Salvation Army Family Store

This store is loaded. Lots of antiques and desirable collectibles to reflect the affluent neighborhood. They also have plenty designer goods. However the prices are marked too high and sometimes more than the retail for a USED item. Some examples:
1. Well used Le crueset Dutch pot for $ 100. This item was well loved and chipped. You can buy a brand new one for $ 10 more.
2. Fox fur coat in poor condition (moldy inner lining, holes all over the body, and thin patchy fur) for $ 120. This can be purchased elsewhere for $ 80 for a pristine/​mint condition no holes and full pristine fluffy fur. 3. They have a good assortment of old milk glass and crystal but they are going for $ 15 a piece. Typical prices range from $ 3 and up depending on make, size and detail from other family stores.
4. Well Used zara jacket marked for $ 36. Yes, I checked the tag twice. It was marked at $ 36. This was not leather nor was it cashmere or silk. It was a basic blazer that cost the retail price.
I’m sure you get the picture. However manages this store needs to reevaluate the prices. On the positive note, there are beautiful old trunks and vintage wooden furniture, old toys and jewelry. That’s what sets this store apart from other stores. The sheer volume of vintage furniture will keep me coming. However, I’ll check the tag twice before I buy.
Till next time,
Estella

I went in today to look for some deals on mixing bowls, fruit bowls and maybe some chairs that I could repaint. This is a thrift shop but boy oh boy I was so surprised when I saw all the price tags.
This brown bookshelf (without backing) is $ 99!
A yellow round coffee table for $ 175 (looks pretty nice but still)
A USED (looks pretty beaten up to me) 16 box-​like bookshelf similar to kallax at ikea is $ 300. You can buy new at ikea for $ 149!
They must be seriously branded expensive stuff that ppl donate here… not.
3 piece cutting bamboo set still sealed is $ 20. You can get this at ross for half the price.
A silver fruit bowl that has a little rust is $ 6.99. You can get a new one at ross for $ 7.99! Come on now. Are people living in the richmond district making it rain or what.
Everything is overpriced here.
And customer service sucks.
I went in there to donate but no one was there. This is my second time donating (my first time was at valencia location and someone was there) and no one was there. I went inside and said «no one is outside» and the lady replied «someone should be there» and she continued chit chatting with her co-​worker. #$&@ did you even comprehend what I just said to you?
At least there’s a free parking lot and restroom.
But Im definitely not coming back to thrift. You will find me at goodwill.

This store is obscenely overpriced. $ 50 for a used light-​weight jacket. Over $ 1000 for a dresser. $ 100 for a used, rusty bicycle. Everything is insanely overpriced. They refused to give me a bag for my purchase even though it was raining outside. What is wrong with these people? Whoever is running this store has no idea what they’re doing.

It says family store, but there is nothing family about it. Their corporate overpricing has made furniture and everything else unaffordable to most working families. It’s all donated but they’re greedy with their pricing, great non-​profit spirit. The staff is always apologizing for their practices because of how nonsense they are. They price according to the highest listed eBay price, totally inappropriate, like we’re bidding on this. Not only will I stop coming, but also donating to them. My stuff and money are going somewhere else from now on.

A year ago I would’ve given the store a five star review, not anymore.
Since then they changed the help, and except for the few remaining, they are obnoxious, rude and act like they are entitled chosen ones.
I have furnished a lot of things in my house from this store from the time they opened, but they are so overpriced now with red tags, it is ridiculous.
It use to be packed in here every time I came in, now there’s hardly anybody, or they’re walking out with nothing.
People I know, whom I had recommended the store to in the past, have called me and said, what is going on!
Unless something radically changes, I will think twice before purchasing here again.
This is supposed to be a family Salvation Army, store in the family area, and it’s ridiculous.
An example, there is a picture frame from pottery barn, priced under fifty at pottery barn, brand new. This store has a red tag for 150 on it. A month ago, I had looked at this item. When I asked the lady at the counter about the price, (has dark hair), she looked down her nose at me and said «I have no control over prices, you don’t like the prices, call the 800-​number» and turned around and made a rude comment about me to one of the customers. I was there today, thinking it was a fluke, the picture frame is still in the same place, still 150 dollars, same rude lady at the counter, and the furniture is 90% red tagged, and way overpriced… What a joke!

a bit far for my usual thrift runs but i shop here sometimes good place

I feel bad giving a 1 star review for a charitable organization, but…
Who ever has been pricing the Geary shop’s furniture since August 2015 is CRAZY-​crazy!
I refinish furniture, so sometimes used to shop here. Alas, no longer as their selling prices are often about 10 times higher than the furniture is worth. Honestly, I’ve found much better pieces as curbside finds than some of the examples I’m listing below.
1) Sideboard missing a drawer and many of the pulls for $ 750, «marked down» to $ 375 months later. Been there since August and it is still there in December.
2) Basic beat up dresser with veneer chipping off and damaged top for $ 600. Kind of smelly. Been there since September, and is still there in December.
3) Totally beat up dresser/​cabinet with veneer damage all over for $ 1,250! Been there since August and is still there in December.
4) Table with broken leg for $ 500.
Months later some of these have been marked to ½ price, but still what a joke! While these examples are vintage pieces, they are not antiques and they are not quality pieces. You could buy quality new furniture for less $$. Don’t understand how it serves the community to charge such outrageous prices.

Ugh. WTH. A $ 2000 couch AT A THRIFT STORE?! Glasses for $ 2.99 EACH?! USED sheets for $ 15!?! WTH, Salvation Army. Your prices are the same (or higher) than stores with NEW stuff. Seriously though, who does your pricing?
You get 2 stars because:
A) You have a parking lot
B) You have a bathroom
Now I know why you have so much stock. Because us cheap asses who shop at thrift stores know better than to pay your outrageous prices.
Bye.

Sometimes they have some gens here, but sometimes they do things like price used artwork or vases from Ross or Ikea at higher than the original price because some clown didn’t notice the Ross label is still attached and thought they’d found a Japanese antique.

This review is regarding the pick-​up service, which is absolutely terrible. I had the same experience as others. Called two weeks in advance to schedule a pick-​up for a good, working stove. On the date of the pick-​up, I called in the morning to find out what time they would be here. They said I am not on their schedule. This is after I clearly scheduled a pick up with them, and took the day off work so that I could be at home. Incredibly incompetent and inconsiderate of them. I will not be donating to them anymore.

I am extremely disappointed by the donation pickup practices here. My grandparents have several large, heavy electronics to donate, including some that can’t be loaded into a regular car, and Salvation Army was the only place I could think of that would be able to assist them with a pickup. We have now had 2 failed attempts at a pickup.
Our first pickup date was August 1. I left detailed instructions on the pickup form about how to enter our garage and the location of the items for donation. I do not live with my grandparents and assumed the pickup happened when I called them in the evening, but no one had come. When I called the Salvation Army about this, they explained that someone called at 7AM but hung up when they realized my grandparents do not speak English. I was appalled by this — have they never experienced a language barrier with all the people they’ve worked with in San Francisco? Further, I wanted to avoid language issues, which is why I left such detailed pickup instructions. All we expected was for someone to ring the doorbell. If further questions arose, I would have been a phone call away. Unfortunately, after the language barrier, they decided not to come at all.
I rescheduled for August 18, took the day off work, and went to my grandparents’ home at 7AM to be absolutely sure I would be around for this phone call. The call came at 8:45AM, only for me to be told they did not have a driver using this route anymore and that they prioritize doing pickups for the elderly or disabled. I entirely respect that prioritization. The problem is my grandparents fit those categories but are now, once again, left with all this stuff in their garage! Further, how is it possible that they did not realize they would not have a driver until literally the morning on the pickup?
They offered to reschedule the pickup AGAIN, with still no guarantee they would have a driver. My grandparents are no longer willing to go through that hassle and I agree.
I am actively searching for another place that is willing to pick up a 100+ pound television, a heavy stereo set, and a large TV stand. These items are in great condition and we would still love to donate them.

I was shopping for a stripped sweatshirt. I found a great one an put it on to walk around with it and I walk to a sales associate and ask her if they have any more stripped shirts like this and she replied, «Are you going to pay for that shirt your wearing?» I replied, «Do you think I’m gonna steal this shirt?» She said, «People wear clothes and walk out.»
I’being treated as a suspect when I just am asking a question. That was rude, accusatory, and just plain tacky even for a Salvation Army.

We had the same experience as Kyle E with no-​show after a pickup arranged and confirmed. We made the appointment June 12 and it was confirmed via email for July 31^st. We brought all our stuff down two flights of stairs to the car port, then at 9:00 a. m the morning of July 31^st we got a call saying they would not pick up today after all. We are older people on fixed incomes and not able to afford to pay someone to haul away recycleables, or strong enough to drive them to a drop off place. The dispatcher suggested making a new appointment for two weeks later. Why should we trust them to keep THAT appointment? Then another neighbor pointed out that the Salvation Army has a history of firing gay employees simply due to sexual orientation.
We spoke to Thrift Town, who offered to come look at the stuff and take anything that tickled their fancy. There’s another charity affiliated with the Vietnam Veterans that does NOT pick up in our zip code.
The best we could do was put up a Free sign and note it on craigslist. Eventually the trash collectors will take what’s left. Thanks a lot Salvation Army – not!

I’m Down for donating to places where most of a dollar goes to it’s intended constituents.
I believe 82 cents of every dollar goes into training and integrating people. that have lost their way, back into the workforce. To me there is no greater type of charity that teaches a person to feed themselves.
Needless to say they got some awesome antique lamps, tables, and furniture. The head guy was great and very chill. The guy collecting didnt want to take the furniture… man walking up to donate a piece of junk said: «all take all of it»…to which the head guy, smartly I may add, commented… no we’ll take it.
I hope it brings good fortune to Salvation Army and to the people they help!

I just had the same experience as many others here. We scheduled a pickup a month in advance, took time off to get it all ready in our garage and they called the day before to confirm. The morning of the pickup they called and said they would not come to pick up because it was not convenient to their drivers route. This is a major in convince to us as we have the items (large furniture items) into the middle of the garage rendering it useless for parking. Now we have to move it again and try and arrange for someone to pick it up. DO NOT DONATE TO THE SALVATION ARMY THEY ARE NOT WORTHY AND HAVE NO INTEREST IN DOING THEIR JOB OR WHAT THEY SAY. I wish I could award ZERO stars.

Brought two piles of clothing. The first was in a suitcase which I also donated. The second was in a pile. I didn’t have anything to carry the pile in. When I handed it over, the guy accepting it said «Couldn’t afford a bag?» in a snarky tone. Kind of rude especially since I’m donating. But it gets an extra star since they take clothes off your hands and have free parking.

I absolutely adore this place. Clean, organized and easy to navigate. One of the best places in the city I would say to find affordable, thrifty home décor and furniture to design your new home. Prices are on the higher side compared to Goodwill but boy can you tell the difference in quality of their inventory. Not to mention they offer convenient parking in the back. This place is worth checking out.

Scheduled on pick-​up a few days before a move. Driver was scheduled for the morning, come 8:30 am got a call from dispatched saying that driver came by but No one was home. I have a 3mth old and we were both up at 7am No one rang the doorbell. What a joke. Rather donate to Goodwill, at least there are no liars there.

This is a dirty spot, cheese graters still with bits of cheese in the cracks. Boxes of toys that have gum and candy wrappers mixed in. When you open up a cabinet or desk drawer you’ll find who knows what kind of filth inside. Then there’s that old thrift store smell and those old thrift store stains on the carpet.
However, this place for some reason unlike some thrift stores around town has a vast variety of goods. Some great finds though the prices a slightly high. A vintage Atari game console with a ton of games for 95. A vintage Sears children’s record player for 75. About the same cost of you bid on eBay. I saw a medical instrument in the upstairs electronics and music instruments area with a 1300 tag on it.
Who knows what you might find here, there could be anything. On the shelf are some great finds, the Julian kitchen slicer for 2. A kitchen scale for 5.
Records are 2.
45’s are 1.
The books are also 3 and under.
The furniture can be decent, some items were originally 500 pieces, now second hand for 200.
There are also clothes.

I scheduled a pickup of my box springs a week ago. They didn’t show after 5 hours and they called me saying that they weren’t coming. They were apologetic and said that they would pick it up today, giving me priority pickup at 10 am. I just checked online and it says the pick up is scheduled for 130pm — 430pm. I don’t have much hope that they’ll actually show. Time for some street-​cycling