Shopped at Thrift City Surplus for the first time today, 11/10/23...very cool shop owner, Ms…read more Stacy...My Mom & kiddo each got some very nice things, gifts the kiddo purchased, all in amazing condition, and some nice bracelets, necklace and wrist watch Mom got for herself. I found a beaut of a black jet bead necklace with additional collectible crystal spacer beads. Ms. Stacy is so great, she gave Mom & kiddo each a gift for spending a certain amount; and is so gracious, and neighborly...very pleasant, and friendly! We will be back. Thank You, Ms. Stacy for such a well designed, laid out, and organized, happy thrifting experience. You are a rare gem, Ms. Stacy.

Small thrift store on the hill. It won't take you long to go thru. Lots of clothing. An eclectic…read moremix of kitchenware, jewelry and memorabilia. Go here to find a treasure. I found a Vintage scarf from Mervyn with the tag still on it. Lady was nice.

This place has so many cool things and even a great designer section. The best part is that sales…read morego to a good cause!

Always clean and well organized, good mix of brands to match taste and pockets. Do watch the…read moreparking meter and make sure it is well fed.

Loved my experience today and thought Gregory was very reasonable. Walked away very happy and love…read moremy new finds.

After my initial review, the business owner actually reached out directly to apologize and offered…read morea resolution. I really appreciate that they took the time to listen and made an effort to address what happened. That gesture shows they care about their customers' experiences, so I'm grateful for the follow-up and wanted to share that here. Thank you for the response!

I've only ever written a few reviews in my lifetime, and after unexpectedly arriving in San Rafael…read moretoday and finding ARTT, I just had to do it! They had a really impressive, quality, and fun assortment of art supply this and that in their funky and cool shop, and In no time I had a basket full of amazing treasures, and a head filled with new ideas and inspiration!! I also had the pleasure of chatting it up with the very welcoming, charismatic and fun owners! I sincerely look forward to my next visit there! They make art supplies accessible, affordable, fun, and non intimidating. It's important we support their mission, because they're doing great work! I'll definitely be back to donate and to shop!

10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND! We randomly stopped at this cute…read morelittle creative hub of a store! What a GEM!!! We absolutely loved connecting with both of the co-founders! We loved the variety of art supplies and random thrift items they had to offer. The clothes were also soooo cute! I also love that they have art classes on certain days as well and I hope to make it to their head piece making class! They are great people with a great cause! Thank you ARTT !!

I've walked up and down Fillmore daily and never walked into Warren until this past weekend. I saw…read morein the window a few interesting things and had no idea there was a thrift estate sake store here still. I saw a really cute littke Snoopy figure in the window and went in to ask about it. I stood in front of the salesperson who was behind a counter on a phone or just distracted and I said hello. I asked about the Snoopy in the window. He told me it was $50. I asked if I could see it. He told me I would need to buy it to see it. What kind of store does that? Apparently this store that I won't be buying a Snoopy at. Ugh. There's so much random stuff in this store that I don't understand it at all. Unpolished silver, used vintage silk tops with armpit stains, hats, art to decorate your oldest living relative's house...and a Fender Knock off guitar in the window selling for $450, but worth less than $60.

I told Gary that I was looking for a nice bag to use as a brief case but it had to fit my 16"…read morelaptop. True to form, he found me exactly what I was looking for: a genuine LV bag in terrific condition. He pays attention to what I gravitate toward and presents me witch great options. We check in at Warren a couple of times a month for new items and to see Gary. Thank you for being a great sales person.

They always only have 1 cashier. No matter how long the line is. Today is Friday. No help at all…read more I feel bad for that 1 cashier.

Shout out to sales associate Mya! I was at the Burlington in Emeryville and needed a jacket at this…read morelocation in another size. I called before arriving and Mya picked up the phone to assist me. She was quick, efficient, and polite in locating the item. The jacket was expensive, but a great deal for the quality. I felt great about my purchase due to the amazing customer service I received.

This place is a hidden gem!!! Seriously, any type of beads or crystals, all of the types of beads,…read morethis guy totally had!! It's like what stores use to be, when someone took the time to understand what u are looking for, actually have knowledge, and really just want to help you. The prices were great, the selection was far more than i could have ever expected, just wow all over the place. For real, check this place out, it's a long time locally owned, family run true SF shop. A long lost breed that us locals need to help preserve (in my humble opinion).

My go-to bead store in the Castro for years became intolerable as the male owner is soo unfriendly…read morethat I searched for a new one nearby. I really glad I did! As others have stated, The Fashion Company is on a out-of-the-way dead end street. I called for an appt. Terrence is gracious, informative, and has a ton of stuff! Highly recommend!

Amazing place for local SF (particularly the Richmond) gifts and goods, like clothing, crewnecks,…read morebeanies, art prints, cards/stationery, stickers, and more. They hold custom printing classes and workshops and really give back to the city and neighborhood--a local gem! They support and carry local artists and cool designs that are like inside jokes for locals, like a love letter to SF (and the Richmond.) I picked up my Friends of Sunset Dunes beanies here and it was very easy, convenient, and friendly. I'll be back to buy some gifts here.

I stumbled on Fleet Wood gift shop while strolling around on Clement St in SF after enjoying lunch…read moreat Lime Tree. There were candles, stickers, shirts, and additional lovely gifts that supports local vendors. I fell in love with Ember + Fog candles during a pop up at one of the Embarcadero plazas during this past holiday season. While small batches typically cost more expensive than large corporation offerings, I prefer supporting local small batches for gifts and a little pick-me-up. Plus, the scents are always so unique and it feels gratifying to enjoy something so special made with so much love. Thanks Eleanor for sharing your cheer and grace. Happy shopping!

I have attended the White Elephant Sale since I was 12, and now at 26 I feel that the sale has…read morediminished in quality, quantity, value, and overall experience. The White Elephant sale has honestly felt very different since 2020. Before the pandemic, there were walk up donations, the warehouse was always full, and the March sale was still packed with treasures to be found. Now the warehouse feels empty even during preview, all walk up and drive up donations have been eliminated, and the March sale is advertised as a "clearance sale" because of how empty the warehouse is. Stopping walk up and drive up donations has seriously hurt the sale. The number of small trinket items to be found is much smaller than it used to be. While there may be costs saved by not having to sort through and discard items that are not sellable, is the loss of profit from not having those smaller items greater? People like me used to donate all the time to the sale, but now donate to thrift stores that have walk up and drive up options instead. How many other people also have a bag full of great items but are not donating them because pickup donations are the only option? I have also found that in recent years the staff has become less and less kind. This year there was not a single visit to the warehouse that was not met with rude or unprofessional behavior by volunteers. That is not to say there are not wonderful volunteers, because I have had great experiences as well, but the number of negative interactions I have had seems to be increasing. I have been accused of stealing, had snarky comments made toward me, and have been accused of price switching. It has gotten to the point where going to the White Elephant is no longer bringing me joy, and it is difficult to see volunteers act with such low levels of kindness. You often emphasize being kind to volunteers, but shoppers deserve that same level of kindness and respect. One thing that stands out when it comes to how empty the warehouse has been, as well as the general morale of the volunteers, is the changing culture of reselling. I recognized dealers from Alameda Point and various antique markets as new volunteers, which makes me wonder if they are partially contributing to the diminished quality and quantity of items this year. In the past, almost all volunteers seemed to be there because they believed in the mission of the Oakland Museum. Now it appears that some newer volunteers may be more motivated by making money. It also raises the question that if they are pricing items they later purchase, were those items priced fairly? Especially when their ultimate goal is to resell items and make money. In addition, there seems to be a lack of willingness to receive feedback. As another reviewer mentioned, it can feel like the organization operates under the idea that because it is for charity and run by volunteers, feedback should not be given. That approach is simply unsustainable. I attempted to provide feedback both in person and on Instagram and was met with very combative responses. This is confusing, as feedback is essential when running such a large sale, and experiences like that make me hesitant to return. I have heard from others that the White Elephant has been "cleared out" this year. Without the return of more casual donations, stronger screening of volunteers, and limitations on what volunteers are able to purchase during presale events, the White Elephant will likely continue to decline. As a loyal shopper, I truly hope the organization will begin taking feedback seriously and consider changes that can help bring the sale back to its former glory.

I've gone to the white elephant for years, 10+ to be specific. This year the selection was…read moredrastically different than previous years (I'll get back to this). Not only that, the prices were the highest I had seen. I included photos of some examples of what was priced super high in bric a brac (on your Facebook page the admin said to 'show specific examples') so I took photos of items I couldn't fathom being that high (even after looking on eBay to compare- the prices were just outrageous considering condition and quality). Not only that, but the selection on preview day (im usually in the first 30 people- and first to the department I shop) it already looked picked through. From what I understand the volunteers shop the sale before- but it's very disheartening and worrying when I recognize people who are new volunteers and I regularly see them sell at local things as resellers (nobody is saying you can't do that!), but it's more so the piecing together the lack of vintage and quality goods this year on preview, and the new volunteers, it's easy to assume there is a correlation. I worry that the integrity of the sale may be lost- and will only worsen as the years carry on. I know departments can vary year to year- of course that's a factor I consider. This is not a normal amount of variation- it's not like there was 30% less of something I have ALWAYS seen at your preview sale- it was 100% gone. And when I'm the first person looking- I know someone at preview didn't get it ahead of me. I heard from others who attended- even some people who didn't! They both said the same thing- white elephant was cleared out this year. Culture shifting about second hand and thrifting should be a consideration and something to keep in mind- the structure of this sale will collapse if it isn't. I'd imagine in the next couple years, the amount of resellers volunteering will outnumber the volunteers who have been there for years due to them retiring/ no longer doing it - and in turn will diminish the sale itself. I think how the preview tickets sold out in a little over a day vs a week last year, should convey how there is an increase in demand, to the degree that people will try to covertly get around it and 'ahead' by volunteering. Correct me if I'm wrong, but many new volunteers this year didn't follow through with their commitments after they shopped on their preview- it makes you wonder.

It's wonderful to walk into a jewelry shop for the first time and feel comfortable, not pressured,…read moreand have someone to help you. Imagine that! This store has a wide selection of styles, and unfortunately (!), much of it was the sort of classy, well-made jewelry that I love. Maury Woulf, the owner, has an uncanny ability to know what will look good on you. I was wearing no jewelry that day and he knew what color of metal and which colors of gems would look good on me. He chose a few pieces that were spot on. I had a bad case of jewelry want! I found out they could re-string and re-design some of my beaded necklaces. They do repairs. I'll be able to get a lot of pieces fixed and back in circulation. They have new and vintage jewelry and watches. I would trust them with my most treasured pieces. Two thumbs up! Way up!

My Mothers favorite jewelry store on railroad early 1960 and mine as well just love everything…read more about them ,,, but since I move to Oakland I had not a chance to go ,,but I'm going this week for sure to buy something for my self and in need of a few repairs THE BEST