for 3 bucks somewhere else is like 15 or 20 bucks here... so suddenly, the sweater that would be a lot cooler if it was cheaper becomes a talking point for your yelp review. And no, I'm not exaggerating. It is FANTASTICALLY organized and the stuff here seems cleaner than most other places. So it does have that going for it... Parking can be a big pain in the butt since they have a few spots directly behind the shop-- it's sandwiched by a carpet store that vigorously defends their few spots and a corporate office that has lots of reserved (and usually occupied) spots. read more

They made my first time donation really simple and easy. The phone receptionist was really nice and gave me clear and easy instructions to schedule a pickup and walked me through the process. Simple. Easy. Responsive. read more

I'm writing this as a donator to the store, not a shopper. I've been decluttering my house for the past few months and have called alpha to pick up some donations twice. The first time, it was super easy. I called in the morning and they said a truck would be out the next day between 9 and 5. And it was! They came and picked up all the stuff and left a donation receipt. Awesome. The second time I called, I called multiple times during different times of the day on various days, and no one picked up (this was during their 9-5 business hours). I eventually left a message saying I wanted to schedule a pick up. They called back the next morning to say they got my message and would be in the area on 2/2. I called them back multiple times to confirm that this was good for me. I finally got through to someone on 2/1 and they confirmed the truck would be at my house between 9am and 5pm on 2/2. It is currently 7:19pm on 2/2. They still have not come, and I haven't received a phone call. I tried calling them around 4:30 to make sure they were coming today, but no one answered. I'm not sure how much longer I should leave my stuff outside. Such a shame. Now I have to decide if I want to try them again or try another pick up donation place. Edit: They called me the next morning when I was already away from my house, telling me they would be there that day. I wish they would have called me the day before so I could have left my stuff outside. I called them around lunch time and asked what time they would be coming, as I could maybe run home during lunch to put my donation boxes on the porch. The lady said she didn't know, but would call them and let me know. She called back and told me they had already come to my house, and they didn't find anything so they just left. Well, of course they didn't find anything. I had no idea they were coming. I wish they would have told me in advance. read more