Alpha Thrift Store

This review is as a donater (is that a real word? why does it look so weird?) I had some clothing that I wanted to donate because I believe in the community that Alpha services.
It was good quality clothing (new, some still with tags and bought at Nordstrom, Lucky Brand and Wendy Foster. The items were clean and ironed and a lot of them still had tags on them.)
I had them on hangers in garments bags and when I dropped them off, the guy shouted at me «Put them there» and pointed towards a pile of what looked like throwaway junk. I started to explain that they were all ironed and ready to go and he just gave me a stern look and pointed towards the pile again, like I was a child who’d disobeyed him.
Listen, I totally get that people bring a bunch of junk to donation drop offs because they’re too lazy to throw stuff out or take it to the dump. But this was nice stuff that I felt happy to donate because I knew it would be something they could sell. I ended up leaving them where he said, but darn it. I wish he’d been nicer and more willing to understand that I didn’t want to leave my stuff in a pile. It would have just made more work for them to iron it all again.

I’m writing this as a donator to the store, not a shopper.
I’ve been decluttering my house for the past few months and have called alpha to pick up some donations twice. The first time, it was super easy. I called in the morning and they said a truck would be out the next day between 9 and 5. And it was! They came and picked up all the stuff and left a donation receipt. Awesome.
The second time I called, I called multiple times during different times of the day on various days, and no one picked up (this was during their 9 – 5 business hours). I eventually left a message saying I wanted to schedule a pick up. They called back the next morning to say they got my message and would be in the area on ²⁄₂. I called them back multiple times to confirm that this was good for me. I finally got through to someone on ²⁄₁ and they confirmed the truck would be at my house between 9am and 5pm on ²⁄₂.
It is currently 7:19pm on ²⁄₂. They still have not come, and I haven’t received a phone call. I tried calling them around 4:30 to make sure they were coming today, but no one answered. I’m not sure how much longer I should leave my stuff outside. Such a shame. Now I have to decide if I want to try them again or try another pick up donation place.
Edit: They called me the next morning when I was already away from my house, telling me they would be there that day. I wish they would have called me the day before so I could have left my stuff outside. I called them around lunch time and asked what time they would be coming, as I could maybe run home during lunch to put my donation boxes on the porch. The lady said she didn’t know, but would call them and let me know. She called back and told me they had already come to my house, and they didn’t find anything so they just left. Well, of course they didn’t find anything. I had no idea they were coming. I wish they would have told me in advance.

2.5 stars seems about right for this place. Their bitchy customers along with their unwelcoming staff were enough for me to run for the hills.
They do get 2 stars from me as a thank you for having a clean restroom.

Absolutely overpriced. I was looking for some old frames for a craft project and could not find anything under 20 dollars. I am not exaggerating. I mean who is going to pay 40 dollars for an old picture of mallards? I have seen some of their ceramic pottery on the shelves where the original price tag was still attached and it was less than what this «thrift» store was selling it for. I won’t be shopping here again or donating my items either. Total rip off.

Can’t believe the «remodel» took you down so many notches! Women’s clothing quality pretty bad, styles from 1980’s and too high priced. Selection low. What happened? I’ve been back a couple times thinking you just haven’t settled in yet… but I guess this is it.

Like the other Alpha Thrift stores in the area, this one is overpriced. It’s also a fairly large store with some free parking behind the building. They have lots of clothes, a good variety of knick knacks and collectibles as well as electronics and household miscellaneous. When I was there last weekend they had a Craftsman table saw for like $ 40 and some sort of commercial food prep machine. I don’t buy clothes here because they’re too expensive, but in their non-​clothes items you can sometimes find some really cool things. The fact that the building is quite large allows them to offer big or bulky items (like a table saw) that wouldn’t fit in a smaller thrift store (like downtown).

I LOVE Alpha! Prices here are a bit higher than more junky thrift stores tend to be, but «you get what you pay for.» This store is well organized, clean, well lit. If you know your stuff and have an eye for design you can find wonderful housewares here, occasionally some good furniture, and some interesting vintage clothes. Among the reviews here I see many «out of towners» complaining about the prices and claiming stuff «sits on the shelves for years,» but that’s not accurate. Stock changes often and things that don’t sell get cleared out. I collect Mid-​century architect-​designed classics and ALL the small decorative items in my house come from ALPHA! 2 beautiful lamps, two sets of Eva Zeisel china, Heathware, A NEW, unused Alessi tea kettle. A vintage teak dining room table. Know your stuff, visit often, and you’ll be amazed!

Guys! Why so expensive? Sometimes you are charging more than what it costs new!
Also, why do you throw so much good stuff in the trash. Set up a FREE corner of the store. I guarantee you that it will attract buyers who will also go through the rest of your store looking for treasurers. Get your marketing in gear and make the store some money while recycling good stuff that people will re-​purpose, extending its’ life and saving landfill space. GET WITH IT. You can do better. And lower those prices to thrift store levels.

THIS THRIFT STORE IS A RIP OFF!!!
This in no way should be called a thrift store prices are WAY to high all these items are donated and then people in the back who have no idea what they are pricing hike the item up sometimes above or close to retail because «They think it’s valuable not noticing it’s damaged. The organization that is being supported by these thrift stores should be ashamed for trying to take advantage of customers.
The proof is on the shelves where alot of items have been sitting almost a year and marked down 5 or more times. Customers are not stupid

Way too expensive to be called a thrift store! I work with children with special needs and am always looking for inexpensive toys and games to use in therapy, Alpha is not teacher or budget friendly! I try and support it because that is my line of work but find it increasingly difficult to do so especially since they don’t feel they need to be a support to the community by providing a resource to those struggling, the poor and teachers who serve the same group they claim to. They should be ashamed!

Prices are ridiculous. Seriously it is hard to find mens clothes here worth purchasing and when I do they are often priced higher than retail. Who shops here and why?

WAY TO EXPENSIVE… $ 19.99 for a used bath robe. Are you kidding me?!
A disappointing and frustrating experience to say the least.

This is NOT a thrift store – more like a Rip-​Off Store. Pricing is unreal … $ 39.99 for a used scarf? Surely you’re joking.
On top of that, they will not sell any item that doesn’t have a price tag on it.
I attempted to buy a pair of boots there yesterday, and even though they had signs posted all over saying «All Boots $ 14.99,» they would not sell me the pair I wanted because it didn’t have a physical price tag on it. After the manager explained this to me, I said I understood they had to follow policy and asked if I would be able to put them on hold, so I could return and purchase them once they were re-​priced. He adamantly refused to allow me to put them on hold and would not answer my questions as to why he could not do so.

I love thrift stores and this is a good one! When I lived in Santa Barbara, I used to shop her about once a week. They often had new merchandise and always had good prices and a good selection. I even found furniture to buy here. The store overall seems pretty clean for a thrift store and does not really have a «smell» (which is a good thing!). Clothing is well organized too. Any who lives in Santa Barbara and likes to be thrifty should check out Alpha! You can of course donate things you are not using anymore here too!

Way over priced! Good selection tho (terrible parking) but greatly organized.

I had to laugh when I came here earlier this week and saw used men t-​shirts going for $ 6.99 and up. I didn’t even bother looking at the other clothes. The book selection was pretty good, but prices are based on size, which is pretty bizarre. With the minimum price being $ 1.95, I didn’t waste too much time here. The bric-​à-​brac section is fun — lots of variety and a lot of stuff marked off 30%.
Personally, I think it’s more than reasonable for thrift stores to charge what they can get since they are raising money for charity. I think the people managing this place have to think a little more about what people are going to be willing to pay so as to maximize the money they take in. I certainly wouldn’t pay $ 20 for an old clock radio or $ 3.99 for a scratched cd. What I probably should do is donate directly to the Alpha organization, which focuses on helping developmentally disabled people.

I don’t think Alpha has any business calling itself a Thrift Store. Maybe second-​hand store would be more appropriate. I know… it’s for a good cause and blah blah blah. But for the price of what an outfit costs at Alpha you might as well just buy yourself a plate at a charity gala instead.
Need a Halloween costume? I guarantee you a new one costs less than for what Alpha is selling their donated stuff for. I wanted to dress up like Madonna did in her «Like a Virgin» days and the bustier alone was $ 40.00. K-​Mart had new ones for $ 10.00 less. I really love helping out good causes and charity but I’m not buying used when I can get the same thing brand new and cheaper. Sorry!

This is a pretty decent thrift store. Very clean, does not smell dusty and old like other stores, items or orgainzed and they have a huge variety of items, clothes and some furniture to choose from. The prices as others have pointed out were pretty high. for a thrift store. Just under e-​bay prices I would say. Maybe they have a lot of inventory because it sits there unsold?
I did end up buying a 2^nd hand Hoover tile floor cleaning machine that I’ve been looking for forever. It was in pretty good condition and was $ 34.99. New they are $ 150, so I thought it was an ok price. Would have probably been marked $ 25 at ARC or another store in Oxnard/​Ventura. There was little else I would buy there though. Just priced too high.

I consider Alpha the «fancy» thrift store (as compared to United Family Thrift) because it is well organized, well-​lit, clean, and it offers a wider selection of higher-​end brands (Banana Republic and Talbot’s come to mind). I agree with other reviews here: it’s silly of them to ask for $ 15 for a used piece of clothing – you can usually find stuff on department store clearance racks for about the same price that they want.
That said, they always have a ½ off color tag and a ¼ off tag, and if you stick to those you can nab some awesome stuff. Last week I found a newish Ann Taylor suit for $ 20 after the tag discount – a super steal. Though in my experience, you have to spend a lot of time browsing in order to find good deals. It may be more frustrating than it’s worth for people who don’t enjoy the hunt for its own sake.
They have a dressing room in the middle of the store, and they take credit/​debit cards, unlike United Family Thrift.

I have an addiction. To thrift stores. Alpha thrift is NOT a thrift store. If you charge $ 20 for a USED, DONATED sweater, then you are not a thrift store! Every time I go in here I get so mad because everything is outrageously priced. Here is my thing, if you wanna charge double digits, then call your self a boutique or a vintage shop, whatever! Thrift stores should never cost more than $ 7, and thats pushing it.
You wanna a good one, go to the shop in the Magnolia shopping center, its cheap and pretty good. Support them cause they don’t rip their customers off!