Buffalo Exchange

(3.5) An alright place to sell your used clothes, shoes, and accessories and find hip festival wear. They are very picky when choosing what to take from sellers, controlling quantities of popular items (like straw hats, crop tops, and leggings for Spring). They do not accept lower-​tier brands, do not compensate you very well, and the staff is minimally helpful. They’ll take their time evaluating what you bring them, saying very little and avoiding pleasantries.
Overall the inventory is very cute, but the experience leaves something to be desired. At the end of the day, getting $ 15 for several articles of clothing and pairs of shoes is better than nothing. Still feels a little low.

It is like finding diverse clothing all in one spot! Though it is used clothing, they are generally good quality. I also like the location of the store, because there are a bunch of cool eats. My friend got a great pair of Dr Martin’s here. Shopping experience is good here.

Okay, first things first. (I’m the realist)
Pros
— friendly staff, not pushy
— decent selection
Cons
— way overpriced
I walked into this place expecting my curiosity of a hip thrift store to be fulfilled with cheap, quality second hand clothing in a trendy atmosphere. Let’s just say I was a little more than disappointed.
I weaved my way through the racks in search for something cute but I was astonished at the prices. SEVENTEEN BUCKS for an obviously used blue crop sweater from topshop with huge brown stain. But that was nothing compared to the white shirt with holes (intentionally put there for «fashion») priced at sixteen dollars from Brandy Melville. Looked It up, the shirt is priced for 23 dollars on the Brandy Melville website. Thanks for the seven dollar reduction buffalo exchange. It would take a lot for me to try this place again.

Stopped here the other day while I was in San Fran. Loved all the goodies they had. Cute jewelry and tops. Cheap for the most part can be a little overpriced but I can be on the cheap side. Got a cardigan, necklace, and booties for $ 31 bucks. The cardigan and booties were half off! I could have spent more but I had to resist! Will be back :)

Very friendly and professional folks working here; a great place to find and part ways with your one of a kind items.

For a second or third hand store, it’s too over the top pricey. But I have to give them credit for good merchandise organization, you don’t have to sift through or deal with out of place items. You won’t see bad inventory work like at the other place (Goodwill). It’s a hip staff, good to know somebody likes to look good and dressy at work.

1 star for what they’ll take when you try to consign with them. Serious waste of time.
3 stars as a shopper.

I’ve been to a lot of BE’s across the country (I always look for them while I’m traveling!) and this one was better than most. They have a bigger collection of current fashions and less vintage — which I prefer! But their prices were a tad bit more than what you would expect… Nothing seemed to be under $ 18, even old Forever21 items, so that was a little disheartening. I found a TON of great stuff and it was all in really great condition but I just couldn’t pull the trigger knowing it was just a smidge cheaper than in the actual stores– I wanted a better bargain! HOWEVER, I did purchase a fantastic pair of Hinge Leather boots for $ 22. Now that’s what I consider a steal! :)

Huge Plus. The buyer is hot with a sense of humor. I should point out I am talking about Chris.

The selection here blows the BE in my hometown, Minneapolis, out of the water. So many amazing finds here from stores like American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, and Free People. A hipster’s paradise. I walked away with a Guess denim midi skirt for $ 11!!! How ridiculous of a steal is that!

Amazing staff. Every time I go there, I end up having a great conversation with the people who work there and they’re always excited about helping me figure out an outfit. I’ve gone there for anything from j crew sweaters to entire burning man ensemble.

They are so so so picky.
They offered me $ 7 for a pair of brand new Steve Madden boots (bought for about $ 70). Why would anyone sell them non-​cheap stuff?

I feel that this location has more selection of clothes that I would normally gear towards. As any thrift-​type stores, it definitely takes some time to look through a number of clothes to find what you like. This location is organized and easy to find and I like that this place doesn’t get too crowded.

Second time I’ve stepped into this particular shop and fourth time for Buffalo in general. I didn’t think SF had consignment shops as decent as Berkeley or Boston (second time around), myself defining decent as good brands that will last at affordable prices rather than just items that look ok but weren’t worth much retail even when they were new. But, Buffalo is decent if you know the right brands and what will last through some wear and year. I think you could probably get more bang for your buck in Berkeley but as far as SF consignment shops go, this is quite decent. Just make sure with very lightly wore or new items that you’re not paying more than you could elsewhere as I’ve seen with some low price brands like Wild Diva Boots.

I’ve bought things here for years and finally decided to clean out my closet and bring some of my own stuff in.
I took a bag of around thirty items in. Around 10 of them I’ve never worn at all — were too small or I bought them online and never returned, etc. I even had a Top Man suit jacket in pristine condition that I spent $ 250 on. The last time I wore it was when I worked as a staffer in the UK Parliament.
The attendant unfolded each of my clothes without speaking to me, even though I waited patiently as she chatted up the three people ahead of me despite the line. Each person in front of me she bought all their clothes.
When she got to me, she didn’t make nice. She silently went through my bag and told me she wouldn’t take a single item.
I’m a 24 yr old gay man who’s been in San Francisco for years. And I shop at this same Buffalo Exchange… Their style has nothing to do with this.
Of course I was asked to ‘donate’ my items.
This place is a scam, as others have pointed out in these reviews. Management needs to step in.

Not the biggest fan of Buffalo Exchange in general, prefer the other competitor typically, but was in the area and decided to stop by.
The stand out things about this store and location more spastically are the staff members! They are all very friends and customer service driven! What? do I want a room? And have I seen the fab xyz booties? This is unheard of at other second hand stores! and most stores in general! They staff members are very friendly and helpful! They are defiantly a pleasant change to the typical 10 cents for a bag, total, here is your receipt!
O and of course! I have found lots of fab finds through the years at this location! a full on 10 lb gold belt that i use as a statement necklace (got this a few years ago, definitely a conversation piece), a black and gold belt that i LOVEEE! and some black suede comfy booties– actually new never been wore!

I never really liked Buffalo Exchange that much, in any city I visit. The staff always seem a bit pretentious. I see trendy people bring in bags of clothing all the time and the staff only take like a handful of items. I know they have to sell the items on the floor, but still. A lot of times the staff at the counter aren’t dressed that great either, so I really don’t understand their methodology in what they pick.
The selection here was okay, not super great. I saw a cute J. Crew dress for $ 28 (still a bit expensive for second hand). Lauren Conrad shirt for $ 10. H&M shirts for $ 10. I saw this cute Armani Exchange bag for $ 9.25 (it was half off from $ 18.50) but besides that, the bag selection was pretty meager.

This place is BEYOND cool, especially to us visiting small-​town folk. I love the stores in this area because you never know exactly what the heck you’re going to find here. I saw a bunch of strange clothes, but there are some real finds hidden deep within the racks of clothes in this store.
I found several Pink Floyd shirts, one for my dad and 2 for me, that we still wear to this day. They were very lightly used, but we washed them after we bought them anyway, because you never know…
But I LOVE the selection here, the accessories and clothing are unique and diverse things you probably won’t ever see in your small hometown thrift stores. I really can’t wait till the next time I come by this area, because you find the most random and awesome things at places like this.
I’ll definitely be back. :)

I’m a big fan of buying gently used clothing. There’s something about the thrill of the chase of finding a really awesome piece and seeing so many completely different-​from-​eachother items in one room. However I will say that Buffalo Exchange is grossly overpriced and sells items from H&M that have been marked UP.
I have been going to Buffalo for a few years now, and I usually am able to find at least one or two items each time I go. It frustrates me to no end that when I bring in my own gently used clothes to sell or trade, I am always walking out with all, or maybe minus two things. The clothes I’m selling are in style, but maybe don’t fit or I’m sick of them, and it’s annoying to have one person who has terrible style go through and pick out which pieces are acceptable. It’s just too subjective and I think very biased.
So the solution is to just stop trying, right?

This is my favorite Buffalo spot in SF. Even though it’s not huge, it’s well organized with some top picks and not too cluttered with not so exciting stuff.
The employees are super stoked about their stock of vintage and it was fun to get some tips from them where to search. Dresses here take the cake for most variety!
What truly made me a fan here was their jewelry collection. Some Buffalos I’ve been to have jewelry that’s not extremely well made and falls apart. Not this one! I rocked a turquise ring and some legit costume and nice occasion accessories out the door.
I love buffalo.