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December 2023 by Gene S.
My best thrift store find of all time: two years ago I found the original pressings of every vinyl album by Talking Heads and the jacket sleeve and vinyl were in perfect condition, all for $1 each! Unfortunately, 99% of their vinyl album in very bad condition and by mediocre artists from the 1950s-1980s. So what's this store about? Well, true to their slogan, it's a different store every day. VDO is what I call a collector's thrift store because they seem to have certain unusual things that you find over and over again which you tend to not see at other thrift stores. If you collect these type of things, you want to stop by regularly. I've been shopping at this store since the late 90s and it's changed little; still dusty, still disorganized, but with less women in hijabs and red dots on their forehead who seem to live an utterly miserable existence. But in their defense, I don't care for the stories I used to hear about how the employees are treated and I'm guessing they're true because they always seem to be working at any given time I'm there. The employees seem less miserable these days. Does it matter to a shopper? Yes, I think it does. The back corner with the books and misc. merchandise is always a mess, which is too bad, and sometimes hazardous by junk with sharp edges piled up in a precariously way. Pulling something out of the heap can be like playing Jenga, so be careful. There are certain unique things I find here regularly. I've found some great stuff much cheaper than it would be on eBay or a second-hand boutique, but you have take your time, and dig around. They have a lot of clothes, which is nice, but I don't have as much luck finding nice stuff for a good price like I do with non-clothing items. The real downside of looking for stuff there is the narrow aisle and rude customers who can be absolute obstacles to get around. Sometimes there are some customers on the down and out so bad that have to either put up with them, keep your distance, or just leave. In general, it's a fun place to go digging if bored or just passing time or a collector on the hunt, and if there's something you actually need, you're likely to have good luck too if you keep checking in.
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November 2023 by Samantha Sobiech
Big selection, big store. Wouldn’t recommend traveling far for this one. Why do they cut off my tags at the register? Also- I saw several items I purchased at full retail price being sold here for like two bucks less. I laughed when I saw my $5 Walmart blanket being sold for 3.99 here used
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November 2023 by Alisa Sammy
extremely overpriced for a thrift store talk about price gouging. $38 for a A filthy doll that had 10 years worth of dirt on it I can buy a brand new one for that price in fact I can buy three of them for that price brand new It’s a secondhand store people nothing should be over five dollars
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November 2023 by Jess Sol
It's not my favorite thrift store, but it's the best one in the neighborhood. They have a little bit of a lot of things!I have found great clothing and kitchen items at a very very fair price. The only "unorganized" items will have to be the shoes, They are tangled up with one another. But with thrifting, you need to have time & patience to go through the racks.
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September 2023 by Fernando T.
The manager is a dick! Sold me a broken bike and told me that was fine. When I got back there to complain, he said that is my problem, not his! I'll never step in again bc they are not respectful with customers and sells broken stuff.
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September 2023 by Lovelylady
The cashier had a very poor attitude! I gave her a $20 bill, she said, oh god. Don't you have anything smaller? It wasn't like I gave her a $100 bill for goodness sake. The quality of their garments are nothing but junk!! I only ended up buying a couple of thin scrafs. Their prices now are ridiculous for junk! Not customer friendly at all!
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September 2023 by Liz Freeman (overcastboy)
sold me a “game” for 20 bucks that was just an empty box. i was told i should have checked before i bought it, but it was in a stapled package and the clerk wouldnt hand it to me, she insisted i just check out for it immediately. They refused to refund me or exchange it, claiming it was my fault for not checking before i bought it (even though i never had the chance.) Maybe THEY should check their games before putting a 20 dollar price tag on it and keeping it behind glass.
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September 2023 by Nina Spottswood
Great selection even if it is a little busy. There’s always a hidden treasure
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August 2023 by Matthew Kingsley
Literally just leaving here. This has been my go to place for all my needs for years!!! I needed some work pants so went in to find some…..I was shocked by the prices! 23.70 for a pair of jeans,8.70 for a teeshirt. I can literally buy what I need new for the same price or lower. I’m so sad. What happened??? This served my neighborhood.who implemented these prices???
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July 2023 by Zoe Alexandria
This location is easily 3X more expensive than the other ones. For example they want up to $12 for t-shirts while you can snag them for $1.50 at the others. SO weird. ????
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July 2023 by Laticia Leonard
I love this place staff is amazing prices are wonderful super cheap and 3 for a dollar Sundays.??
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July 2023 by elyse Reardon
Just passing by, popped in and was pleasantly surprised at the variety in wares and clothes. Though it was pretty busy, Ashley helped us right away with the items we needed behind the counter, and was super nice and helpful! Highly recommended!!
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January 2023 by Eli Young
Take it for what it is. It’s not the cleanest or even the most welcoming environment, but it’s a great place to find some awesome clothes on a budget.
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January 2023 by Sarah S.
KID TIP: Great place to get kids clothes. They have a good selection that stays pretty organized. Usually $1.70 for a plain cotton item. We go there at the start of every winter for a new pair of snow boots (~$3) and snowpants (~$4)
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January 2023 by Kathryn J.
This is one of the best thrift stores in Chicago, especially if you get the daily items that are half price. Is it the fanciest? No. Is it the neatest? No. But if you have some time and patience, it's great. My husband gets really nice shirts here for $2.50 and $3.00. The purses can be real finds. I have gotten slacks and wonderful tops - all in the $2.00-$3.00 range. And the children's clothes are just wonderful - pristine, some with tags still on them. The shoes are not displayed in a helpful way, so this place, for me, is not the greatest for shoes. There are certain racks for new, un-used things and those are higher priced and not ever half-price. All in all, we always leave here with terrific items!
