The Salvation Army Thrift Store

Salvation Army is way too overpriced! Someone is getting rich at the expense of people who are less fortunate… it’s really sad… Goodwill is much better!

«A messy, dirty thrift store in Marin. Shame on the Salvation Army for having just a few employees and partimer (so they don’t have to pay for employment’s benefits) to do the work’s of at least 8 people.
Larry, the business’ administrator is a dictator and his boss „major anna“ are clueless and are the most incompetent, nastiest people to work for.
They violate state’s labor laws, put employees in hostile working environments and care less about public safety. They don’t like people of colors and think employees and customers are all thieves.
Employees are working long hours with-​out breaks or lunches.
Larry Nakashima (business admin) is an idiot, he have no respects for workers. This guy is working in a important role of a Christian’s non-​profits organization to serves the community but he operates it like a Nazi camp. He don’t cares about the Salvation Army’s philosophy. Employees hate this guy. There is a high turnover rate at this and other SA stores, he can’t keeps or hire enough people that would put up with all of his b. s»
A testimony/​report from a current worker when I asked him how he like working at this retail store…
He will quit in a few weeks and other partimers are going as well.
Don’t believe me… just ask any one of those working at this store and they will tells you.
My donations and moneys going to another organization.
I feels sad for the employees and can’t believe this is happening. These humble servants deserves more than just minimum wages.
Salvation Army’s top brass… are you listening ?
Do you even cares?

WARNING — DO NOT RELY ON SALVATION ARMY TO HONOR THEIR APPOINTMENT TO COME PICK UP YOUR LARGE DONATION. THEY WILL CANCEL AND LEAVE YOU HANGING. In anticipation of a large, complicated move, I set aside a number of items, large and small, furniture, etc. and arranged over a month in advance for a Salvation Army truck to come pick it up on the day before my move. At the appointed time on the day of the scheduled pick up, I called to obtain my 3-​hour pick-​up window. It was provided. One hour later they called to say «your portion of the route for this morning has been cancelled» and offered to direct me to the nearest drop-​off location. Had I known Salvation Army was so unreliable I would have found a different charity to make these arrangements with. They left me high and dry, stuck in the middle of a move having to scramble to figure out how to get these large items and the large load out of my house in time, when I had no time to spare. I had been in the habit of making regular drop-​off donations of smaller items to Salvation Army. Never again. Do not trust that they will follow through, find someone else to take your items. One star is generous, chosen only because zero is not an option.

This is where I usually donate stuff as it is so easy with the truck at the front door. They get 1 star for that.
I popped in to check out their inventory and was literally shocked at the prices. Supposedly this place is supposed to provide used (donated) clothes at an inexpensive price for needy families. I was stunned at the prices.
In particular, and just as an example, every men’s button down long-​sleeve shirt is apparently «automatically» marked at $ 18. Are you kidding me? These are old, dingy, stained, wrinkled, off-​brand shirts that I would expect to be in the $ 2 – 3 range, if that.
For comparison, I checked my local CostCo and they have brand name brand new long sleeve button ups for $ 13-​$ 18.
Shame on you guys.

I used to buy at Salvation Army store in San Rafael since I moved into my marin apartment July 2013. I got most of my furniture and bric brac, file cabinets, etc there… and a few items of clothes from time to time and also a twin matress for $ 50. While Liz was the manager, the prices were very reasonable. I went there several times a year since then. Then one day, I forget the date, about 6 months ago maybe, Liz had left and there were 2 new male managers, and right there and then I noticed ALL the prices were much higher, eg for clothes and furniture, even bric brac. I had bought some brand new clothes on sale at Kohls, near thanksgiving and I noticed that Salvation army’s used jeans, for eg, were around the same price as similar new clothes at sale prices at Kohls sale!!. So I didnt buy anything that day and dont go back very often I ran into other people who also said their prices have gone up a lot since Liz left. Salvation Army helps fund poor people’s causes, and they should also help poor people buy furniture and clothes etc for much cheaper or at least they used to. Now most poor people cant afford to buy from them anymore or as much. Goodwill store a few blocks away, across from Walgreens downtown seems to have better prices, but not as good a selection. I used to buy good used jeans at a used thrift store in Berkeley on University Ave that supported some Aides charity. I forget the name. I once bought a good quality pair of used jeans there for about $ 2 ! But at the S.R. Salvation Army store a similar item was marked $ 9 or $ 10. They get all their stock for free, so I think they are ripping off the poor people who shop there, now. They are much too expensive now for used merchandize. It would be better if they had affordable prices as before Liz left and the new male manager replaced her, a few months back. They would sell more stuff then and more customers they lost, would go back there to look for stuff. My guess is that they dont have as many customers now and dont move merchandize as fast as before. So they may make less profit now… that’s my guess, judging by other people who have told me they dont shop there anymore. Myself included.

Just in case your wondering, I’m still waiting for that phone call…

I’ve been bringing my elderly dad to this Salvation Army every Saturday for over 5 years. Until recently, I was quite satisfied. You had to look carefully, because torn and soiled clothing is in with the rest. In the last six months, however, their pricing has gotten totally out of hand. I found some candles with a price tag of $ 2.99. The original price tag of $ 1.99 was still on the package. Their higher end stuff has become especially outrageous. The staff seems to have changed, also. The folks I was used to were friendly and helpful. The manager retired, most of the folks are new, and there is now nothing to recommend it, except that it has good parking.

Depressing and dingy. I love thrift stores but this one, not so much. Best thrifting ever is in the Mission district. Make it a date by having a burrito, too.

Just go to Goodwill.
Seriously.
I’m not really sure how these places survive. I understand goodwill, they price product to move, sometimes a bit high on certain things, but you can always find plenty of bargains, but I don’t understand Salvation Army. The prices on their clothes are higher than some outlets. $ 25 for a Ralph Lauren button front shirt… used? $ 7.99 on a chaps polo… used? A lot of the stuff there wouldn’t move at a garage sale for $ 1. It is just plain dirty as well, which bothers me a lot. You have employees, they can’t straighten up the store? These places are still businesses and I don’t like going into them when they are not taken care of, I was very disappointed in this SA. I’ve come to learn when there is a GW and a SA in the same town, 99% of the time the GW is just better ran.

I donate some decent stuff here — based on what they have in the store, however, almost everyone else seems to donate crap.
The stuff is tired, generally overpriced and seems pretty haphazard. I did once find a decent mirror to repaint that’s on the wall of my dining room… but I think I overpaid. My bad. If you buy anything clothing or upholstered… my strong advice: clean thoroughly first.
Oh — and on the overpriced thing — note that you can negotiate price almost anywhere. Even Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army in San Rafael is The BEST — during most of my frequent visits I see the Store Manager Elizabeth in the isles, moving furniture around, making it look and feel like a department store, not a thrift store! I have complimented her and her staff, always getting a friendly reply, that they are working together as a Team — it shows!
The store is nicely arranged and organized, making it easy to shop and navigate through the isles — the truck outside makes donating of items easy too — as there is no hassle with parking, or getting your receipt on the spot!
The Salvation Army is an awesome organisation — this store in San Rafael rocks!

I really don’t shop there but I so appreciate what they do, all the volunteers, and the fact that the Salvation Army gives back almost 90% of what they bring in. They don’t have these highly paid executives and high overhead. They do make a difference in people’s lives.

I go here fairly often. Their selections are good and their prices are decent; there’s always a sale of some sort happening (they’re posted by the door). A couple of weeks ago, I scored a high-​end Mitsubishi stereo set (tuner, integrated amp, and equalizer) from the 80s for $ 7.20. I highly recommend this place.

Awful. Filthy dirty, totally disorganized and messy. The staff were rude and unhelpful and there honestly wasn’t a single thing in there I would consider taking home with me. I couldn’t get out fast enough.

One of the grossest, dirtiest thrift stores I’ve been to in a looong time. Trying to figure out why anyone liked it. Prices high. Merchandise looks filthy. Floors dirty. Furniture just thrown in with no care or consideration. Employees don’t seem to straighten EVER. I felt like I needed to bathe in sanitizer after leaving that junk trap.

I go here semi-​regularly. Most of the staff working there are pretty nice, or at least — they try their best. (This isn’t Nordstrom’s, after all). I’ve experienced one rude employee there. It was at the donation trailer, where he got a little snippy if I asked if they were still accepting donations at the end of the day. Otherwise the other employees at the donation trailer are pretty helpful and courteous.
I don’t have any complaints about the items they sell, (Again, this isn’t Nordstrom’s), but sometimes the price is a little off the mark. But more often than not, there are good deals to be had.
My biggest complaint would be that some of the clientele there are a little weird, but make the place entertaining.

My dad was visiting from Ireland, so it was time to clean out the spare room.
I had some great stuff, an art deco lamp, ergo chair, bags of clothes, and a 60s end table.
Time for a trip to donate to the SALVATION ARMY. I arrived at the 4^th Street Store to find a «drive thru» donation area, very thoughtful. No need to find a parking spot, just pull up and donate.
To my surprise the donation guy said they don’t take furniture, (company policy) so I would have to take the chair and table elseware… I asked where that might be… the dump? Well he could accept the stuff with a managers approval, but don’t count on it.
I talked to a manager who asked for a brief description, his eyes lit up and he smiled, turns out he was an art deco furniture lover!
It was for a good cause, and my donation was really appreciated. They give back to the community with food, outreach and work training programs, these guys really care.
Most of the Unilocal I see are for people seeking outrageous deals… what about a nice place to donate your stuff? I Found it at the Salvation Army in San Rafael.

I’m an avid thrifter! I have gone to thrfit all over the country, loving the thril of the hunt. Hey, you can dress your family pretty damn good, and find great stuff for your home out of thrift, if you keep your eyes open!
I thought this SA Thrift was fab! It is a larger, stand alone building with a good sized parking lot (a premium in downtown San Rafael). It was clean and organized with a good mix of collectibles and regular thrift items. I actually found more valuable stuff thrown in with the odds and ends thrift housewares. YAY!
The cashier was pleasant and much of what I bought happened to be on sale that day, bonus! This store has quite a bit of furniture too.
Definitely worth another visit!

The store portion itself is probably a 1 to 2 star deal, the donation portion earns 4 stars, so i balanced it out to ok.
I’ve been here a few times and it’s hit or miss. Mostly miss. I usually try to find picture frames, glass jars, and cookbooks. So far, I’ve been unsuccessful for anything of that nature. Most art and picture frames are way over priced (guess they’re catching on to why people shop at these places?)
To be honest, the arrangement of stuff pretty much sucks.
I give props to the donation truck though. It’s always there and is open multiple days a week, I think I even brought stuff on Easter Sunday and was surprised to find someone there. If you ask, they’ll help you move heavier things. Their hours and the fact that the truck is always there has made it my sort of go-​to place for anything I feel the need to donate.

Sometimes I find nothing sometimes I score.
once I found an Hermes sweater for 2.97
once I found a brand new silk Banana Republic dress for 1.97
loads of books and strange folks shopping
no sales tax ever at this store?!
Almost daily they have a percentage off promo, watch for it!
Also there are dudes spare changing out front, they hit you on the way in and out.