Phantastic Phinds

Way over priced, boring selection, uptight owners. It is still possible that you can find exactly what you are looking for here and walk away happy, but I’m not going back.
I am an avid second hand furniture collector. I saw a coffee table from Phantastic Phinds posted on craigslist. It was exactly what I was looking for so I ventured out to get it. For $ 84 I thought this coffee table was wood. Not high quality wood, but wood of some sort. Boy was I surprised when I got there:
The top was plastic — like a laminate counter top with a wood pattern on it. The drawer was particle board. It was in terrible condition, bowing, scratched. It honestly looked like something you would find in an ally behind a frat house. I am not opposed to the Goodwill selling something like this for $ 10. But were I running even a low-​end consignment store, I would never have accepted such junk.
Nothing else in the store was particularly interesting. It seemed like the most average junk you can find on craigslist. And the whole reason for me to go to a consignment store is because they are selective and amass a selection of goods that are somewhat better than what you can find across the wide swath of random craigslist or rummage sales.
I also just don’t like the vibe — trademarked slogan painted on their wall. People busily entering info into their database online. If they just spent more time looking for quality items instead of running an uptight business I would be so much happier to return. I got the feeling that the owner wanted to be a pro at running a business, this just wasn’t the type of business they should be running.
It is irritating that they will not help you carry a single item to your car. I asked before going to the store because I had a shoulder spasm that morning. I knew the coffee table would be light — it was a small piece, and that their website says bring people to help you load. So I just asked to be safe since I was having a hard time moving my arm that day. The guy said because of insurance purposes they cannot help you carry any piece of furniture at all. Even if it is light and can be carried by one person. My god. I understand insurance, lawyers, the whole nine yards. They face the risk that any other consignment store does and yet other places manage to still be friendly and helpful about it.

i found a bar stool and wooden ironing board a few days ago. i was super lucky in that the prices were pretty fair and i’m in love with these pieces. the bar stool is in great shape and was surprisingly the exact height that i was looking for. i’m using the wooden ironing board as a sofa table. great finds!

Not the cheapest place, but the prices go down the longer the item is there, so you can get very lucky on some things! Also, the stuff is gorgeous, and the owner is friggin’ PRO at running the place. Everything is photographed and if you sign up in the store you get an email weekly with new stuff. That’s so awesome for a consignment store. It’s also amazing if you are looking for a specific thing, because you will know to high-​tail it over there. I have never seen such an internet savvy local store, I was impressed. You seriously need to take a lot of time to look around also, because the place is jam packed.

LOVE LOVE LOVE at first sight! I CAN NOT believe it took me this long to find this amazing retro, consignment store that I drove by about a million times since last year. I went in today because it was such a nice day and their 2 pink dining room chairs caught my eyes. I ended up finding a pair of matching, old porcelain lamps for $ 32!!! They look phatastic on my bedside tables in my bedroom… The people are super nice, the dog is even nicer!!! I can’t say enough about this place. Now I just wrote a rave review, I am afraid everyone’s going to snatch up all those phatastic phinds, hahaha