The Brown Elephant

Always a great place to stop by undefined great items at fabulous prices. Super courteous and friendly employees. Especially their newest Gary. Thanks so much.

I went here this morning hoping furniture was 50% off like they often do, but unfortunately the sale wasn’t happening. I can’t recall his name now, but a nice man working there asked if I needed any help and within 5 minutes, had negotiated a price almost 50% off of what this beautiful sectional was listed as.
They always have super chic, gently used furniture and it makes it even better that they’re willing to work with you to keep it in your price range. Thanks brown elephant for another good piece!

This is an awesome thrift store and it’s in a great building! Found a bookshelf, chair, and TV trays. Staff very helpful and prices very reasonable. Will become a regular!

What a cute resale shop. I imagine you have to check back often for good finds but I was able to snag a nice wrought iron and glass coffee table. It was «Make A Deal Monday» so instead of $ 50 I got it for $ 40. Will, the associate who helped me, was incredibly friendly and nice to talk to. He told me about the history of the building (which was actually pretty cool inside) and showed me a couple other things he thought I might like. It was clean and well organized inside with prices clearly labeled. I didn’t look at the clothes or other housewares — but there seemed to be a small but nice selection. Overall a must see if you’re looking for a resale shop in the area.

I bought a couch here last year that was in decent shape but needed to be recovered. It was very cheap during a half off furniture sale. That being said, they must have another half off sale coming up soon, because the furniture prices are getting kind of ridiculous. There was a cabinet I actually have that I bought at Target new for $ 40 bucks they were selling for $ 75. Beat up end tables were $ 45 each, and a really ratty leather recliner was over $ 100. I mean beat UP. Maybe they’re trying to pay for the renovation (which looks great, by the way) or maybe they’re trying to be a little more ‘Andersonville’. Either way, some good bargains, but only if you want to do a lot of work.

I was really hoping to find some treasures here, but no such luck! The staff is wonderful and everything is very clean, well organized and they even create great little displays. I must have been there after a fabulous design team came and ran off with all the treats!

Some days you come out of here a winner and somedays you don’t but it’s fun every time. Found some great original lithograph pieces that may not be worth much but has a great history behind it. That’s the best part about Brown Elephant. You never know what you’ll find! It’s well organized and staff is very friendly and the prices are reasonable.

I picked up four walnut dining room chairs with upholstered seats and backs in mint condition for $ 75 each. My dining table seats four so a great find for me. I bought my immaculate off white wool sofa here for $ 125. I looked under the cushion to find it was made as a custom piece by a showroom at the merchandise mart. I usually find like new men’s dress shirts for $ 6, such a deal. And the money goes to a good cause.

A great thrift store to find little treasures! The furniture here is great too, most days! If you didn’t find anything for you, come again in a few days and you will find a bunch a new stuff. It also supports a great cause which is an added bonus.
There are days, they randomly have 50% off sales that are worth checking out, Other times, if you like something, there are great bargains. If you recently moved in the area or are redecorating, this place is heaven for your budget and decorative ideas!
I would give brown elephant 5 stars if they had delivery for the furnitures.

I actually loved this store and I am so happy to see that they received the opportunity to renovate! It looks great in there if you love old building or have that edgy/​hipster artistic vibe. I find that there books and DVD’s were extremely reasonable in price. I didn’t find any true treasures while on the hunt for clothes but to be honest I didn’t have a lot of time to search for anything.
The furniture seemed to be in decent condition but overpriced and a couple of the art pieces seemed over priced as well. I believe the donations go to Howard Brown.
Give them a try and I’m sure you will find a hidden gem somewhere in there.

I have been coming to the Brown Elephant in this location for several years now. I always stop in when I’m in Andersonville, and never leave empty handed. Great quality furniture and decorations if you’re into the antique/​vintage stuff.
I love that it is inside am old building with minimal remodeling, it really adds that extra touch to thrifting. I am always amazed at the sales I get. More recently, I got a pair of brand new Anthropologie pants for $ 3… The original was… GUESS? Wait for it… $ 128!
I rarely but brand new things, and usually get used items for even jewelry, and household furniture. This place is great.

Upper management here can be dishonorable. Fails to do right by a customer even though they could easily do so.
I saw a couple console shelves that I thought would go great in my house. I inquired whether they were for sale and the floor manager said yes they were. I didn’t buy them that day, but came back the next day, today, and they were still there. I inquired again to the same store manager and she yep $ 60 for both. They were old and pretty scratched up, but I decided that was a reasonable price and said ok, I’ll buy them.
The floor manager said great and that she would get someone to move the stuff off them, and I figured I would help out too. But next she comes back and says the person who manages that department says they’re not for sale now. (Even though they basically had just sold them to me). The floor manager was really nice and very apologetic about it. But the person who canceled the sale didn’t even bother to come out of his office to explain or attempt to make it right in person.
So this was now, not going very well at all, but I was still nice and polite about it. After all it is a non-​profit. I was still hoping to salvage the deal, as these could be perfect for my house. I politely ask if I can ask a question to the manager, just so I can nicely offer more $$$ and basically attempt to talk him into letting me complete a transaction that had really already been agreed on.
He sort of stomps over and places his hand on my shoulder in a friendly way. And half-​jokingly says that I am giving the other employees a hard-​time. (Which really wasn’t a funny joke at all, considering I was calm and polite to everyone through the whole interaction). I explained that I really want to buy the shelves and that the floor manager set a price which I agreed to. I even said I’ll pay more, offering him $ 100 and volunteering to help move the stuff over to any of the many other shelves, which I was going to help them with anyway. He acts like he hardly even wanted to hear me out and says the shelves are staying with him. He says he needs the shelves to sell the stereo equipment, even though there are many other shelves that he could use. These are scratched up consumer shelves that were obviously donated (or purchased resale for cheap). (Photo posted). I asked, well can’t you do anything because agreed to the sale, and I’m willing to pay more? He was dismissive and basically said the shelves are staying with him. As he’s half-​way walking off, he says that he made a mistake and any issue with it is on him. Which is a strange thing to say as you’re turning your back on someone who is politely attempting to bring an issue to you (and who was also polite to all of the other employees). So he just stomps off, just leaving me standing there 5 seconds into a discussion, with no apology. He acted as if I had somehow bothered him (by politely offering to pay much more for something that technically was already agreed). It was all a remarkably unpleasant way to treat someone. Him putting his hand on my shoulder when walking up, was undoubtedly a totally phony act, consistent with how he handled the situation from a business perspective.
I don’t blame the floor manager, as she was pleasant and apologetic about it. It was the upper manager (tallish, stocky, bald guy) who didn’t do the right by a customer & donor and also put his employees in a difficult situation. The floor and cashier staff always seem to treat people very well here, and I’ve interacted with several of them. But the upper manager was the opposite. If he thinks it’s ok to treat people the way I was treated, he should consider working for the worst possible national chain, not a non-​profit. And I don’t mean Target or Coscto because they regularly treat people much nicer than this.
If any staff at Brown Elephant see this, I would still love to have these shelves and I would happily pay $ 200 cash for them! That’s about 400% more than the agreed price. I’ll add the $ 140 as a donation, no harm no foul. So I suppose this situation is still salvageable. But based on how the upper manager came off in that moment, I won’t hold my breath.

It’s a beautiful place. I love second hand stores. The Interior is worth seeing if you are a fan of old buildings.
I never got lucky on video game stuff here, you just got to be lucky on what comes in.
I found an awesome DVD set for my dad and the next day it was gone. Duh, silly me.
Anyway. As a Wiccan I got lucky on finding a very particular item. My daughter was the one to spot it out as it was on display to be sold for Halloween season.
I guess the dude who worked there knew I had something precious in my hand that was marked 5 dollars. He seen me through his Fabulous gray hair almost covering his eyes… I Seen’t it.
I put it back on the shelf and wandered off with my 3 year old daughter to find the wife and beg to buy this Witchy thing. Wife seemed interested too… Jackpot! We return and it’s not on display anymore.
All of us were like «Oh Well.»
But upon returning back to browsing… The Witchy thing was in a pile to be Re-​Priced… OH NO! And I knew it was Mr. Fabulous’s idea. He knew I needed it. It was my precious.
Well… My daughter was quick because she recognized it and grabbed it before it could be unfairly Re-​Priced. Shame on that Man.
But my Wife loves the place and I do too. That was my only incident ever and it would of got a 5 Star review but 4 is still good.
I will for sure get some furniture from here and check back as much as I can for goodies.

I have always had good experiences at the Brown Elephant but today was pretty outstanding. Willie, a store rep. Helped me to measure, try out if a piece of furniture would fit in my car, load the furniture into my car, and set up my sale. He was wonderful! I love my beautiful piece of furniture! Thank you, Willie!

The good cause/​public benefit nature of this store bumps it up from what would ordinarily be a three star for me. A lot of the bigger pieces are a bit overpriced for what you get which makes me hesitant to purchase anything there, but, as with any thrift store, there’s a treasure trove that needs to be discovered through careful digging and constant browsing.
The biggest problem I have is with the customer service. It is incredibly inconsistent and more often than not, it doesn’t exist. There have been plenty of times in the past couple of months where I’ve been in there to drop items off and have had no direction from the staff, not a word said to me, and no help offered to bring bags and bags of clothing and item in. The donation drop-​off needs to be better marked and there needs to be someone who is committed and dedicated to receiving items.

A+ for their furniture. A++ for their proceeds going to Howard Brown. Also amazing — the people who work in the donation area! They never let you carry your own donations and are the friendliest people. Their clothing selection is solid, though smaller than the other location. It’s also great for used queer books and DVDs! Sometimes their prices are a little expensive for me, but hey, I’m just thrifty.

To all those people complaining about how overpriced Howard Brown is. Let me remind you it’s a charity folks! God forbid you donate a little extra money to a organization that does a lot of good. If you want something for nothing maybe you should try dumpster diving.

New to Chicago I was told to visit this location and check-​out their selection for possible furniture finds. I thought it was great that much of the money goes to funding a good charity. Now the selection were fair, nothing amazing. The pieces were of «Good Will» standard which was fine. Then I saw the prices and like some of the other reviews on here-​I was slightly shocked that some of the prices seem a bit inflated for the item. I think their appraiser might want to do some research to get an appropriate price-​point.
All-​in-​all, If all your looking for are some tchotchkes then stop by on a lazy Sunday, other then that I can’t imagine finding a great furniture pieces at the right price.
Maybe their second location might have a better selection.

The space is unique and beautiful. The furniture can be interesting. However, the customer service is non-​existent (not like I expect much from a thrift store, but still…) and the prices on furniture are a joke. Honestly, it seems like you are being punked the prices are that outrageous. Even with the funds going to a good cause, this is a thrift store, not an antique mall. Pass. No need to ever go back.

Everything is extremely overpriced. I laughed when I saw a used scratched up Nintendo wii selling for $ 60. For that price I would rather go to ebay and get a brand new one for the same price with all the accessories. What a joke and a rip off…
Sooner or later, they will go out of business.
Good Riddins

Great place to find unique items for the home. At reasonable prices, too. Selection of items changes each time I visit. Staff very friendly and helpful. Will be a continuing shopper here for many more return trips.

This place has great prices on furniture! They are willing to bargain too! I haven’t found anything I want to buy there yet, but I’m going to keep coming back to look.

Pulled up to the loading dock to drop 15 bags of clothes as well as a couple of boxes. Pro: Nobody blinked an eye at the huge amount of stuff. One person in the area answered questions when we posed them. Con: The other person in the area didn’t even make eye contact. Nobody went out of their way to be helpful. These two cons are the only reason I debated between 3 and 4 stars. I rounded up.
Went in after the drop-​off and parking (street parking which was fairly convenient considering what a bustling neighborhood this is). The space is totally cool; the building used to be a theater. The staff on the floor was friendly. I found a beautiful 100% silk necktie for $ 3.
My family and I are doing a massive clean-​out of our house. It’s good to know that we can bring the stuff here. It’s a well-​run operation for a good cause.

Ridiculous prices!!! Almost all books i looked at were around 6 $, and checking on ebay reveals that you could buy them new with almost the same money!
Clothes… oh well. half of them didn’t have tags on or the tags didn’t have a price. When there was a price, it was on the high side and whenever I found a nice dress for 8 $ (lowest price that there was on dresses) it had stains or rips in clearly visible places! I will never step into this place again. Even decorative items and cheap china was hugely overpriced. I wouldn’t even want to donate anything here, to be sold with ripoff prices.

I always find something interesting here. It’s not the best place for a huge selection of clothes, but is great for random home items and furniture. I’ve found some really unique original art here as well.
Plus, there’s always great music playing, which gives the place a friendly, upbeat vibe.
Prices aren’t super cheap for a second hand store, but proceeds help fund medical care for the uninsured.

Just went for the first time. Stopped after visiting a couple of Salvation Army stores and thought this store was way more reasonably priced and had better quality items. I was surprised to read in some of these
reviews that people felt the store was over priced. I actually had the opposite reaction. I plan on going back frequently…

I always come to the brown elephant optimistic that I’ll find a hidden gem, but so far have left empty handed. I’m usually here to look at the furniture selection, and so far the sparse offerings have missed the mark. There are some great deals to be had, like the overstuffed chair and matching ottoman for $ 50 that I saw last time. But there’s just something a little dated and clunky about a lot of the furniture here that have left me somewhat disappointed each time…

I am a thrift store fan, and I love that this location is set up in an old movie theatre. I will say, however, that I don’t really seem to find anything I like most times I stop in. The clothing selection is sparse, and I find myself hard-​pressed to find a book I want to take home, even at their very reasonable prices.
The staff is very friendly, and I do occasionally find a gem in the DVD bins, but nothing else really grabs me here. I guess that’s the fun of thrifting though, coming back until you find that magical item that destiny steers your way.

Went shopping today for furniture. Ended up find a nice couch for $ 125 (they dropped the price to $ 100), but once we got it into the car, we realized the bottom was broken. They told us they don’t normally do refunds, but since it just happened, they would allow it. They even help you load & unload furniture.
They gave me my money back. The only thing I’m disappointed about was that it was broken, but they were super nice & helpful. I will definitely be returning.

Awesome spot to find gems for your home. The turnover in here is daily. So if you need something and don’t see it the first time just go back the following day. There will be new stuff.
I have purchased a table, coat rack, dishes, clothes, and jewelry. All for dirt cheap like $ 20 or less per item.
Now here are a few important things to know. If you want to transport a piece of furniture you must have a means to get it to your home as they do not deliver items for you. They do provide names and phone numbers for people you can call to deliver. I got some guy for $ 30 to deliver an item for me and he carried it up the three flights of stairs for me.
Second, if you donate an item to them such as furniture, they will pick it up from your home.
Third, the money they collect goes to HIV/​AIDS Research at Howard Brown.
Stop by. You are bound to find a gem for you or someone else.

This store is great for what it is. It happened to have a great 50% off furniture (wood only, I think) sale and I found a great TV stand for just $ 8.
The service was fine, nothing special but friendly enough!
The other location didn’t seem as good but I also came away with a $ 40 desk that I look forward to using!