St Vincent De Paul Society

:(Very overpriced. Not well organized. Got a sheet for a project. Unrolled it at home and it was thread bare with holes. It had been taped up in a roll at the store.

I stopped donating to them after several visits to the store, here are my reasons:
1. Disorganized and overpriced
2. Unfriendly cashiers and employees, how about speaking English from time to time!!!
3. Miss management of food items that are donated by supermarkets such as Trader Joes or Safeway,… Management keeps the good breads, cakes, cookies &… for family and friends, public gets leftover (one item per family). Just to remind everyone that there are several Low Income communities within walking distance from the store, also Pleasant Hill has a large community of senior citizen housing with limited income. It’s sad that store employees do not treat older and needy people who stop by for bread with respect.

The store is dirty, crammed full of stuff and WAY overpriced, to the point of being absurd. Sure, I get that it’s a good cause and all, but a lot of the people who shop there do it because they can’t afford Nordstrom’s, or even Sears. Not everyone is re-​selling on Ebay. They would make more revenue by pricing items to move rather than holding on to a $ 500 old, scratched desk for six months. Can you find deals? Sure, but they’re few and far between, and you really have to look.

Plastic frame with print $ 50,furniture $ 550 a women hat $ 35 etc. Needs new management i doubt if they are experienced or no what management is. A Spanish women runs the place which barely speaks English. I asked how much is that chair with no tag she looked on the ground around it and picked up a sticker saying $ 55 i was shocked. Its pretty sad to think you will find a good deal or donating to a cause but it cants be nothing from the truth. They take your merchandise for free and then they turn it in to a over priced macys or nordstrom all in the name of charity. Big NO on this place.

I’ve dropped off all of my donations here and found a TV in excellent condition, when mine died and needed something right away. Also found some high quality leather handbags. They don’t charge tax, which is nice. Good place to find cell phone chargers etc. The staff have always been helpful and the store is organized. I’m happy to see them get a good price for merchandise, as it supports a good cause.

Love this place. Not hard to find at all. Staff are great and the prices are just as expected. Please realize the money they make go to people that need help with their living situations.

Sofa for $ 995, china hutch and matching table $ 2000, old 32′ box tv $ 75 which u can get free on Craigslist… Not gonna get rid of merchandise peiced so ridiculous when they have received it for free…

I like this thrift shop: the inventory is well laid out, and they have a very good assortment of stuff. I found a book here for $ 1.00 that was worth $ 15 on Amazon, so I sold it. The people who run the place are nice. I always come away with something interesting. Their prices are a bit higher than at the Goodwill, but the shopping experience is much more pleasant so for me it’s worth it.

I’ve been to this thrift store twice now, and both times I left empty handed and very disappointed. Everything was so expensive, even worse than Good Will prices! Maybe they have sales days, but even at half price most items would be too expensive for used.
I might give them another try someday, but I’m in no rush to go back.

Not sure why there are so many bad reviews. I find this store to be well organized, clean, and the prices generally well marked. I’ve gotten some great bargains here. I got a whole set of silverware for $ 3, a ton of greeting cards/​envelopes for $ 1.20 (cute ones too that I would have paid full price for, and other various kitchen things, all at good prices. The two lady employees I spoke to were very helpful and friendly and gave me a couple of nice discounts. I would even say that this is as nice or nice than the Sal Val down the street and far nicer than the Goodwill which is kind of nasty.
Not easy to see if you don’t know what you’re looking for, but it’s right on Contra Costa Blvd.

I won’t be coming back — I’ve visited other St Vincent’s and this one is way over-​priced

Even with my GPS, this place was hard to find. If I hadn’t accidentally driven by it looking for another address I’d still be out there driving!
Very small parking lot.
Large store. Lots of stuff. Doesn’t seem to ‘turn over’ very quickly.
Prices about double what they should be for a thrift store!
(Are they doing this so they can have a 50% off sale?)
So, keep checking in for a good sale!
Ladies at the register were very nice.
I will only go back here because I am on the way to (3) other thrift stores in Pleasant Hill.
P.S.
I read the other reviewers before I went in here so I was braced for the «cranky one» at the register… but I heard a bunch of employees talking about a woman who ‘had’ to retire and they wouldn’t even have a party for her, etc, etc. so I think she is gone!

As many other reviewers have said the staff (or maybe just that one old lady) isn’t very friendly. A lot of things aren’t marked with prices and the prices they quote at the counter can be pretty absurd for a thrift store.
The furniture pricing was the most ridiculous. I went there once looking for a dresser. Saw one marked 250 and assumed they meant $ 2.50 because it was about 50 years old, NOT shabby chic or vintage in any way and covered in scratches and chips. Honestly it looked liked something that I commonly see people put out on the curb in my current neighborhood with a sign that says «Free» stuck to it.
Nope, they meant $ 250, and that was one of their cheaper items. Paying that much for an old ugly piece of furniture is laughable. I can get a brand new dresser at ikea for less than what they charge.
I just feel sorry for the ignorant people who would actually pay that, or who go in and haggle the price down, thinking they’re getting a good deal but still getting completely ripped off. But I guess I don’t have to feel sorry for too many people because the furniture doesn’t seem to sell too often. Whenever I drop of clothes I stop inside if I have time and the furniture doesn’t seem to change.
Most thrift stores these days are overpriced and with so many in that area maybe it’s easier for them to get away with it. If your good at haggling then maybe you can get some good deals, but I’m not really a fan of this place.

St. vincent is hard to spot from the street for lst time passer buers. the building is set back 50 feet+ from the sidewalk.
buys: «the chicago manual of style», 15^th edition (6)
–no price listed, posted. saw price list on cashier desk later.
–maybe thie will foster more useful reviews. :)
–pricey but this may be a unique book, $ 55 list.
notes:
–small shop, limited selection of goods,
–yard sale going on this weekend.
–doubtful return.

Here’s the rundown: 1) prices depend on the cashier [also, maybe how you dress?]; and 2) this place really is a hit or miss; don’t come in looking for something specific.
QUALITY OF INVENTORY: The location of this thrift store is definitely better than say, Oakland – bordering some upper-​crust neighborhoods, a lot of their inventory comes from wealthy older residents (aka Talbots). That doesn’t mean that you don’t get a lot of overpriced junk here, though. You really have to sift through a lot to find something good.
MY BEST FINDS: I generally avoid the clothes, since most of them are for older individuals – but the prices are decent. I picked up a $ 4 wool skirt from a brand generally in the $ 100’s, and a couple calfskin leather belts from designer brands for $ 3. But those are relatively rare finds; it takes a good eye and a whole lot of luck.
PRICING: VERY subjective for non-​clothing items, but completely brand-​blind (i.e. all belts are $ 3, regardless if it’s Prada or Target). most items of clothing are under $ 10, except for dresses, ‘clothes in better condition’, and coats/​leather jackets. most other items don’t have prices, leaving it entirely up to the cashier. They have a tub of fabrics, which I use as muslin – unless that mean old woman charges me $ 5 a yard.
FITTING ROOM? Yes. One fitting room with a mirror. Pretty new addition.
SALES TEAM: All the cashiers are civil if not friendly, EXCEPT for one old, rude caucasian woman – who happens to love making up ridiculous prices and ignoring their pricing standards. Fabric is sold $ 1 a yard – I wanted to buy maybe a yard and a half of fabric. She looks at it and says «OK, SIX BUCKS» I come in another time trying to buy HALF of an old curtain set – she accused me of lying, insisting it was a table cloth. When she realized it wasn’t, «FINE, TEN DOLLARS». Christ lady, you’re not selling gold, I’m just buying scraps to play around with.
BOTTOM LINE: I think every negative reviewer had that same naggy old caucasian lady who makes up prices and gives you the stink eye – they really should post a schedule of when she works, so I know when not to come. Subjective pricing aside, you can always find a few gems here and there from wealthy donors.

First time here, and found some awesome leather purses — Michael Kors and Cole Haan bags, each less than $ 10! WOOHOO!
I don’t know why everyone is so upset at the ladies working here — leave them alone! Just find your treasures and be happy :)

SKIP this place.
These bitchy old hags change the prices on you at the register. Much of the merchandise is unmarked and you will get one price from one person and something different (usually much higher) from the cashier.
GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.
You are not peddling gold… and if you were it would be double market value.
Sorry for my language but I got the nastiest vibe from the older cashier who in the past stopped just short of accusing me of stealing (or changing the price tags).

After months of having to slow down for people turning right into the SVDPS parking lot, I decided to brave it. This place is packed, it seems, almost the entire time the doors open until they close. Obviously, I was curious.
The merchandise is typical of a thrift store, but the employees are not. So much for the kind, chatty, elderly little old ladies! The majority of my experiences with the employees here were curt. You know, SVDPS employees aren’t paid on commission, but it wouldn’t hurt them to be a little more friendly.

I love shopping at thrift stores, it’s one of my favorite things to do! Something about finding hidden treasures and vintage clothing is so fun.
On the other hand, St. Vincent De Paul didn’t have much to offer when it came to «hidden treasures.» I must admit, they do have a good amount of nice furniture there but don’t think you’ll be getting it for a thrifty price. There was stuff in there for $ 500! Their clothing selection had nothing to offer either. I asked a lady worker for a price on one of the hats I saw that was up high on the wall behind the counter. She said «I dont know… $ 10 or $ 15 or something, theres a ladder right there if you want to go up and grab it.» Talk about not being polite! I mean, I know this isn’t an upscale store but come on! It was pretty hilarious actually.
Not sure how the donations work at this place though, but it’s always good to donate if you can! I’d recommend shopping elsewhere.

This place does turn down donations. My mom and I went here on Friday last week and my mom had a bunch of tools to donate and they said no way. I have only donated clothes here but I thought that was interesting. My mom said that the Goodwill in Pittsburg would take them.
I do however take clothes here. They don’t have a problem with those. And if your lucky the donation guy may give you job advice. Why he would have been compelled to do that for me I don’t know but it was comforting somehow.
I have never bought anything from here. Never found anything that I would like.