Boys & Girls Club of Venice Thrift Store

Closed :(

The closing of this store is a Huge LOSS. The Mgr. a woman named Amy, was putting together a phenomenal art collection. I could always count on the BGCV for orig. Mid-​Century artwork and classic prints.

So sad, but this location is CLOSED.
Here’s the announcement from their website:
The store will be Closing for business December 1, 2009. If you wish to continue to support the Club programs please call 310.390.4477. We thank you for your support over the past 34 years.
No plans to open a new location as of yet.: (

As I drove by on the way back from the beach I caught view of this thrift store that I had never been to. There was some metered parking in front but on the side street there was a 30 minute green curb of free parking.
Pros:
+the upstairs book area that you could get lost for some time in looking through.
+the employees seem personable– at least the one person there who actually helped me was
Cons:
+next to nothing was priced nor where there signs saying what prices were. I’m not sure if you can haggle or not. I didn’t find anything to ask.
+disorganization– aside from the upstairs being clearly books, the place is cramped and dusty. While I realize it’s a thrift store, it was just dirty.
+not decent clothing selection– I know that some people have found great things, but perhaps this wasn’t the day for me. I found nothing that I absolutely had to have despite digging for it.
If you are looking for nicknacks and glassware, you might consider this place. Much of it just looked like junk though.
Very disappointing. At least I didn’t have to pay for parking though.

I used to stop by here almost every weekend and have never ended up disappointed. If I had room to store some of the amazing furniture I’ve seen here I would in a heartbeat! Unfortunately, all I have space for (and even then!) are clothes, and so that is what I tend to purchase. Finds here include a vintage (like made in Hong Kong vintage!) Burberry trench for $ 20, several Theory blazers and blouses, and a few pieces of really cute older jewelry. Worth the trip if you’re close-​by… and if you leave disappointed, there’s always In-​N-​Out!

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT donate any of your items here.
I donated two bags of stuff here and out of the corner of my eye noticed the workers (who looked like they were from some prison work release program) throwing it all in a trash bin. When I asked what they were doing, they said they only keep «really nice stuff.» (they barely even looked at the clothes I was donating.)
When I got on them about throwing stuff out they backtracked and said they would probably donate it to someone who would recycle the fabric.
I donated these clothes so the money could go to neeedy kids, not so some designer could recycle the fabric.
This place is a scam. You are better off taking your stuff across the street to Goodwill or to a Salvation Army, or better yet just leave it by a dumpster in an alley where some homeless person can actually use it.

Great thrift store in the Venice/​Culver City area. I like stopping in every couple of weeks and spending some time going through the stacks of vinyl. It’s one of the few second-​hand shops that I’ve found 78s and all my sweet «Mood Music from the Movies» and Gershwin records came from here. They also have a decent collection of furniture and if you’re lucky you can find a cool vintage piece here and there. I bought a cool vintage office chair for $ 15. I’m not a huge fan of their clothing section, but I did once find an awesome Ann Taylor wool suit for $ 10.
Great shop to spend a lazy weekend afternoon, make sure to take your time to peruse their shelves for good finds.

Now that my beloved Salvation Army on Sepulveda in Culver City has closed down, I’ll probably opt to go to this shop every couple of months. They have the largest book section of any thrift store in fairly close range to our home.
Shopping here has been a mixxed bag, and that’s mostly due to the sales staff. I’ve had perfectly courteous clerks, but have also had some not-​so-​nice ones. One in particular stands out because she was so shockingly rude.
The last time I went there, I bought a stack of books to take with me overseas, mostly to giveaway to relatives. when I opened the bag when I got home, there were four books (that i was charged for) that I had not even selected. So that wasn’t good, and I’ll be sure to watch what they’re bagging and charging.
It’s not as close as the SA was, but it’s near costco, so it can be visited on the way there or to Alejo’s Pasta Factory down Washington…
This Boys and Girls Club is greatly improved on it’s former location on Centinela, which was hard to park at and was completely disorganized.
All thrift stores are hit and miss, but this one scores with us because of their large-​ish book collection!

This is my all time FAVORITE thrift store. It’s supports a great cause that there’s always always something I want.
I needed a couch for my new apartment only blocks away. I found an AMAZING one for $ 65 and they delivered it for only $ 10 (just let them know how close you are to them). I also found a ton of great Banana Republic, Gap, and other workplace-​worthy clothing items.
I went back again and found my dream couch for only $ 60. I bought that and they delivered my new couch and took the other one (it’s for charity so I didn’t worry about paying for the first one).
They know the worth of what’s in the store and there’s a ton of crappy things but overall I’ve always found treasures whenever I go in there.

This thrift store is awesome! We went to 6 thrift stores today looking for furniture for our new apartment. The first 5 had little selection and all of it was either undesirable or too expensive (mostly the former). But the Boys & Girls club specializes in furniture and had tons of stuff to choose from at great prices! We got a wood frame sofa for $ 100 and an amazing 50’s dresser with nailless joints for $ 45. Also a huge, clean, modern desk for $ 50. They have desks, dressers, sofas, dining sets, dishes and more. We are definitely going back.
Also they will deliver everything you buy for $ 25 flat, which is cheaper than renting a uhaul and more convenient. And they are really nice!

They always have a lot of furniture and it’s priced well. But they charge $ 25 to deliver a piece «real close by» so it’s best if you can haul it yourself. The first time I came here I got a silk Dior tie for a buck. This was when I had to wear ties to work, iiiick. (I’m a girl) and I got a string of (fake) pearls for a buck and some chunky black bracelets for a buck… I was so jazzed about this place.
Since then, whenever I come in the only that interests me is furniture that I can’t fit in my car. No more jewerly/​fun stuff. For that stuff, try Trash and Treasures Too (nearby) on Venice, which is next door to a used book store too.
Speaking of books, Boys Club has TONS upstairs.

My original review for the previous location on Centinela:
This is a get down and get dirty store. Stuff is piled up in aisles. I have found quality vintage furniture and artwork here. It’s a good place to find electronic parts. The best attribute of this store is the pricing: always extremely reasonable, like a thrift shop should be. It’s located near Santa Monica Airport. Update: on Feb. 1 they are moving — near Lincoln & Washington, next to Costco (the old Yamaha Piano Store).
New address:
13 347 W. Washington Blvd., just east of Lincoln.
The new location is considerably cleaner and better organized. Not many electronics like the old store. Good collectibles that sell quickly. Vintage furniture moves quickly also.