Selection, prices, set up, variety & especially the people. The nicest workers I've ever encountered

Lovely place with lots of good knickknacks and a friendly woman working. Bound to find something you'll like. There's a huge back area filled with clothes. Easy street parking around it. read more

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Wish I could remember the woman's name that works there. She deserves credit for being so very helpful and friendly. Lots of fun unique things to see. Prices were very fair. I'll be back read more

WOW! We visited this magical thrift store again and somehow out of nowhere my friend finds this lovely rust orange knitted wrap top with big brown wooden buttons and I am FLOORED at how good it looks on me!!! I've seen nothing like it in regular stores! You put on your outfit for the day and then you just finish the look with this little half sized orange knitted wrap that allows the rest of your outfit to poke out and it's icing on the cake! This is the place that just keeps on giving! read more

Laughing Buddha Thrift - Little picnic basket looking storage box for which I now keep my bar soap - Thrift Stores Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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What a wonderful thrift store! There is so much to see and buy. We spent about 30 minutes here browsing the many areas of the store. When we checked out, the owner was surprised by the 20% off one item coupon offered for checking in on Yelp. But she honored it good naturedly. She said she knew nothing about it. Yet she discounted a couple of other items that we purchased, without coupons. We were visiting family in the area, and this is a favorite stop for them. If I lived here, I'd be here as often as possible, too! read more

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A very odd eclectic place felt like I was walking through an overgrown estate sale (ALL GOOD THINGS!!). Could have spent literal hours here just going through everything. Prices were fantastic for a thrift store nowadays and it really felt more like an experience honestly. Found some great stuff and would love to come back def recommend checking it out!! read more

Fantastic shop, I always find something cool there! Beautiful plants, beautiful, pots, beautiful jewelry.You name it it's got it!

Not sure about the "thrift" part in their name. Yes, the items are "pre-owned", but thrifty pricing is subjective. I've been in antique stores that are well presented / merchandised and feel like a real shopping experience. For my taste, Laughing Buddha makes a stab at organizing in ways that group like items together. The small Christmas-themed room was a good example of that. The rest of the shop was much more of a hodge-podge, which made it less interesting to browse. Many items were of interest, but when I picked them up and checked the price, I ended up thinking, "Really? Wow, not so much of a bargain." It just made me a bit depressed, actually. It felt careworn and overpriced for the condition of many of the items. Nonetheless, the thrill is in the chance that you'll find a hidden treasure, so Dear Hubby, in particular, will want to return when we're in the area. The set up is the old house and garden area of a modest bungalow on Linden Avenue, which is a great location for them to attract visitors hanging out in town. They were well-attended when we were there on a Saturday afternoon. read more

We found this cute little gem while on a mini vacation for my birthday in Carpinteria . This place was so cute as set up outside (perfect for covid) This place also had such cute little finds and even some plants. We bought some jewelry and some little trinkets and we were greeted by the sweetest woman. They even have the cutest wooden cut outs to take photos. (Totally cute idea) This place is a cute house with a huge yard so it's private enough to walk around and feel safe but close enough to a busy street so If can be found driving by. read more

Dear Sweet Silvia I think of your kindness many many times! I came in your store on the birthday of one of the kids I'm a nanny for, and you gave him a gift his mom wouldn't get for him the day before and the baby a Silk Sunflower . It really made both there day! The Pineapple Shaped tea pot I bought it just too AWESOME!! There is a place in Heaven just for you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart , for being Such a Good Human Being ! XoXO read more

Always a good browse. It's fun because they have a variety of different types of things there. Small but mighty. I can't resist going in every day trip to Carp. read more

Most adorable & affordable awards goes too... I love all Carp thrift shops and antique stops but Laughing Buddha is my new guilty obsession. Maybe it's the wide variety of creative succulent planters or the fact that they are the only place in Santa Barbara County that sells Carp Coffee! I also love that it's located in a tiny little yellow house on Linden - How much more "classic Carp" can you get? They have a wide variety of anything you could wish for from cups and mugs to shirts and attire, novelties and antiques to succulents and garden decor. If you've been looking all over town for that one odd thing no one carries, try this spot! If they don't have it they'll have something better - Plus their prices are the least expensive I've found in the area! The staff working were very kind and helpful, showing me how things work and where to find specific requests. They had lots of information for me, offered their assistance in further researching what they didn't know, and provided very welcoming customer service. I will definitely be back and all ya'll should check it out sometime soon too! read more

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I am up in Carpenteria about once a year and I always stop in to browse It a great spot to find a item that has long ago been forgotten prices our fair Friendly staff read more

So much to see. Such a nice assortment of things. They support local causes. The helpers are nice and helpful. You should see about donating to them or stopping by to see some of the treasures. read more

We always stop by Laughing Buddha whenever we visit Carpinteria. A lot of items are overly priced but my daughter always finds some pretty good bargains in the clothes section in the back and simple jewelry (e.g., necklaces, earrings). The lady that runs the shop is friendly and helpful. read more

We stopped here on the way to Santa Barbara and ended up spending an hour looking at their merchandise. Very friendly staff and a good amount of good finds. I highly recommend this place whenever you're in town. read more

Didn't buy anything but loved wandering around. Delightful wonderland of knickknacks!

An eclectic, fun thrift shop like no other! Cute little yellow house with so much character and things in it with so much character! The ppl there are great. Prices are pretty decent. Only seen a couple things overpriced, but someone else may think not. I always leave happy and never empty handed! read more

Went to this thrift store to find a unique dress and even though the outside was a little quirky I wanted to see what was there. I walked in the back where the dresses were covered with cob webs. I left and said thank you, then the owner accused me of stealing a ring. I walked back and said I didn't, as she continued to be very rude I offered to empty my bag to ensure her I did not take anything from her store, as she continued to be very rude and accuse me. I understand owning a small business and the struggles of theft, but to be so rude to someone who is clearly not a thief and was going to far out of the way to ensure they didn't take anything was ridiculous. I would never enter that location again and I urge many not to either. Ruined my day and my spirit for someone to be so demeaning. read more

This is a great little thrift store. More affordable then some of the other vintage stores on the same street. Lots of fun little home finds and a pretty good collection of clothing. A little bit disorganized, but still nice. Would definitely return. read more

Found this thrift store in Carpinteria, wasn't expecting to find such a rare thrift store, just strolling around the beach and getting to know the small town. It's a great place you can find all sorts of things here from jewelry, household items to clothes, and such odd things, I was lucky enough to find something here I did not expect to walk out with a treasure for a low price, but that's what happens when you wonder around and discover places like the laughing buddha thrift. I love the name and building designed, it's like your coming over to someone's home and easter egg hunting, you never know what you'll find for a great price. Highly recommend to check this place out when you are in Carpinteria, one of the best thrift stores in SoCal, I've been to in a long time. I'll definitely make future stops here for sure. read more

My first stop on my shopping rounds... place seemed like it would be very nice on the weekends but maybe during the week they are tired or trying to recover from a busy weekend. I walked around without anyone saying hello as all the ladies were engaged in a gaggle of their own and they seem to have a lovely time at the shop so that was nice to watch. Kind of an odds and ends type of shop. Good place to start a little walk around the area though. read more

Attractive store full of interesting things, priced about 20% lower than a low end antique store.

Charming home turned into thrift shop. All is beautifully displayed. Great prices. Some real treasures here!

The laughing Budda is what Carpinteria is all about. The women that work there obviously love there job. They are kind, friendly, and welcoming. You may even come in and see people dancing. They offer tickets for events in carpinteria most women's clothing at $3.95 beautiful jewelry from bali at unbelievable prices always beautiful Buddas I found myself there for almost an hour, and I'm not a big shopper. So, if you get a chance, you need to go in. read more

This is a great shop that holds more things than you can imagine for a smaller space. The owner is very friendly & will tell you a bit of information with most pieces in there. The hand blown glass & other household items are fantastic. Easy to spend an hour in here. read more

Absolutely charming place with some super cool stuff for affordable prices. Found an old recipe box for $5, got some cute postcards for my family, and bought a DVD set (also $5) for my granddad. Extensive selection of inexpensive books, too. read more

I recently visited friends staying at the campgrounds. They had received a flyer for the Laughing Budda Thrift Shop and wanted to go there so we went. They especially enjoyed the Bali jewelry which they thought was very reasonably priced. The women that worked there were very friendly and gave great customer service. read more

I kept seeing their ads on Craigslist, so I decided to schelp it up to Santa Barbara over the weekend and hit a few stores. I'll admit I had my doubts. What are the chances there'd be a GOOD thrift store in Oprah's back yard? Well, I stood corrected. What an adorable little store! For a small place, they have it packed with stuff to look through - a real feast for the eyes - and their prices are extremely reasonable. My daughter and I both walked out with goodies, so it was a nice trip. They're officially on my Santa Barbara route now. read more

This place is great!! The woman who operates it is very friendly and helpful. There are so many facets of happiness in the store, and out back. Definitely going to return! read more

Love this thrift shop for small items around the house. They have new stuff every week. Over the past few months I have bought a silicone oven mitt, a lawn chair, and a vase. Everything is really inexpensive. read more

This place is great. My friend works here she works good. I got her a tamale today. I think it was good it looked like it tasted good but I can't say 100% for sure that it was good. I bought the cardigan I'm wearing right now at the moment from her. She has curly hair. Yeah read more

Love Laughing Buddha! You can find incredible treasures there. They just added jewelry from Bali. Great selection. Beautiful pieces. Reasonable prices. Can't wait to buy some unique jewelry!! Stop buy & check it out today. read more

Should be better organized - put the clothes in a cleaner area - prices should be on all items or at least have a sales person that knows the price. read more

such a cute find, amazing lil place with great prices. when in town i will definitely be sure to stop by again & find some new treasures