The empty nest offers a variety of goodies from estates and auctions. It offers rare finds and antiques that become stand out pieces inside your home. Be prepared to be wooed when you visit. It is relaxing walking around looking at the items until you find your favorite piece. read more

I wish I could give a 3.5 rating, since overall it was a good experience. So here's the deal. - lack of large signage on the exterior, makes it easy to miss being it blends in with the other businesses along the strip. -upon entering you may be given a strip of SOLD stickers. If not, you can find them by the registers. They're for tagging larger items you want to buy. You put the sticker on, and take it's product/price tag to the cashier for check-out. -the store is packed with items and people, which makes moving around not so easy. I don't think it's ideal for walkers, wheelchairs, or strollers. If you have mobility challenges, navigating may be tough. -some items don't have a price tag, like the pillow I bought. I asked the cashier how the price is determined, and was advised they assign what they think is a fair price at check-out. My pillow was valued at $4. -i got there at 10:07am, 7 mins after they opened and there were people everywhere. That said, if you're a serious shopper arrive early to see the goods before the super-early birds snatch it all up. -again, it's filled with stuff; mainly furniture, home decor, dinnerware, kitchen goods, some shoes, books, and I even saw cute scarves and bags. It didn't seem like a destination for clothes. Now that I'v summed that up, I do believe it's a nice option for thrifting and would definitely recommend it. read more

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Such interesting finds at Empty the Nest. The best part is they announce discounts for Sundays. Such deals! I got an amazing stained glass lampshade and brown crock. It's fun to see things from your grandparents house. Memories. Such a wide selection from lamps to books to furniture to tools to decor. Something different every time! read more

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Great variety of stuff! Their inventory comes from clearing out houses after people move. LOTS of furniture, kitchen equipment, decor. No clothes as far as I saw. Affordable! Friendly service. Weird hours (mostly weekends?). I went on a "half off everything" day! Busy but you can get around - no carts. read more

The location is now in Golden Valley. Google one week said they were open but sign said closed. I was again nearby and called and their message said open Feb 8-9 and Feb 14-16. Drove over and they just opened at 11 on a Sunday. The guy at front door said everything 30% off but some China cabinet. Then hoards of people are in the store. It is so ridiculously cluttered and you are backed into corners trying to get by. I didn't find anything and prices were high to begin with. I couldn't get out of their cluttered store with hoards of people fast enough. It is not a thrift store! read more

A great service to offer people. I was disappointed in the price they wanted to charge my grandmother who called them thinking they would buy or at least except some very nice donations. In the end they said they would take everything she had but that it would cost her $1,275. She ended up giving it all to goodwill and the VA who picked it up for free. read more

For someone who seeks rundown old ass stuff to bring back to life, this place is a gold mine. I found a work bench on Craigslist for $18, perfect for a refurbishing project. I called them on a Wendesday and found someone. I was surprised because they're only open Saturday-Monday. They told me it was available and they take appointments outside of open hours for any Craigslist posts. I decided I'd call back Saturday to check and make the drive there. Saturday morning I call, it takes about 8 calls to get someone to answer. A woman said they were extremely busy and would call me back in 2 minutes to let me know if my table was still there. 30 minutes later, no call back. I decide to just head there. Parking and the store was packed. Lots of old junk to browse through. Luckily my table is still there, and I find a plethora of other goodies. I practiced restraint and only purchased my desk and a chair. They take visa by the way. Online the desk was $18, the sticker in the store said $22. My simple wood chair was $18, should have been $10 compared to the desk. Although still cheap, prices are off at this place. I'm guessing several people do the pricing. I showed the cashier the craigslist ad and she happily made an adjustment. A couple really nice workers loaded the desk in my car for me. Overall, the people were super friendly, there's a lot of stuff to check out, and prices are cheap. However, the cons are that they don't answer their phones, lie about calling back, and don't price items correctly. read more

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Wow! What an AMAZING, MARVELOUS Thrift store! So many items in good condition with awesome prices that can't be beat! On my FIRST visit last Sunday, I got the cutest coffee cups with brass handles for $1 each and a nice coffee table for $2! Amazing store that's only open three days a week Saturday, Sunday (all day) and Monday evening. Check their website for accurate times... My new favorite thrift store! Yippeee! read more

This place is overwhelming! They are full to the brim with cheap antiques and oddities. A staff member told me they clean out 10 houses a week and stock is constantly changing. They're open Saturday to Monday. I would suggest going on a Monday to hopefully beat the crowds. It's pretty chaotic and I often times found myself "stuck" in an aisle because people would come snooping on all sides. Now that I think of it, it actually reminds me of the room of requirement in Hogwarts. And I did find some cook ware that I needed... Anyway, prices are insanely low (priced to sell!) and I did hear people haggling and getting them even lower. I would go again if I was looking for special items, great for gifts and hard to find things! read more

This was a great place when it was a true thrift store located near the intersection near 55 and Boone Ave. Not so at it's current location of 1000 Boone Ave N. The couple who owned it got divorced, the husband got the store, and it's now a hoity toity shop with overpriced items that I would never buy. I will never go into the new location again. It would hardly earn one star now. read more

OK - not my type of thrift store. But if you are the type who likes thrift stores where you really do have to go treasure hunting and dig through dirty dusty stuff, this place would be awesome for you! Like many, we were stunned at how busy this place was. Parking was indeed difficult. And when we got in, we joined the throngs perusing a loosely organized set of nick nacks and furniture. It was dimly lit and somewhat claustrophobic to me. And, like many thrift stores, it set off my asthma. So like I said - not my particular cup of tea. But I know there are people out there who love this type of store. So I'm not saying it's bad. Just wasn't for me. read more

What's great thrift store! They had so many interesting finds, and at a great price! You don't don't that often in the metro where they have great prices and great finds! They are constantly bringing new items in so I am excited to go back! read more

My partner and I saw a dresser set that looked nice in a photo and requested a hold. Denise said that they would HOLD the item IF we sent $200. We went into the store the next day and decided on closer inspection that we didn't want it. We requested a refund for the HOLD we placed, but they're insisting it's a purchase and won't refund me. The manager will only offer store credit which is worthless to us since we won't be going back. read more

I am a huge fan of small businesses. I try to support them in these struggling times, but this company has taken advantage of their consumers. I saw something on their instagram and asked to buy it and pick it up. They use Venmo, and I trusted them to follow through. Upon picking this up, my partner took pictures of how badly damaged it was and my brother (who was helping pick it up) didn't think it would survive the trip. **only after purchasing with venmo, could we pick it up and they only offered store credit as a refund,-it is strictly by appointment only** Are you kidding me?! It's a broken product, and you can only go into the store when they want to. I would post the pictures, but I intend to pursue legal action at this point. Bottom line: Only use Paypal Good and Services with them until you receive the product, that way you can ask for a refund if they try to sell you shoddy products. You are protected with goods and services. read more

This is my 2nd time shopping here , lots to choose from most of the stuff is older but its very cheap and in good condition. They change things out every hour , they are open 3 days a week. read more

Empty the Nest - Thrift Stores Near Me - Golden Valley, Minnesota

They did the cleanout at my Mom's house after her passing and did a fantastic job. They were clear about what they needed from me, and what they could and couldn't do. They helped me schedule the work, kept me apprised of its progress and even finished early, even though it was a huge job at the end of a difficult driveway on a busy street. I was able to get the house ready for sale sooner than expected, and feel good that as much as possible of my Mom's things ended up doing the most good. Enthusiastically recommended! read more

This place is probably not for those who don't like crowds and the thrill of treasuring hunting. It's definitely a hit-or-miss situation, but that's what you can expect from a thrift store. They are only open three days a week, but sometimes you can find some nice items that are great as-is or as an easy refinish project. Both our dresser and our small hutch are from Empty the Nest! The dresser is huge and was around $35 I believe. We refinished it with a charcoal chalk paint and it's been beautiful for the whole two years since. We also bought a cute little hutch that didn't need any work for $25. One tip is make sure you have access to a car or trailer the same day, as they don't hold items overnight (they have limited hours/days open anyway). read more

This place is a hidden gem!! Found a feed sack lap blanket for five dollars! Fun if you're looking for a treasure hunt.... Reasonable prices too! read more

Empty the Nest - Thrift Stores Near Me - Golden Valley, Minnesota

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We visited on a Saturday morning. So, I imagine other times might be less claustrophobic. Parking is rough. Be prepared to hoof it. The store itself is pretty packed in with junk. I'm sure there's gems. But a quick run through didn't make me pick anything up and an encounter with a rude employee, demanding that I move, even though I was boxed in by a gentleman with a large metal garden implement, sealed the deal. I wouldn't be making the journey from South Minneapolis again, anytime soon. If you live close and don't mind a horde, go for it. read more

Awesome place! The staff is so friendly and over-the-top helpful, and the shop has some really cool stuff for very affordable prices. Found a couch I was interested in and the fantastic employees took the time to help me check out the legs and see if they could get them off for me. So helpful! I'm definitely making it a regular stop on my weekend thrift/vintage shop circuit! read more

This store has now moved off hwy 55 behind trustone credit union in the warehouses. They are open weekends as estate sale resale shop. People line up before the doors open every weekend. I think there okay...estate sale prices, mostly house hold items. Its so crowded its hard to shop here, they do have sales look on there facebook page for more info. read more

Hired Empty the Nest to clear out my parents house as we were getting ready to sell so my parents could downsize. The team that arrived on time were so awesome. They completely cleared out the contents from the house and provided donation slips for items they donate instead of sell in their store. If you are looking for a company to assist you with clearing out clutter, downsizing, etc.. you should be happy you found Empty the Nest. read more

Extremely friendly place. The concept is great they clean out homes for seniors moving out and sell the items. Every weekend there's 10 new houses and always a changing inventory of items. I bought a China hutch solid wood with glass for $52 can't find that deal anywhere! Many of the items need a face lift but that's the fun of it read more

Super nice people and fantastic deals. You truly don't know what you will find here since their merchandise changes so much. Fun to take a walk through and see what catches your eye. read more

What an amazing find! Definitely priced to sell. Beautiful antique armoires for $24! Better than a garage sale. Not a lot of the dishes n small stuff. A lot of what they had today was furniture. Also saw a really cool wing back chair for $30+. Staff was working hard moving furniture out of the store. This place was packed on a Sunday afternoon. Definitely will come back. read more

I first heard of Empty the Nest (ETN) 4-5 years ago (newspaper story). At that time ETN was in Burnsville. I went to that location once or twice. Don't think I bought anything. I've been to the Golden Valley site 6-8 times in the past year. I get the Friday e-mails with pics of what's currently for sale. If there's something of particular interest, I go to ETN, usually on a Sat. right around the time they open. It's hard for me to rate ETN. The prices of the few things (3, I think) that I have bought have been very good ($8 each for 2 red Radio Flyer metal wagons) to a bit overpriced ($18 for a verdigris metal bird feeder that has about a 4' high scroll-type 4-legged base with a plexiglas cylinder on top and then a verdigris metal cap; I bought it even though I thought a more appropriate price would have been $10-$12). If I were basing the review solely on price, I would probably give it a 4 or 4.5 (if that were doable). Here are the reasons I'm giving ETN an overall 3-star rating instead of a 4: ***Very limited hours (10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Sat., 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Sun., and 4:00-8:00 p.m. Mon.) which could be challenging for people who routinely work weekends or have 2nd jobs. I think people can make an appointment to look at items but I've never tried that so don't know how accommodating staff would be if someone wanted to do that. ***Because of the limited hours and the often "one of a kind" inventory, there is a line of people waiting for the doors to open. Parking can be very challenging. Once the doors open, it becomes bedlam as people dash to find the items they may have seen on FB or from the ETN weekly e-mails. It's hard navigating through the store because of all the people. Once I got there right as ETN opened. I was particularly interested in an old metal washtub which I thought would be great as a planter in my yard. It was already snapped up. Another lady was also looking for it because she had the same idea as me. ***Once you're ready to check out, prepare to wait in line. It doesn't help that the checkout area is in the middle of the store. People waiting to pay take up precious aisle space, making it even more difficult for people who are shopping to get around. It would make more sense if the checkout was at the front of the store on the other side of the staircase. At least the people waiting to pay would be somewhat out of the way. ***The weekly e-mails (and I'm assuming ETN's FB page) say that customers can purchase items by phone after 1:00 p.m. Sat. A couple Saturdays ago I had gone to ETN around 10:30 a.m. Spotted a Radio Flyer (I had bought one a few weeks earlier) but didn't buy as I didn't know if I could use 2 in my yard. I had a meeting a few miles east and when that ended at 2:30 p.m. I called ETN to see if the wagon was still there. The phone rang 3 times followed by dead silence--no apparent disconnection. I waited a few seconds, dialed again and then someone answered. Wagon was still there so I bought it over the phone and picked it up a short time later. Today (4/28/18) I called at 1:30 p.m. because I was interested in a pink wing-back chair and a garden statue of a black spaniel. Phone was answered after a few rings. I said I was checking to see if 2 items were still available and proceeded to describe them, including that the chair had been next to a white couch with burgundy flowers. The gal said I would have to talk to someone else so another person came on the line. Went through the same spiel and was then told "I just got here a little while ago so I don't really know what was already sold" and I was then told I needed to speak to a third person. I again described what I was looking for and approximately where each item was located. This person thought I was asking about a chair that had a print upholstery (I never indicated that so don't know why she came to that conclusion). I responded that it was a solid pink. It was sold as was the statue. This person, while polite, proceeded to tell me that if I wanted to buy something over the phone it would be helpful to give a good description of it, including approximately where in the store it was located. I did that with BOTH items but apparently not sufficient enough to satisfy this gal. I don't remember her exact words but she also gave the impression that it was inconvenient for staff when a customer wanted to buy something over the phone--after all, they are so busy and since I've been to the store in the past, I would know what it's like. Well, perhaps it is inconvenient to take orders over the phone but the owners/management allow it, so it's not appropriate for staff to then relay to phone customers that it's inconvenient to deal with them. When I went back to the store to pick up the wagon I had bought over the phone, it was a lot less busy (around 3:00 p.m.) so that might be a good time to browse if you're not looking for anything in particular. read more

They post items from their shop on craigslist. I found an item that I wanted and I called ahead of time to make sure that the item was there before I made the long drive. They said they had it and they would hold it for me. Either they lied about having it there in the first place or they did not hold it. When I showed up, an hour after I called, they said that they had already sold it. What a waste of my time! I would be weary about items they post on craigslist. They may just be ploys to get more customers to their store. read more

I've only visited Empty the Nest once but I will definitely return soon! This secondhand shop has true thrift prices. I paid less for my items today than I would at most garage sales. I walked out with two large pyrex casseroles, a bread knife, and a food mill for less than $10. It's the kind of place you can go to buy cheap housewares or tools and occasionally find a real treasure. Most of the stuff looks like it might've come out of my grandparents' garage. Most of the inventory is housewares and furniture but there is a decent sized tool section (lots of rakes and shovels!) and a few items of clothing. I will stop by anytime I'm in the southern 'burbs. read more

This review is in reference to their house-emptying services rather than their thrift store, which I did not visit. I decided to review their services after noticing that there do not appear to be other reviews online. My mom planned to move from her house to an apartment after 40 years. While there was a considerable volume of belongings she did not wish to take with her, she was by no means a hoarder and many belongings were in reusable (if not actually new) condition. Sharon, the owner of Empty the Nest, met with us to review the situation and provide an estimate, and the range between lower and upper ends was $300. The estimate was reasonable and was to cover two days of work by their crew. They also hired a Dumpster and obtained a street permit for it. (I suspect they may have used the same Dumpster to service multiple houses, which was obviously fine.) I was also happy that Sharon was glad to take a working refrigerator from the 1930s-40s, although I have no idea what they have priced it at in their store. The crew arrived as scheduled. Their good-natured attitude and sensitivity during this time of stress exceeded my expectations. The first day a crew of 5-6 women sorted and packed. They worked around me as I was packing and filling a moving container with belongings I planned to take. They were careful to leave exactly what I asked them to. Neither my mom nor I were present for their second day of work. I gave the head of the crew a set of house keys and asked her to put them in the mailbox when they locked up. Unfortunately, while the keys did end up in the mailbox the front door was left unlocked and stayed this way for a couple days. I wrote to Sharon about this concern and she responded by reducing the invoice amount and also apologized. I was pleased with this resolution. Two tips: as with any other service dependent on an estimate, it's likely the invoice will reflect the high end of the estimate. Also, take care to get a sense of what you believe all the things they will take are worth. You will get a blank receipt for tax deductions and will have to make your own estimate. It was unclear to me if there is a distinction between the amount of things going to charity vs. amount of things going to their store and I was unable to get information about this. read more

I have been to "Empty the Nest" twice and was pleased both times with the wide selection and great prices. As with all these kind of places there are some things that seem over priced and some that seem like a steal so it's all a matter of what you like and want. Lots and lots of furniture, great place to look for pieces to re-purpose. I've looked at sewing machines and they have some of the excellent old ones that need some TLC; bought one yesterday that was a really good buy! I will continue to watch their online ads and come when it's irresistible because I'm over 30 miles away: worth the drive. Nice staff, too. read more