Out of the Closet

I have to tell you, this is the dirtiest and grossest used junk place I have ever seen. I was shocked when a friend of mine sat down on a used couch that looked like it was retrieved from an alley where the garbage man wouldn’t even throw it in his garbage truck. Yuck! Everything here was so dirty and it wasn’t just used, it looked like it was third or forth hand used junk. I don’t think bums on skid row would accept this stuff as a gift; let alone anyone purchasing this stuff. I will say though that there was a lot of people here picking through the stuff. I don’t think this place has seen a custodian EVER. Shopping here is like picking through a homeless encampment and seeing if there was anything good that the bums didn’t want. Sorry Out of the closet, but this place gets five thumbs down from me. I have to end this review because I have santizie myself after thinking about your store.

THE BEST out of the closet in my opinion, but then, I certainly haven’t been to all of them yet.
The variety of unique attire, from vintage to modern to just plain wacky, is amazing! I went in with my guitarist before our first big show at the House of Blues and found him the most AMAZING white pinstripe suit for a price that didn’t make us feel bad about spicing the set up for our show. He got loads of compliments (along with our music!) and loved the suit. A helpful but non-​intrusive staff coupled with a great selection and even greater prices has made me a loyal customer.

Great for furniture and knick-​knacks, fine for clothes if you dig, and good for wall art if you haggle.
I got my TV stand/​DVD storage area here for $ 20, a GORGEOUS chair for my vanity table for $ 10, and have gotten a few decent things off the dollar clothing rack. I’ve at least found some cool t-​shirts that I’ve cut up and made interesting.
The art is pretty expensive but you can usually ask them for a deal if you’re getting more than one thing. My roommate and I picked out $ 55 worth of interesting paintings for our living room (some one-​of-​a-​kind, even found one that a man had painted for his lover with the note still on the back; the other was a copy of «Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,» aka the Ferris Bueller painting) and we only paid $ 40 for them.
I also like that if you find something flawed, you can get them to knock down the price. I found an Ella Moss dress there once (worth $ 200+) marked for $ 8.50, but it had a grease stain on it – which I figured I could cover up with a wide enough belt — so I offered $ 4 and they did it no problem. I found two sweaters I liked that each had holes I’d have to stitch, so I got them for $ 2 each when I pointed out the problem.
95% of profits go to AIDS, too, which’ll make you feel good about impulse buying an ashtray shaped like a duck. Not that you shouldn’t feel great about that purchase anyway.

One star because there is no option to give a no star!
I made a mental note to avoid this place like the plague in the future.
The manager is rude and his customer service skills are below null.

No stars. Rude employees. Crappy stuff. Will not return.

My favorite little hole in the wall, I bought a lovely antique end table for a very good price and they have designer clothes for a lot less and some of the clothes are brand new. Thinking about my Halloween costume. They are setting it up now.
The staff is friendly and courteous.
There is parking behind the store and on the street.
I also love shopping here since the funds go to AIDS charity and I wish to support my community.

Okay, let me start off by saying this is an AIDS charity. They do free HIV screenings and a lot of other stuff for the LA community so you totally get good karma shopping here. Secondly, I would like to say that this particular OOTC is AWESOME. There’s always some insane piece of furniture that’s been donated that week, so it’s got a good entertainment value. I got some really good kitchenware here (cast iron skillets FTW!), and the clothes are a little more stylish than your average thrift store. If you’re buying something big the guys are usually willing to haggle a little bit (not too much, it IS a charity), and the prices are pretty good. They try to keep the stock fresh, so they discount old things pretty regularly. Love them!

I just quickly skimmed through the previous reviews for this store and I agree with many of the pros AND the cons, but overall this store is better than the average thrift.
I’ll be going again for sure!
Pros:
~ a fun selection of merch with plenty of designer and brand name mixed together with some true vintage and, of course, plenty of crap :-)
~big housewares department
~great book selection, many very recent titles
~energetic, loud-​but-​not-​too-​loud music
~nice staff
Cons:
~tricky parking
~prices are a bit higher than some thrifts, similar or just a teeny bit higher than Goodwill.
~clothing is just barely organized.
~ your money is going to a great cause, and totally non-​profit, unlike Goodwill
Here’s what I scored yesterday:
~Vintage late 80’s/early 90’s Giorgio Armani silk blazer– $ 10
~brand new & adorable skirt & jacket outfit– $ 12.
~big tray from Cost Plus with the $ 26.95 price sticker still on it– $ 1.50

I went there with a friend to donate some clothes and having never been there before, I decided to see what they had.
I didn’t even get to look at the clothes because they have this big wall space with nothing but books. I spent my whole time in that section and got 4 books for $ 4; one of which was only $ 0.25! Now, I’m not talking about random out of date books, they had Memoirs of A Geisha, Angela’s Ashes, Eat Pray Love, Da Vinci Code, Life of Pi, etc. As a book lover, I was in heaven!
Still need to check out what clothing gems are just waiting to be discovered.

I recently hosted a 90’s themed party, which meant it was absolutely imperative to put together a bomb ass TLC outfit. So I spent an entire weekend hitting up thrift stores galore, and this was my first stop.
I found nothing. This place is not as organized as Goodwill and it’s a little stinky. I think if I had the patience and time to browse through each rack, perhaps I could have found something, but I didn’t so I walked out of there empty handed. I also thought the store would’ve been a little bigger given the rave reviews I’ve read about their huge selection.
I applaud the idea of the place. It’s very Cali and is operated by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. I love how the proceeds go to this cause and how each store offers free HIV testing. I just couldn’t find what I needed (or anything I would’ve purchased for everyday wear) in this particular store. I will probably stick to Goodwill from now on.

Never. Again.
So I had a pretty LAME time here today. I just got paid and was looking for a shopping spree, so I came in this here store to find me some bargains. Duh.
Or, duh? I would like to speak to whoever prices the merch at this store, please, so I can tell them to get-a-flippin’-clue. Sorry, but a used Xhiliration dress for $ 10.95? What!?! That’s probably how much it originally cost! I’m sorry, store person, but Old Navy and H&M (which this store is overflowing with) are NOT name brands.
On top of that, the shopping soundtrack was… drum-​roll… Spanish radio. And apparently they haven’t gotten the hang of the speaker system, because the method of communication between employees was, uh, yelling. Like, every ten minutes.
I spent an hour looking and trying on things, and I made sure to pick out only sale items. I even found these real cute jeans for a dollar. A dollar! Of course, by the time I make it to the register, the price tag has somehow fallen off, and even though I offer to look for it in the changing room (which consists solely of a curtain, one wall and a mirror, in which everyone shopping can see your pants around your ankles), she won’t budge. She tells me she «prices» it at $ 5.50. The other two items I wanted, which seemed to be on sale, actually had red tags rather than orange, so they weren’t on sale. Maybe that was my bad, but probably not. They shouldn’t make the colors look so damn similar.
Their book section was bountiful, to say the least. But not much substance. Lots of decade-​old travel books and used «acting» books, and LA tour guides, and cookbooks from the 80s. I picked out a couple novels, but since I wasn’t going to be buying any clothes, I was fed up enough that I decided I would just leave. Not like the saleslady was the least bit charming.
Cherry on top? I go to my car and somebody is blocking it. So I have to wait there, zero shopping bags in hand and quite unhappy, as she pulls her SUV (what’d you expect) out so I can get my ass as far away from this place as possible.

I didn’t realise the thrift stores were so different from British second-​hand shops, but it seriously did not get any better than this. Not only was the shop worker prepared to haggle, but their stock was SO cheap I barely found the need to!
There’s a HUGE collection of t-​shirts, tops, skirts and shoes from DKNY to Adidas, all at the cheapest prices I could ever imagine. I picked up the most gorgeous pair of burgundy boots for $ 6 (£3 to me, which is pretty rare in a regular British charity shop!)
Not only are there both men and women’s clothes but stacks of books, CDs, videos, DVDs, vinyls, art prints, furniture, jewelry, electronics, homeware and ornaments of all shapes and sizes. You’d be mad to not walk out of there with some kind of knick-​knack!
However, the best and most important reason to shop here is that the stores are owned and operated by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, with all proceeds going to their medical services. It’s a great cause and a great store. Enjoy!

OMG, when the ef did this place get so expensive? I walked in there the other day looking for some table lamps and saw a really cool mirror… that was $ 150?! What?
Then I browsed around the clothing area and noticed that a generous someone had donated a bunch of brand new Tulle items. All of those items were priced at $ 30+. I saw a cute dress, not Tulle, but it was over $ 25. Lots of clothing items were overpriced in my opinion. Shoes for over $ 15?
These prices seem competitive with Forever21 and H&M. Cheap yes, but not for a second hand thrift store. Not going back to this location anymore. There’s plenty of other places that are cheaper and have the same products. Oh, and parking sucks too.

I came here on Saturday afternoon, having my fingers crossed as I was afraid that the store would be packed with people on a weekend, but the store was surprisingly organized and I was glad to have room roaming around racks of thrifty goodness. (I usually go to Amvets in SD and it’s chaotic on Saturdays)
And oh my glorious thrift store goddess, I love, love, LOVE the dollar deals at OFTC. I got a nice navy blue Calvin Klein silk & wool sweater, a vintage green-​blue military jacket, and a linen casual button down each for $ 1, a vintage Wedgwood decorative plate for $ 2, and my guy got an almost brand-​new looking Brooks Brothers men’s shirt for around $ 3. The price tag says it’s $ 7.25, but for some reason the cashier deducted a couple bucks and our total came out to be $ 8.25.
$ 8.25 for 2 tops, 1 jacket, 1 mens shirt, and a nice little plate?! TELL ME WHERE ELSE I CAN GET SWEET DEALS LIKE THAT.
After discovering the amazing-​ness of thrift stores, I have to say any full price or even clothes on clearance aisle at H&M make me think twice. Having to dig around to find a good deal really makes you appreciate your clothes so much more. I love thrift stores, and I’m proud of it.

This is a review for their donation truck pick-​up: I’ve used them several times for furniture pick up and the movers are always courteous, on time, never complain and pick up the items as promised (no“truck is full” excuse).
I was trying to spread the donation love by using another donation center (which I have reviewed) but Out of the Closet is by far heads and shoulders above the competition with their customer service.

Find your MF’in Halloween costume, and get out. This is where people like me do our real shopping.

Good God I really do love this place. I don’t think I’ve ever walked out without at least SOMETHING. The brands are awesome — you are guaranteed to find at least some nice mall brand (Banana Republic, Express, Club Monaco, etc) in good shape, if not actual designer (I’ve gotten great Theory, Ralph Lauren, etc pieces here) and the furniture selection is eclectic and fun– I always find at least one table I would love for my place.
Recent trip findings included cuffed shorts, a brand new blouse, and a grey pencil skirt. Total price: $ 10.45. I’m in love.

I do love this place. This place has really cool kitchy stuff at very reasonable prices. The staff is always super helpful and very nice. The main reason I like this place is that you can find some great frames here for unbelievable cheap prices. I bought two great frames for some of my work at a whopping total of $ 10!!! $ 10!!! How awesome is that. If you are an artist I would definitley go looking down here for your frames. This place is a diamond in the rough!

The brands here are generally top notch, and, unlike at other second hand stores where you might catch a deal on a Marc Jacobs dress, the folks here know their brands. This means that the higher end stuff is, by already worn standards, rather pricey.
I live close so today I walked by to check out the goods. I saw Hurley hoodies, Ralph Lauren t-​shirts and sweaters, tons of Gap stuff, some J. Crew slacks, a whole bunch of chairs (which would encourage me to throw a party if I had a backyard or an apartment that was not NY studio sized), vinyl records, and a sales rack that contained $ 1 items.
Even if you absolutely hate something it’s almost worth a buck to have a conversation piece – that’s why I purchased a magenta faux fur full length gangsta coat. Seriously.

WHAT??? This hasn’t been Unilocaled yet?! There is a Unilocal God and he is smiling down on me right now because THIS HERE STORE IS AWESOME! My absolute fave of all the OOTC stores :)
I furnished not one, but two apartments thanks to this branch of the Out of the Closet awesomeness. They have great scores here. So far the goods retrieved from this place:
Black Patent Leather Reclining Arm Chair — $ 60 (Hey, I was in my goth phase)
2 dressers –$ 50
2 end tables –$ 25
4 lamps –$ 45
1 bookcase — $ 20
Barely worn Burgundy Charles David Boots — $ 10!!!
3 Vintage Coats –$ 35
And I could go on and on and on. It’s a thrift store, so you never know what you’re gonna get Bubba Gump, but check this place often or better yet, donate to this place often! It’s a great tax write off and you will be helping AIDS charities AND making people like me stylish with your leftovers, hehe!