If you're the target audience, this is probably a good place. I would say this is for the 16-25 crowd. It's mostly cheap, generic China clothes and accessories plus overpriced used stuff. I have never seen so much flannel in one store, but it was all like $20-$25 apiece for some reason? They had a bunch of just... questionable styles. A LOT of 90-s inspired stuff that Clarissa and Alyssa would wear. I guess it's what the kids are into. I am not the kids. It was fun to stop in to make fun of today's fashion but if you're over 35, this is not the store for you. Also, if you're bigger than a size large, it's also not the store for you. The cashier was friendly but the place was a little claustrophobic for me to really dig into. Definitely for the college or younger crowd. read more

Ragstock is such an interesting store! Mens and womens clothing, there's a downstairs area, and a used section. Also ugly sweaters and other interesting outfits can be found. Explore around! Lots of the clothes do run small, like small girl sizes, not women curves size, but just got to size up to fit :) I found a really warm furry sweater for around $25ish and a really pretty light and medium yellow/green checkered scarf that I love. It was around $12, if I remember right. Which they had in the clearance section, but it wasn't really on clearance. Fun place to stop and checkout! read more

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I don't think this place has ever changed. It looks and feels the same as when I was in college. Low prices. A mix of weird vintage and cheap Asian fashion. The sizes are all very small, no cool finds for larger sizes. The staff still tilts super alternative. I'm personally affronted by the Ugly 80s Sweaters rack, but Ragstock is a UW student staple and a classic for a reason. read more

FYI They do not buy items from the public. I have marked my review based on this point and on other reviews re: what they carry. However, the lady was very helpful on the phone and provided me names of other places who do buy from the public :) read more

When I first moved to Madison, I pictured myself doing some frequent, little shopping on State Street. I saw the Ragstock, Urban Outfitters, GAP, and a few other women's boutique looking shops and got excited. Well, turns out, as far as State Street shopping, I basically now only go to GAP or Ragstock because my budget agrees with those two (GAP when I have some discount code). Ragstock is fun, and I probably own 15+ items from here. One is a fairy wand and one is a tutu for Halloween, but I also have some cute tank tops and everyday kinds of clothing items too. As mentioned in a past review, if you're going in looking for something really specific, you might have trouble finding a piece that fits your needs. But, if you go in with low expectations, you'll probably walk out with 3 cool, new, quirky clothing/jewelry/accessory items. You have to check any large bags you bring inside, and the workers get busy with cashiering, restocking clothes, or helping people into one of the 3 to 4 changing rooms so it can take a little to get your bag back when you're done shopping. The store feels dirty, but I think the workers do the best they can. There's three levels, and if you're patient, you can probably find something fun in the sale floor. Some of the used clothes are hard to sort through because they're wrinkled, but I do have fun looking. Also, don't forget your 25% one regularly priced item coupon next time! They give you one with every purchase and I don't think they expire. read more

I like the fact there's a basement with markdowns and it had everything the kid needed. First time visit but it won't be the last. Think college students are cheap or just broke? Well, I was impressed that the kid was able to make *TWO* purchases without blowing the $2 budget. Insert Laugh Here. In the end, I learned they carry new and old under one roof. Found a cute top for myself but will wait for a mark down. Friendly, helpful staff. Kinda disappointed we're just going for the 1st time but glad to have found the "grandmother cove" of SEQUINS, SEQUINS galore so the kid can accessorize. read more

It's not much of a thrift store, that is, it seemed to be mostly new and cheap clothing - or perhaps purchased in bulk from a larger warehouse of used clothing. "Men's flannel shirts x100" is how I imagine the order form. A lot of it retro and cool, to be fair, and I really enjoyed checking out what they had. It looks like a great place to shop for Halloween and costume parties, as well as to enhance your wardrobe with a little weird flair. read more

You know you are getting old when you see the type of clothes you used to wear in High School and College are now featured in the vintage section. Need neon windbreakers, buffalo plaid shirts, and mom jeans-you're in luck as they have them. Ragstock is a great place to get inspired for a halloween outfit or to waste an hour perusing through their eclectic collection. read more

I have a shopping dilemma. I like buying vintage dresses, but I don't want to pay exorbitant prices from resellers. I hit up a lot of thrift stores and sift through pieces on pieces of clothing that I have no interest in. Vintage storefronts and online shops charge more than my bank account can accommodate. Luckily for me, there's Ragstock. Vintage dresses for $12? And some are on sale for $6? Take all of my money and let me beef up my closet. Extra bonus points for having a vintage/"recycled" section of athletic/team apparel. I like collecting these items as well. Just in general, the store does a good job of stocking adequate amounts of men's vintage--something difficult to come by. Employees are super sweet and helpful! Only 4 stars because the clothing that isn't vintage I find to be super tacky and cheap. Not my vibe, and I think the space would be better occupied with secondhand goods. If there are a lot of people in the store, it can be difficult to navigate because there is so much product on the floor. Got a backpack? Check it behind the desk. No public restroom. Enjoy! :) read more

I first became aware of Ragstock when it was featured on MTV in the mid- to late- 90s as part of a piece about Garbage. From what I remember, they were highlighting Madison to show where Garbage was from. I convinced my parents to take me, and in those days I think it was closer to an actual thrift store: all used and super cheap. I don't remember what I purchased, but my older brother got a vintage German army jacket. Flash forward to college when this was a regular stop for costumes. With each passing year they got pricier and seemed to add more new stock than used. My best find was a red and white letterman's sweater; purchased my sophomore year, that's the last purchase I made. I have stopped in several other times in the ensuing years, though - you'll find some really interesting pieces but often the price stops me from pulling the trigger. They do have a decent selection of new camis/hoodies/etc. but for no-name brands they can be overpriced or so cheap that I am concerned for the quality. read more

Great selection. Worth checking out the vintage upstairs. Good sales selection and $1 headbands. Wee! Fun staff, not pretentious. read more

Ragstock is always a fun time. They definitely have a hold on Halloween, which is good for how big we go for the holiday on campus. The prices are extremely reasonable, particularly because most of their new things aren't great quality, and there is a lot of fun stuff, both vintage and new. The most obnoxious part about Ragstock is definitely their "no taking pictures" rule which I always break. It is absolutely ridiculous to stock your clothing store with costumes and fun clothing and accessories and not allow people to have fun with friends, take a quick pic and make a memory. I dig the sunglasses, the upstairs vintage section, and the downstairs sale area. oh yeah, and i love the colored gorilla suits. read more

The bad: clunky, gas station like key chain around some metal car part to get into dressing room, off sizes (I'm size 6 but fit into an XL dress because the other ones were too short in length), stuffiness due to no air circulation upstairs in the women's vintage clothing section. The good: super cheap but amazing articles of clothing in the disarray (got a plaid blazer and denim skirt for 17 dollars!) read more

Wife and I were in Madison for a wedding and there was some below average temperatures for early May. Temperature was in the low 40s and my wife forgot to pack her coat for the trip. Hmmm... forgot or just wanted another jacket to add to the collection?? Whatever the reason we were not going to be able to bar hop with no jacket in the rainy cold. Walking around town we had a hard time finding a place that had anything that was trendy and not extremely overpriced. Coming across Ragstock was a blessing. The place is like a thrift store and a TJ Max collided and this was the result. The clothes were trendy and hip with good prices. This is not clothes most people would wear to the office but would wear out on the town, to a party, or just anywhere that's casual. We spent over an hour in the store and walked out with much more than we intended. She ended up getting 2 jackets and a shirt and I got 2 t-shirts and a pair of shorts. I suggest you stop in just to take a look around. We saw college kids buying clothes for a costume party and others shopping for a dinner night out on the town. Very unique! read more

This Ragstock is super unique. All the employees are angry, literally all the time. Don't ask them a question, don't take pictures in the store and definitely don't giggle in the basement. This location has way more used clothing than most and hosts an unusual array of Mexican ponchos, 80s prom dresses and traditional kimonos. All the retro stuff is on the top floor and all the military jump suits and booty shorts are in the basement. Don't go down there without a friend though, there are lurkers you surely won't want to find yourself with alone. Ragstock is great for cheap basics like Tshirts or camis in every color of the rainbow, but that is it. Don't let a coastie convince you to go here for Halloween. You can buy a slutty bumble bee costume anywhere, the line at this store will be 45 minutes to the register for a week leading up to Freakfest. Also, don't come here for an ugly Christmas sweater, they mass produce them for $20 or more and they aren't even unique. You can get one for 75 cents down at Dig and Save on South Park, plus it will be even christmasier and way uglier. read more

Ragstock. Ragstock. Ragstock. Super trendy new clothes=not into it. Super awesome used, vintage clothes=ultra awesome. $20 vintage leather boots. Sold. You have to check in your bag at the front, which isn't a big deal. All the good stuff is to your left and up the little stairs. And sometimes downstairs. They have douchey sunglasses if that's your thing too. It's something for everyone! read more

I don't know if "thrift store" really describes this unique little chain (there are three stores in the Chicago area, one in Minneapolis, and I wouldn't be surprised if the next one opens in Portland or Seattle). Ragstock is a fun store to wander through. They pick up very random lots of overstock, used clothing, and....other stuff, and sell it cheap. There's really nothing expensive here. It's really hard to walk two feet in this big cluttered three level store without saying, out loud, "What the..?" Well, it's really tight, so it's actually kind of hard to walk two feet in this store, period. I can't quite describe how entertaining it is to shop here, you really need to come with a friend, and a sense of the absurd. There's lots of absurd in here, and on clearance prices. So let's see, what have I bought here recently? A couple of peculiar hats, a black tuxedo shirt (they actually had tuxedo shirts for $15 in 6 different colors other than white, 6 different colors of tuxedo shirts? Yes, six different colors of tuxedo shirts) , a book bag made out of Nepali rice sacks, a used Japanese minor league baseball jersey, some thick union-suit style long underwear (kind of an adult size onesie), a Korean war era gas mask (long story), and a purple bow tie for my cat (who didn't like it and tore it to shreds but it only cost me a buck). The young, personable and helpful staff, for the most part, actually know what's in this strange store and where to find it, in spite of a constantly shifting inventory. The staff here are about as unlike the jaded, synthetically friendly oppressed automatons found at big corporate chain retail clothing stores as you'll find, and that alone is refreshing. This is an excellent place for hipsters, those who love irony, people with any kind of sense of humor, tourists visiting Madison, if you need a costume, ska musicians, parents visiting their costly college students (whatever they want in here won't set you back much, and there's lots of conversation starters in here), 50-year olds looking for the sports jacket they wore in 1976, theater people, protesters looking for their rights (you won't find your stolen rights in here, but you can find some cheap gloves and warm hats so you can protest a little longer, and some antique Nixon era ironic buttons that have renewed relevance), and anyone who needs a disguise. Close to both the campus and the capitol. Very crowded just before Halloween. read more

Ragstock tends to be hit or miss for me. I usually do a lot better here when I have no direction upon entering. If I have something in mind, I usually strike out here. Browsing the store is an absolute must. It is packed with new and vintage pieces. I love to mix and match, so the amount of variety here is perfect for me. There is a little bit of everything for everyone. Lots and lot of accessories up front. Funny, edgy t-shirts. Classics and retro designs co-mingling on racks. Make sure that you check out the basement here. You'll find a whole room full of clearance tshirts, sweatshirts, pants, tank tops, etc. They have a decent selection of mens clothes too. That is hard to find downtown. They have a large selection of unique items that you may need for a themed party, Halloween, a crazy night out with friends and for those that just love color and design. If you want to become a work of art, this is definitely your place. Don't feel nervous to transform yourself. This place can help. read more

Ragstock is a weird but enjoyable mix of super trendy (think neon) and bulk thrift. Ragstock carries both Men and Women's clothing. The walls are either painted kitschy or covered in movie and music posters. This place looks cool. The price range for the thrift is reasonable. They aren't going to gouge out your eyes for a musty Letterman's jacket. I'v gotten a few cool pieces (kimono top) at reasonable prices. The trendy stuff is sometimes oddly sized (I am a Medium/Large and often cannot fit in the Ls they stock) and over priced for the quality, which is cheap($$). There is a basement of marked down items. Its a mishmash of stuff that didn't sell. Good luck. The staff is very helpful and nice. Thanks, cool kids. I like looking around cause you never know what you're going to find. This place is especially good for Halloween shopping. read more

When it comes to finding a costume around the State St. area, Ragstock is second to none. I went into Ragstock yesterday with zero clue what I would dress up as, but 100% confidence that I would find something. I left 30 min later with (what I would like to think) a pretty convincing Austin Powers costume baby! Unfortunately, that costume didn't come cheap, and cost me just under $70. The only reason I didn't give Ragstock 5/5 is because it isn't cheap. However, when you offer a better product than area, that comes with the territory. All things said and done, I'll definitely be using Ragstock for any and all costume purchases going forward. read more

Ragstock is one of those stores you could spend hours in just looking around. It has a cool vibe, and they carry a huge variety of new, vintage, and thrifty clothing and accessories. Although not everything is of a high quality, it is very affordable. Especially on the sale racks, you can always find something for a steal. I've shopped at the Madison location many times and am excited to hear one is coming to the Fox River Mall in Appleton. read more

The only times I've visited Ragstock are times when my son comes back home and needs a silly outfit to wear to some type of party, a frequent event in his life, it seems. I like going with him to help him pick things out for maximum fun effect. What I didn't really pay attention to until recently is the selection of comfortable, casual, affordable womens' wear items, most of which are work-friendly (at least where I work). Yoga clothes and such as well. The only drawback is the parking situation, which is aggravating. The nearest parking ramp seems to be permanently flat-fee $5 now, due to the Overture Center. Definitely not doing that. Street parking is hard to find as well. Add in a beastly hot or cold or rainy day, and it's a challenge to shop here. Not their fault, of course. read more

This is one of the places on state street that you can feel like you are still in the 70's. With their great sunglasses collection , to the tees of great rock bands this joint is one of the greatest in the Madison area. Also check out their great selection of floral snapback hats. They have some of the most unique hats I have seen in Madison. This store is a nice breeze from the past that shows the unique history of state street throughout the years. read more

Update for 7/13/16: I had to change my review from 3 stars to 1. Reason why explained at bottom. Very familiar with Ragstock as I pass it on almost a daily basis, but hadn't been in the store for almost 15 years. I do portrait photography and went in because I needed some cheap clothes and a friend suggested it to me. The selection was surprisingly large, and I didn't even visit their basement area. Plenty of interesting looking attire for men and women, and not just for Halloween; which is when it seems to become a go-to place. If you ever need something random like Japanese baseball jerseys... you'd be hard pressed to find a place in Madison with a wider selection. Selection-wise I was very pleased. There are a few significant cons though. The prices are pretty high. The newer stuff is definitely over-priced. Their used clothes seem to be fair but keep in mind a few things. They don't seem to wash them at all. I've shopped at Goodwill, and they at least bother to wash the clothes. Ragstock does not. Everything used is very wrinkled and has that thrift-shop smell. If you're going to charge the prices that Ragstock does, you can at least make sure the clothes are in decent condition. Getting an $8 shirt that would have been twice as much new seems like a good deal, until you realize it's been treated like a $4 shirt. The store itself is a mess. The aisles are narrow (I'd hate to be there when the place was actually busy) and the building is very stuffy. They obviously have more clothes than they do space because the racks are just crammed full. This can be either good or bad I guess. If you need some "cheaper" clothes in a hurry it's a good option. But it's a place I'd only visit sparingly. UPDATE **I made another trip to Ragstock because I wanted to get some new outfits for work. This time I didn't even make it past the entrance. Ragstock wants you to check bags at the counter as they don't have any sort of other way to stop people from stealing. Fair enough, except nobody was there to take my bag when I walked in. Just a bunch of customers waiting at an empty register. A cashier finally shows up after about a minute, a group of customers were confused about something and she was assisting them. But it was taking a long time, others were in line, and I was still waiting to give them my backpack. The best part? Another employee saunters up to the counter, see's that people are obviously waiting in line, messes around with something under the counter and then walks off. I waited 7 minutes for someone, anyone, to take my backpack. In this time the cashier was still helping the same group of people while other customers still waited to make their purchases. After that I just left. Talk about poor service. I figured between how long it was taking to even get into the store, plus how long it would take to checkout when I was finally ready I'd spend more time waiting in line than I would actually browsing the store.** read more

Good for state street, could use some interesting shops (boring). This is a great interior, nice selection.... BUT.. too expensive!!

I probably shouldn't admit this, but Ragstock may be my favorite clothing store. It's got a lot of character and a great "vibe" - hard to believe it's part of a chain and not an independent. Really good selection of stuff, great prices. The quality of the clothing is generally pretty good, definitely better than at most thrift stores. More of an emphasis on hip/trendy clothing, but still low prices. The store in Madison has a whole rack of black leather coats for $20 each, as well as rack of Japanese baseball jerseys (?!?) I've found some very cool T-shirts here, never for more than $5. Inexplicably, the other day they also had a bunch of Daunte Culpepper Vikings jerseys. Authentic NFL jerseys, for $12! Hard to beat. On a side note, I would just recommend staying away during the week before Halloween - the place is absolutely packed with UW students looking for stuff for last-minute costumes. read more

Although there are plenty of miscellaneous objects here, I was so overwhelmed walking into Ragstock. I love the feel of State Street. Tourists, students, people of all ages, you name it. But when I walked into Ragstock on Halloween weekend, the line was about 30 minutes long. So not worth it. My friends and I were looking for some red sweatshirts so that we could go as "Thing 1 & 2" from Dr. Seuss, but the only options we found were poor quality and overpriced. $14 for a ripped up smelly red sweatshirt? No thank you. Also, the changing rooms had the longest line and were extremely dirty. When I walked out of the changing room, the girl in line said that the employee was peeking through the crack at me changing the whole time...um ew? It was gross. Not to mention I waited 20 mins in line to try on some items. There are some perks to this place. There are some fun costume options. I am in a sorority so it is a perfect place to go to for a quick shopping trip whenever we have a themed party (i.e. ugly Christmas sweaters). Also for the most part it is reasonably priced, but I am just a little wary to drop $20-30 on something that I will never wear again and is poor quality. read more

Interesting location on State Street, but anytime I have been in here, I haven't had much luck. There are two sections to the store: trendy and poor quality new clothes on one side, and an over-priced, very odd assortment of used clothing on the other side. I honestly can only think of one occasion on which I bought something here. It was a cheap ring that snapped about two weeks later. Total waste of my money. The only time I venture in here is when dragged kicking and screaming by friends. Admittedly, this store was a bit more appealing to me when I was in college and into trendier styles, but now it doesn't do the trick for me at all. If I'm looking for cheap clothes, I would rather go to Goodwill (also on State Street) or the St. Vinny's on Willy Street. read more

I really enjoy shopping at Ragstock. You can find some very good deals inexpensively. They also carry new items, which are too expensive to qualify as thrifty shopping, but are fairly reasonably priced. They always have fun and really different kinds of clothes, like brightly colored fishnet shirts or star spangled leggings, so you never know exactly what you'll find. It's a good place to return for another visit. read more

Ragstock rarely rises above disappointment for me. (Please note that I only shop for clothes and shoes aimed at women, so I can't comment on the aimed-at-men counterparts here.) I have zero interest in the "new clothing/accessories" side of the store-- it's trendy, cheap stuff whose materials and construction are terrible. I know that higher quality materials and sounder construction do not entail better labor practices, but the stuff on this side of the store makes me want to know more about its origins. The used/thrift side isn't usually worth digging through unless you want components for a Halloween costume, an Ugly Christmas Sweater, or denim cutoff hotpants (each in its respective season.) The used clothing seems like the kind sold in bulk by resellers. The vintage clothing leans heavily towards the polyester. I think the only things I've found here are some khaki shorts for a summer job, a nice flowy silk hippie skirt, a lipstick red Wilson's leather blazer (why not?), and a truly wonderful pair of vintage Frye-alikes that singlehandedly raise the score from 1 star to 2. Ugh, I love those boots. They were dead cheap, too. But I've never found their like again in what's otherwise a sea of square-toed stretch pleather. The downstairs clearance area is full of flammable-looking shiny things, extreme whiskering, printed leggings, etc. Like much of the thrift-side clothing, the dressing rooms don't seem particularly clean. I like the Star Trek murals, but the doors to the stalls are way too small. If I were tall I would be making eye contact with the other shoppers as I changed, and that just ain't right. read more

I was waiting in line for the dressing room with several shirts to try on and the friend I was with needed to use the restroom urgently. Told the kid working that it was an emergency and I would be buying something but we HAD to use the facilities first. They told us to leave, so I did and will not ever be back. read more

Best thrift shop in Madison! They have clothes/accessories to fit any style! The prices are affordable and the set up is functional and not cramped. They have the widest selection of Ugly Christmas sweaters for holiday parties! read more