Fabulous store, has a bit of everything you could want. Owner is very sweet and accommodating. Stop…read morein!

Love this little thrift store! Affordables takes donated items from area residents, and it also…read morebuys truckloads of new merchandise, so the store is about half new and half second-hand. Money raised through sales of that merchandise is used to help the residents at Bethany Life in Story City, at The Households of Bethany and at the independent- and assisted-living facilities. Clothing, household items, antiques and collectibles. You can find everything here. The inventory changes often. We drive up from the Des Moines metro every few weeks just to visit Affordables and a nearby consignment shop in Gilbert.

Service is good, selection varies, alot of vintage, some things are overpriced. Not as good as it…read morewas in the old location. Not as organized as it was before.

Stopped in while waiting on a vet appointment. Lots of fun and affordable used clothes. Great for…read moreall ages and sizes. I was impressed with the amount of selection and it was well organized.

I've shopped there for years. But the last couple visits were not good. Clothes are priced fairly…read morehigh for the quality, it seems based on the brand name more than the condition. Associates don't say hello or look up from their tasks. When I rang up, the girls kept gossiping & I felt like I was bothering them by buying stuff. All anyone said to me was my total & asked if I had an account there. I'm disappointed because it's such a shift in overall atmosphere, feels so snobby that I won't be back.

There are tons of great gifts in this store! It feels a bit cluttered, but the prices were very…read morereasonable. I had several gifts that I needed to purchase and found pretty much everything I needed here. However, the service was not great. When I went in, one of the clerks was very nice and helpful but the other was super rude and scowled the whole time and was very short when speaking.

Such a beautiful place. Wonderful staff, incredible gifts and decorations - I could go on and on! I…read morewish I could buy one of everything.

Christie was great, did work on a necklace and two bracelets while we chatted and I (alternately)…read morelooked at all sort of cool stuff in her Welch Ave. store in Ames. My favorite thing was a sign in the back that stated simply: "Sit long. Talk much." Cheers!

Was in a massive bind to get my wife's necklace from our wedding put back together again. Sure…read moreenough, Cathy saved my life (and for cheap). Thank you so much!

This store is great! They do their best to keep it clean and organized as well as keep the prices…read morereasonable. There's quite a variety of items to choose from and you can even bring in your own for consignment. The only downside to that, in my opinion, is how picky they are with what they will and will not accept. That's ok though, the rest gets donated, so no harm done :) All of the staff members are very welcoming and helpful too. Worth the stop to shop :)

A nice little store with a good selection of lightly used children and baby items. The prices were…read morereasonable; certainly much cheaper than purchasing things brand new, but not dirt cheap.

They have a really cool build-your-own terrarium station where you can choose your own glass…read morecontainer, plants, and other decorative elements. The kids will love it! They also have a great selection of essential oils and supplies for making your own creations. I bought a cool cardinal and gold sticker.

Located in the middle of Ames' Main Street shopping district, we thoroughly enjoyed our initial…read morevisit to Life Distilled, a modern day apothecary on the NW corner of Kellogg and Main. Lots of natural light and big windows make for a comfortable feel, and the staff was incredibly kind and not pushy. They took "Iowa Nice" to another level, making the visit fun and informative. Options include all natural fragrances, artwork, cards, flowers, bracelets, stickers, earrings, plants, and items for the home. The service was spot on with a high level of knowledge and kindness. They have in-store events, and it is just a feel-good store to visit.

There's been a fabric and sewing machine repair shop here for decades. I have childhood memories of…read morelong waits while my mom looked through pattern books. Then I got to help her select fabric, zippers, buttons and matching thread to make whatever dress, blouse, etc. she decided to make -- especially fun when she planned to sew a new "outfit" for me. At the time I thought I was deprived to have all my clothes handmade rather than purchased in a store -- little did I know I was getting a bespoke wardrobe! Fast forward - the shop seems more crowded and less well organized. It specializes in quilt fabric -- a pretty good selection of cotton plains and prints arranged by color family. There isn't much room to lay out projects and the floor at the back of the store is a mosaic of repaired sewing machines waiting for pick up. Some machines were decades old, and still in good working condition to turn out whatever creations their owners dream up.

After a bad experience elsewhere, I was directed to Iowa Falls to get my machine serviced--and…read moreeverything fixed that the last business had messed up. For an unusually small price, my machine is back and running as good as new!