My Brother’s Keeper Thrift Store

This place is unfortunately closed. It’s a shame, since there were so many reviews about the place. Ah well. You snooze, you lose. :(

— - update — — I stopped in there yesterday (2÷18÷13) after giving them a rest for a while and it was no better. On my way out the door, a woman who works there asked if I was looking for vinyl records (I was) and told me they just got a few boxes in. She then directed me to a small room in their warehouse where a bunch of stuff was piled high. Less than 10 minutes later, one of the male employees who had less teeth than brains told me I wasn’t supposed to be there so I went back and talked to the woman. I let her know about the previous issues I had with store employess wanting to buy items off the floor for themselves and she told me they are just stealing the iterms — sneaking them out the back door. It really shouldn’t be this difficult to buy cheap, old stuff from a thrift store. — - end of update — -

Love this place. It can be difficult to find if you are not versed in the city but totally worth it. I’ve been on a few occasions… once spent $ 7 on two pairs of vintage neon diane von furstenberg pants. I also bought my modern typewriter there. I do remember seeing some mannequin parts I wanted but had no money for. Worth the trip and the money goes to the homeless.

My Brother’s Keeper easily gets my vote for Jacksonville’s weirdest thrift store. Located on a desolate stretch of Phillip’s Highway, a neon sign beckons at passerbys by promising a «Huge Thrift Store!» That was enough for me to pull in and check it out.
Outside of the entryway, a box labeled «free books» caught my eye. After digging through a few Judy Blumes, I found a hot-​pink, paperback edition of Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann. Score!
Moving inside things got a little weirder. The front room seemed to house a pretty standard thrift selection. Sequined, leopard pants sparkled on the rack next to stained, terrycloth, baby bibs. But this was only the tip of the iceberg at this sprawling, saver’s haven. As I wound through the hallway I was greeted by additional rooms housing a mix of Christmas decorations, babydolls, mixed media, and housewares that can only be described as schizophrenic. And that’s all before you reach the garage area, where you’ll find 2,000 sq. ft. of furniture and other household odds and ends. In the market for a new pair of crutches? They’ve got piles. How ’bout a toaster? I counted 23 of them. Luckily, I was able to find what I came for; a small patio table that broke the bank at $ 3.
While options are limited for clothing that I would be caught dead in, the costume possibilites are endless at MBK. Among other things, I saw a set of huge, black, angel wings that would make any gothic girl cry blood tears. They also have the largest selection of housewares I’ve ever seen at any thrift store anywhere. Basically, it’s worth a trip if you’re craving some strange.