The Arc Foundation Thrift Store in Ventura, CA

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Telephone:	+1 800-228-1413
Address:	265 E Main St, Ventura, CA, 93001
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	0.3 miVentura 1 miGold Coast Transit
Categories:	Thrift Stores

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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards	Yes
Parking	Street

Bike Parking

Yes

Today

Today	9:00 am – 6:00 pm Open now
Local time (Ventura)	3:42 PM Friday, November 29, 2024

Business hours

Monday	9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday	9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday	9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday	9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Friday	9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday	9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday	10:00 am – 5:00 pm

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20 reviews of The Arc Foundation Thrift Store

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Laura M.

Place rating: 1
Port Hueneme, CA

Very disappointed. I set up a pick up for a donation of a red leather armchair online. The driver came and refused to take it because he said he couldn’t lift it by himself, and couldn’t accept help from the customer. He was a big guy, too. My husband was able to carry it by himself, so not sure why this guy wouldn’t try, or why they wouldn’t send two. I asked him to wait to see if I could get a neighbor to help me load it, and he just said no, and walked away fast. He obviously had somewhere else he wanted to be. Very disappointing for a non profit.

Azusa S.

Place rating: 3
Oxnard, CA

The ARC thrift store used to be a good place to find great deals but now because downtown Vemtura has turned into a tourist destination it’s gotten very expensive. I can find a gem now and then but not like it used to be. Some of the prices are more than new.
The store is well organized but it’s not clean like it used to be.
The parking can be a challenge.
The lines can get really long.
They do take credit cards which is nice.
They have specials that they offer for clothing of a certain color tag.

Michele T.

Place rating: 3
Santa Clarita, CA

Not bad, not bad. I’ve been in better, but I’ve also been in FAR worse. I have yet to find any treasures at The Arc, but that’s not to say they aren’t there. I have one complaint — the countertops where the jewelry is kept are AWFUL. You cannot see a thing through the plexiglass because it’s so scratched. You should really look into local plexi companies who might want to make a donation. It’d be nice to see all the goodies you have in those cabinets! Anyway, the staff is super nice, and the place is pretty clean and well organized. They’re on my Ventura route for sure!

L B.

Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA

It’s a very pleasant store, music is ambient, doesn’t smell, well organized, and great prices!

Kay L.

Place rating: 2
Santa Barbara, CA

This used to be my favorite store, and I spent hundreds of dollars a month here, but the prices are getting OUTRAGEOUS!
$ 14.95 for a used Handy Manny toy?
$ 20+ for a used sweater?
Very disappointed in the price changes recently.

Kira B.

Place rating: 3
Broomfield, CO

So so, it’s pretty big and fun to browse through but I rarely find any vintage clothes here. There’s always a looooooong line to check out. They do take cards.

Jaclyn B.

Place rating: 2
Ventura, CA

For how dirty, busy, and stocked this place is, their prices should be much lower. Inferior quality inventory and more expensive than surrounding thrift shops. Usually busy, especially on weekends!!! Usually has loud, obnoxious music blaring. Staff is a mixed bag; some are lovely while others are sour pusses!
I’d recommend shopping else where.

Nancy M.

Place rating: 5
Lancaster, CA

Very organized. Love that the clothes are sorted by size! Found tons of items at great prices. I will return whenever I visit Ventura! Good shopping for a good cause.

Rene r.

Place rating: 4
Aliso Viejo, CA

Nice, clean, well organized thrift shop in downtown Ventura. Employees were nice and helpful too. Good assortment of clothing and housewares.

Charles R.

Place rating: 4
Fayetteville, NC

Of the two downtown thrift stores this is the better of the two. My step sons girlfriend Linda is a regular here and spends hours looking for skirts, dresses and clothes for her girls. She stated the shoes are the best here. When I go with her I like to look at the records and movies. Has a large book selection for about 1.00 a book. On a side note there is a large selection of pictures and household. Everything is sold as is and no returns. Linda’s main complaint is that they staple the price to the clothes and it can leave holes. I guess if you don’t have a lot of money buying clothes here is a good buy.

Eriko P.

Place rating: 3
Santa Monica, CA

I enjoy coming here to browse. They have a restroom in the back, through the employee sorting room. No dressing rooms. This store is a hit or miss for me. The ARC in Oxnard seems to be better luck, but I still enjoy checking this store out too. This last visit, I found 2 large beach towels for $ 2.50 each!

Brenda Y.

Place rating: 1
Ventura, CA

Dirty store, high prices and rude employees.

Marin C.

Place rating: 3
Simi Valley, CA

Goody goody. I found 3 shirts in reasonable condition, and one sweater. All were good colors for me, so I am contented. Prices excellent, my four things totalled about 11 $. One of the items was forty percent off because it had the discount colored tag.
Sure, aisles are cramped and there isn’t a dressing room. It’s more an adventure, digging for treasure, and random things. I did appreciate that their sizes were clearly marked (as much as can be possible with folks moving stuff at will, of course) as opposed to coalition across the street.

Nijole T.

Place rating: 2
Los Angeles, CA

I love thrift stores, my husband not so much and this would be a prime example of why.
The store was so huge and buzzing with people I had to check it out.
Husband and son holding their noses in tow.
Ugh…ok hurry through, fingers crossed for something fabulous.
Ok…didn’t happen.
While the have endless rows of clothes, they are yucky, dirty, musty and poor quality.
The décor and electronics, kids stuff, kitchen wares, books, all in bad shape.
I am glad stores like this are around, but the ones at the end of East Main in Ventura (we went in several) are really not nice, no treasures to be found here.

Vee V.

Place rating: 5
Ventura, CA

I hadn’t thrift-shopped in years, but the other day I was walking around downtown Ventura and thought I’d pop in here and do a little browsing. Approximately half an hour later I ended up with four skirts, three blouses (one had the original tag still attached), a sweater, and a scarf. The grand total? $ 37.93. Dude! You can’t even get a sweater for that price at most stores. Yes, it’s used, but everything I ended up with is in fantastic condition. It’s pretty well-organized in there as well. I don’t think there’s a changing room but there is a mirror in the ladies’ section so at least you can pull on sweaters and tops and check yourself out (I recommend wearing a tank top for quick on/off). I’ll definitely be back!

Jeffrey S.

Place rating: 3
Midvale, UT

As others have mentioned, this place is pretty cramped. On my visit they were doing construction next door, so it even made the parking situation feel cramped. Cramped aisles, cramped racks and lots of folks to squeeze in.
That said, it’s thrifting. I certainly don’t go there looking for spaciousness and an amazing sales floor. I want deals. I want great finds. I want to hunt for my treasures, but in a place that’s well organized and easy to navigate. For the most part it is well-organized. The knick-knack section was a little haphazard, but very few thrift stores get that right. The clothing is easier, and they did a nice job.
I spent most of my time at the shoe rack and found two pairs of old school Nikes that I’m excited to rock. They’re just funky enough, and the more expensive pair topped the till at $ 7.95. The other was a solid $ 5.95. You can’t be too disappointed with that.

Farynn S.

Place rating: 2
Azusa, CA

Couldn’t find much here. Was really crowded and hot.

J D.

Place rating: 2
Anaheim Hills, CA

Located in downtown Ventura amongst a bevy of thrift and antique stores, this one was one of our least favorite. The selection of items here was weak and the employees were not friendly at all.
They have a policy where they only allow you to view 1 item at a time out of the watch & jewelry case… not a problem. However, it’s a problem when the lady working the case has an attitude and makes faces at you and huffs & puffs because you want to see more than a few items… aren’t you supposed to sell stuff? Maybe she was having a bad day??? Whatever, it made us feel uncomfortable… so we moved on.
Return Factor — 10%

Erika L.

Place rating: 4
Northridge, CA

Bienvenidos a la tienda de los segundos de los retarded citizens… SAY WHAT?! Seriously, until recently it was called The Retarded Citizens Thrift Store. I would hear the loud speaker come on and snicker at the 1960s advertising in Spanish. Now, they are simply the Arc foundation… progress.
I started coming here in 2006 when I was working in Ventura. I have never left empty handed. This place is great for kids clothes, weird odds and ends appliances, crap you NEED but hate to buy (waffle irons assortment for 1.00), books, records, purses, wigs, great toy section, dish section, a little lot of everything. You will need to spend some time and enjoy ‘the dig’. I guarantee you’ll find something!
Check the special tags of the day. They have a special color discount each day.

Diann B.