Most Organized Thrift Store EVER! The entire Unique chain is very well organized but this one is especially well put together. The clothing is separated by size and I don't mean roughly, I mean exactly. They also seem to do a good job of determining what's something I'd consider buying and what's an absolute chunk of feces that I wouldn't pick up with a Jewel bag wrapped around my hand. Some places don't do that. I like that they separate the wheat from the feces. Sometimes I actually enjoy the hunt and digging through the landfill of clothing other thrifts stores often provide... that's were the real deals can be found. But just shopping without looking at garbage is nice too. Unique is perfect for a quick trip. Pop in, check sizes, browse some crappy household goods and bounce. The men's section is rather small but so is the store. On Monday everything is half price before noon. Good spot. read more

This Unique used to be good. Then everyone found out about it. Now I hate it. It is overpriced, overpicked and overrun with crappy merchandise. Maybe I am a jaded thrifter who just knows the difference but when I see merchandise priced MORE than it was originally I really don't want to explore any further. With Unique's you really have to be aware and not just buy everything like other stores because the prices have skyrocketed so much. They are outrageous with the new prices. This store is especially bad because the prices are outrageous for crap instead of outrageous for quality merchandise. read more

For $40, I found: A perfect-fit Korean War-era olive drab Army topcoat, knee-length, which is very warm and in perfect condition (liner included): $32 A bright yellow NYC taxi shirt listing cab fares: $2 A red-and-blue striped scarf that measures a million feet long and could double as a blanket: $2 A crazy red Christmas sweatshirt (with real yarn stockings and iron-on Bedazzled snowman) I rocked at the Yelp party: $3 I also spotted Samba de Amigo, which Yelper V S. bought for $10. The game set goes for about $100 used. My small complaint is the lack of fitting rooms, coupled with a no-refund-or-exchange policy. And the store only takes cash. Also, if there's something you need cheap but can't find at Unique, pop next door to Family Dollar. read more

I would definitely go back shopping.... Like other Yelpers, I was a fan of the no-overpowering-"thrift store" smell. There were plenty of Banana Republic articles of clothing, among other brands. I got an awesome Queen t-shirt, some kids' Cubs t-shirts, a lovely pair of snow pants, and a vintage Winnie The Pooh plate and cup set. Good times! The store is well organized and clean. Clothes are organized by adult/kid/gender/color. Certain tag colors are a percentage off on certain days. They had tons and tons of shoes but I didn't approach that aisle - it was a bit overwhelming actually. The prices are appropriate - I didn't feel like I was getting ripped off (at a thrift store, imagine!). The downsides - cash only. They also staple the crap out of the clothing when putting the price tags on it - so steer clear of thin clothing because it will be ruined. Couldn't these places just buy those plastic tag guns instead? The clothing wouldn't be wrecked then. read more

Blink and you'll miss it, it's in the same strip as a Family Dollar and a laundromat. The parking lot is big but there's a lot of people there so parking is a hot commodity! The Family Dollar dominates the storefront, all Unique has is their door, no windows. This store is nicely lit and very organized. They have a couple of racks in front with designer merchandise, which is great! It's usually a bit higher priced, but definitely less than regular price. The selection of newly styled items is pretty good. I really like this particular location and will come again even though it's a bit far from me. That's how great it is! (this is the same as my reviews for the other 2 Uniques I've been to:) Check which tag colors are 25 or 50% off! As with all Unique stores, everything is 50% off on Mondays (excluding shoes and jewelry I think). Check their website or go to the store for more specials, usually around a holiday weekend, everything will be 50% off that Saturday and Sunday. We went on a weekend AFTER a holiday sale, and it was totally not worth it, everything had been picked over and while there was still alot of stuff, it wasn't quality items. So far I've been to 3 Unique stores, and all have been pretty great in terms of selection of clothing, games & housewares. I think the Unique stores are some of the best thrift stores in the city. read more

This place is good for furniture, books and kitchenware. It used to be great for vintage stuff and toys, but now I never find anything worth buying in those categories. I found a commercial Carousel gumball machine for $10 there, but that's the extent of "cool" I've found for the last 6 months. The purses are a crapshoot. Sometimes you can find a gem but you have to paw through 800,000 denim purses from 1985 and a stack of Hannah Montana vinyl crapware to find anything. The clothes aren't worth looking through, most are used up, oil-stained, torn, food-stained or snagged. The prices are really high for this refuge of Walmart cast-offs, some even higher than new. I am TERRIFIED by the bags of loose tampons and pads for sale in there. Who would donate those? Who would buy them? It's good to visit during sale days, but go early or not at all unless you want to be caught in a stampede with trashy families full of uncontrolled children who are intent on throwing everything they look at on the floor. read more

So a Unique Thrift kinda is what it is, you know? I was waffling on the star count because while I didn't really care for this place, it's exactly what you'd expect. So I went for A-OK, because it is. Unique is very large and has an extensive selection of clothing sorted by color. It's also very, very cheap - like $4 for shirts and pants and 50% off on Mondays. However, Unique reminds me a lot of Village Discount Outlet and I find I just don't have the patience for these kinds of stores. There are probably some gems scattered in these racks, but I don't have the time or inclination to sort through the crap to find them. And there is a LOT of crap - much of the merchandise is outdated or stained /damaged /extremely worn. In addition, as others have noted, there are no dressing rooms. This is pretty much a dealbreaker for me with resale shops - the stuff becomes less of a bargain when you get it home and half of it doesn't fit right. Oh. And it has the parking lot from hell. read more

Wear a unitard b/c there are plenty of mirrors but no dressing rooms (it's no wonder they have such a big pants selection). Also, be prepared to hit the shoe jackpot! read more

Love it here. Has gotten really organized over time. A lot of well cared for quality items to choose from. Not too crowded on the discount days. Helpful staff. read more

This place is by far one of the worst stores i have been in. I was SOO excited today when i read the review on yelp. It is true they have a large selection of color corrdinated clothing but most have stains and the whole store has a "smell" to it. I went hoping to find gold and came out empty handed. By the way, Mon is 50% off everything... BUT its not worth the vagrants that swarm this place! To sum it up..... A med sized, VERY CRAMPED, crappy yard sale. read more

I love thrifting and found this place by accident. I went about 6 blocks in the wrong direction looking for Village thrift and came across Unique. Right away I thought that the place was clean and had TONS of stuff. I didn't find too much in the woman's department my first visit, but I found a $2500 Saks Fifth Ave. men's 100% cashmere trench coat in brand new condition WITH the original receipt in the pocket for $7!!! I have since been there about 5 times and love it. Great thrift store with somewhat helpful staff. Lots of stuff to be discovered and a great selection of vintage shirts. read more

One of the best thrift stores I've been to in the city... given I just moved here. In a nice area with lots to eat!

This is the worst thrift store in the city. No one should ever go here. These aren't the droids you're looking for. read more

People who have been to Unique and hate it probably don't like having to sift through junk in order to find gems. Yes, it's crowded, especially on Mondays. But if you have the time and $20, it's totally worth it. The aisles are narrow and you'll have to elbow your way past some people. There aren't any fitting rooms, so you either need to be sure it'll fit, or wear something that you can try stuff on over. I've spent several hours at a time in the store, going through nearly every rack. I've found nearly new shoes, designer jeans, tops, etc. I've never paid more than $22 at once and I go on Mondays when everything in the store is 50% off. You won't like it if you don't have the patience to go through the racks. You'll love it if you don't mind the crowds and don't care about spending at least 1 or 2 hours there. read more

P.S. I stopped in the other day again and found the best soft and slightly worn in brown italian lace up pointed boot shoes. SWOON! read more

This is the cleanest Chicago chain thrift store I've been in. Things are rather organized and don't smell terrible. This place is number one on my list. My first time here I bought a wallet that had a $100 bill inside. Not that I can promise you'll find something like that here, but a tip for future thrifting: check pockets, wallets, purses, etc. Some people forget where the secret pockets are. It is moderately priced, but I feel like it is worth it. I find a lot more clothing to match my style here than at other thrift stores. And it is a busy intersection, i feel completely safe shopping here and leaving the store at night. read more

Unique Thrift Store was decent, after a day of thrift-store shopping I had fair benchmarks in my mind... Cleanness: 7/10, decently clean, but the houseware section were dusty and glasses weren't even cleaned/shined... Racks were pretty organized though, arranged by Sizes and sectioned by type Variety: Mens: 8/10, pretty big selection of Men's pants + jeans, they had an amazing rack of swimming trunks! I've never been to another store with equal / more, not even at Village Discount Outlets! Women's clothing: 5/10, definitely more limited, only a single rack of dresses / tops / tank tops. They do have a nice range of sizes (XS - XL) though. Quality: Men: 8/10, My bf found 3 pairs of really great summer shorts, and they had great brands ranging from Union Bay to Abercrombie to Dockers. Most t-shirts were overstock / promo tees, with either no design or had slogans written all over. The Polo shirts were in great condition, and actually had a decent "white color" section that's not yellowed or age-stained! Womens: 6/10, 20% of Women's Clothing were brand new with tag though, which was impressive. I did find 2 cute sundresses from here, but overall the clothing is more suitable for early 30s+, I didn't find many tops/skirts/dresses for someone my age (early 20s) Accessory Selection: 5/10, Good selection of necklaces/ earrings (less than $3/piece), lacking in bags ($14-$30s). The bags were strangely overpriced, and they had 2 fake LV bags near the cashier that were going for $35+ each....!!?!?! Overall, I appreciate the cleanness & organization of Unique. But the prices, selection, and quality are significantly lower than other thrift stores around Chicago. read more

Thanks yelpers for cluing me into this Unique thrift store. We live near here and have passed it a million times, but didn't notice it. It got upstaged by Bubbleland, of course! As with all thrift stores, it's never the same store twice (says my husband), so be patient, go on 1/2 price Monday, and ideally bring an encouraging friend. They do open at 6am on 1/2 price Monday, just sayin' My husband and I went there today and were blown away by all that we got for super cheap. I got 6 or 7 cute close-fitting sweaters that I can layer well in fall-winter-spring in adorable cheerful colors, for about $2 each w/discount. I literally had to stop myself because I didn't need any more. They were in the last row and I almost missed them but I was walking to where my husband was and happened to see them. My husband (6'2" 2XL) got a tan long wool dress coat that looked awesome for about $7 with the 1/2 off discount. He got a white bath robe for about $3 with discount that looks like it's never been worn. He also got 3 sport jackets. We also got a new looking laptop bag for $5 w/discount. My husband got a few wool scarves, plus a handmade wool scarf from Ireland. I got a bright blue scarf. They should have more wintery things like winter coats in mid-late October, so we'll be back. There are NO dressing rooms, so next time if I want to try on pants I will wear biker shorts underneath. I had terrible luck w/jeans, partially because they were all out of size order, but oh well. Thanks Unique for Christmas in September! read more

This store is a lot easier to browse for clothing than some of the other thrift stores, mostly because the clothes are organized by color. I have found quite a few cute things here. Every time I've been here the store seems fairly orderly and clean, unlike some of the Village Discounts I have visited. Overall, I'd say it's a fun place to take a look around. read more

I have been going to this thrift store for a long time maybe 4 years. Love the fact that the clothing are sized and also you have dressing room to try it on. But he's been approximately 1 years that the prices becoming a little out of control! Do they have new management? I don't know! I am a little disappointed. Some households treasures are less expensive new. read more

Have some time. Ignore the smell. Take you time and you alphabet the possibilities of getting some good deals. I was happy happy to have left with 6 sweaters for 31.00. Including a Tommy Bahama and Brooks Brother sweater. Not bad. I will return this store again. Their turn around is often. Can't beat that. read more

They have an illusion of helping vets. Prices are high here and little goes to charity. See attic from NY Times Savers, a Thrift Chain, Said to Pocket Money Meant for Charity By RACHEL ABRAMS NOVEMBER 24, 2014 Minnesota's attorney general has accused Savers Thrift Stores of pocketing more than $1 million that should have gone to charities including the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota and Vietnam Veterans of America. The legal office said that Savers, a privately held company based in the Seattle area, routinely misrepresented how much money it raised for nonprofit groups through clothing drives and other donations from customers. Savers would keep nearly all the money it raised from the sale of such items, the attorney general said in a report released on Monday. The attorney general's office is also holding the charities accountable for what it says is a failure to properly oversee how the stores raised money on behalf of the groups. "My impression is, they sort of sign the contracts with this organization and then really largely turn a blind eye to the manner in which the contracts are being administered," Lori Swanson, the Minnesota attorney general, said in an interview. "They have a responsibility to police the relationship." read more

This is a Thrift Store- not a Vintage store. So sometimes it's hit-or-miss & you have to sort through junk. But it's still the best organized and cleanest thrift store on the northside. Prices can be a bit high especially if you comare them to Salvation Army or Village. Sometimes prices can be crazy high- for example I found a nice red suede jacket that they were selling for the same price on the original tag. On the other hand I've found wardrobe basics like summer dresses and jeans in good/new condition for very low prices. Housewares can be a great deal here too- I got a pepper mill that sold for $25 new for $3.00 & a french press coffee pot for $5.00. They also give you a $2 off coupon when you bring in donations- a nice little bonus to keep you coming back. read more

In my opinion, this Unique is the best for finding dresses and vintage stockings! There's a nice, long dress rack, and for some reason most of the time when I got in, I can find a couple really cute dresses and at least 1-2 pairs of vintage stockings (the soft, lovely kind that require garters). There's also the guy who works there who sings along to all of the cheesey music, which gives this Unique a special charm. Keep that guy - he brightens the shopping day! Aside from that, it's your typical, run of the mil thrifting experience. Not much in the way of furniture/home goods. read more

Sigh, sadly back down to 4. Someone else who wears a size 8 or 8.5 must have found this place and cleaned it out, or donations got tackier..and not in the kind of tacky way I'm rockin', soccer mom tacky...HOWEVER, the housewares and linens still make me happy. As does the purse selection. It seems every time I go I find something so random I can't believe it. The only disappointing thing is the shoes. The workers can't be nicer and the store is always having some sort of changing sale...unlike village who seems stuck on certain colors forever! read more

Big, but mostly clothes, a few kitchen items, chairs, electronics, books, tapes, and seasonal knick knacks (halloween plastic things) I bought a little glass french press for $4. Half-off mondays, and up to half-off thurs b4 1pm read more

Dropped off several bags of kids clothes. Easy drive up round back. Guy that helped load the cart was incredibly friendly, specifically asking how our day was going. Open on Sundays a huge plus. read more

The store was above-average in terms of cleanliness and selection. They mostly focus on clothes, so if you browse thrift stores to search knick-knacks and other items, this probably should not be your first choice. Even on half-off Monday, I found the prices to be somewhat higher than what the Salvation Army Thrift Store south in Fullerton charges. Overall, I would rather go to the Salvation Army Thrift Store, which is bigger and has more non-clothing related items. read more

I refer to going to thrift stores as 'treasure hunting'. It is just that- you never will know what finds will surprise you on your thrifting adventure. The first time I went to Unique, I went with a gal pal of mine and we had a ball. The next two times, I went I found it a bit on the sketchy side and was annoyed by how understaffed they were. This is not my favorite thrift store in the city, but I'll go back one day. read more

I didn't realize that Unique and Savers were the same store, but the pricing and layout Sure reminded me. Not one for overpriced thrift, I wasn't too impressed with this store. Decent shoe section, but the store is really overpriced for what they offer. Staff is extremely friendly, however, and the store is very clean. read more

WOW!!! This place has gone crazy out of control with their prices!!!! It's a THRIFT store. Sticking with Goodwill from now on! read more

Bought a dog costume on the 13, no one bothered to tell me I would not be able to exchange it after that day. Went back to do an even exchange cause it didn't fit and of course they refused. Horrible Service! read more

This place is completelly hit or miss, but it's generally clean and well organized. According with the trend, the parking lot is full of douchebags learning to drive into one another. I did find a favorite pair of shoes here for $2 and a wallet among other things. read more

ZERO STARS! My grandma has been going to this store for years and we have always donated our stuff there as well. Today they did not want to allow my 98 year old grandma to use the bathroom. She has used it before and only in emergency situations. She went to use it and they almost went in after her. It is a multi-stall woman's washroom and the manager actually held the outer door open to try to get her out, but finally closed it when he realized she was already in the stall. I understand this may not be a public washroom, but whatever happened to HUMAN DECENCY??? ESPECIALLY TO THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED!! The manager of this store - John - was nasty to my elderly grandmother and my mom who is also a senior citizen. He even gave my mother his business card. Absolutely not a sympathetic bone in his body and had no regret for HAVING THEM ESCORTED OUT OF THE STORE. You have got to be kidding me!!! They wouldn't even let them buy the stuff they were intending to buy there, telling them they needed to leave the store immediately. What is wrong with people? This is a store that works with charitable donations. CHARITY??? Obviously we will not be shopping their anymore (they are probably on some bathroom using watch list), but what is even more sad is we will be finding somewhere else to donate our goods to. WE WOULD NEVER SHOP THERE AGAIN ON PRINCIPLE ALONE! read more

This Unique isn't the biggest...or the best... but it's not the worst place I've walked into. This store was 0 help when it came to me purchasing the perfect Canadian Tuxedo, but that's not their fault. I was very underwhelmed with this store overall. There are much better thrift stores out there. read more

Probably my least frequented unique out of my thrift store scouting locations. The benefits of this spot is that is relatively clean and organized. The prices tend to be on the high side, especially for shoes and purses. I haven't come across my great finds here. I like to look particularly for more vintage items and haven't come across anything to write home about here. read more

I have been going to this Unique Thrift store location for the past month on Mondays when they have their 50% off SALES........ I found some really good items: -A wood CD case cabinet (Getting my CDs organized) - Bowling Ball and Bag (I am READY TO BOWL NOW!!) -A nice blue suitcase which was in great condition - A Labtop/Handbag which was a in tip-top condition I realized that they have alot of books, a few vintage video games etc and I will check them out soon......... Anyway, I like the store......B+!! read more

I'm a big fan of this thrift store. It's clean, bright, and well-maintained. Whether you'll find what you're looking for is a toss-up, after all it's a thrift store. But there seems to be decent turnover, with new items regularly available. They also have cool seasonal items like Halloween costumes. The book section is especially nice, because they carefully arrange the books by subject, rather than just throwing all the books randomly on shelves the way a lot of other secondhand places tend to do. The staff are friendly and helpful. They also make donations easy, with an area where you pull up your car, a bell rings & somebody comes out promptly to accept your donation. And if you donate you get a 20% coupon. read more

Best Thrift in Chicago, plus it is in my neighborhood! Mondays are half off so things are cheap. Very clean! Great for baby stuff. Went to Village discount and found NOTHING! That place is a disgusting pig pen, couldn't wait to get the heck out of there. read more

I was intrigued by the Yelp reviews of Unique Thrift Store, and yesterday I was in the area so I stopped in to check it out. Overall I was really impressed, I spent 3 hours here it was so worth it. When I was finished I left with two huge bags full of stuff. I could not get over the things I bought and saw at this place, I bought 12 shirts for my 7 year old all brand new with their tags on them or in perfect,looked like they have never been worn condition. These shirts were all name brands like Mini Boden, Hannah Andersson, Gymboree, Gap, Justice, and Limited Two. I also bought her two brand new Hannah Andersson dresses with original tags on. I found a pair of girls Ice Skates for my daughter that were in perfect condition, not one scuff or wear mark, they look brand new. I picked up a few books for myself and a brand new JR Scrabble game still perfectly sealed like I bought it at Target. Only difference is this game was $1.99. I spotted a gorgeous J Crew Camel Wool coat for $20 I tried it on and stared at myself in the mirror for a good 5 minutes trying to convince myself I could finally wear Camel. Yeah, I can't it looks terrible on me, always has. I bet that coat is still there and it will only be $10 on Monday!!! Mom's you need to check this place out, I realize I probably got lucky but there are so many boutique brand names there I almost couldn't concentrate. It is a really clean place, nicely organized and easy to navigate. The other Yelpers were right, no icky thrift shop smell to take the fun away. Bleh I can't deal with that. Here are some of my suggestions for making your first experience at Unique worth your time and effort: 1)Go when you have ample time, the place is huge and it took me two hours just to get through the kids stuff alone. Look at everything, on top of the racks they have tons of little things, in the kitchen area there is so much stuff you need to move things around a bit to take it all in. 2) Leave your kids at home. 3) Dress lightly and bring a messenger bag or just put your cash/ID/CC in your pocket. You need to be hands free at this place and not worried about your handbag and/or jacket. 4) If you see something nice, get it ! Chances are it's not going to be there long. I saw a really cute handbag and went back and couldn't find it again, when I walked up to check out I noticed another lady buying it AND it was 25% off! Darn it!! I should have just thrown it in the cart! I went by myself and I had so much fun, I forgot how much fun thrifting can be. I will certainly check it out again soon. Maybe even Monday morning for the 50% off sale! BTW- I only spent $41 dollars!! ETA: I noticed other reviewers say it's cash only, I just wanted to point out, I paid with my credit card! So, they are now taking plastic. :) read more