St Vincent De Paul

I come here almost exclusively for the books. I agree with the opinions of the other reviewers about the other departments.
Hardbacks are $ 2.49 unless otherwide marked and I’ve been impressed with the discrimination of the inventory.
The stacks are at least 7 feet high. There are no portable footstools or chairs. I’m 5’11″ and I have trouble reaching the top shelves or seeing the titles clearly, and as a senior I prefer to sit in a chair when I’m scanning the bottom shelves. Access between the shelves is excellent and I think even the wheelchair-​bound could function in the book section.
Meaning no disrespect to the other bookmen in town I would rank this store above No Garbage (perhaps depending on your interests) and nearly coequal with Browsers’.

Huge store, lots and lots of books. Huge women’s clothing section. The men’s clothing section is quite small though. Not much in «Big & Tall» either, basically anything XL or bigger is thrown in as B&T and you have to scour through hundreds of items to find the one or two true B&T items.

bought some shoes for my husband that did not fit him. I had the receipt and they would not give me in store credit for them.

st. vincent de paul is an okay thrift store.
the furniture is good to great quality, but definitely over priced compared to other thrift stores in Albany. st. vinnie’s also charges for in town delivery. i think it might be $ 35, but it’s been a few months since i last checked.
during the holiday season, they have a great selection of decorations, ornaments, and cards for cheap!
i don’t like the housewares section, which is usually what i come here for. most of the plates and bowls are sold in sets, and they refuse to sell them separately. as such, the shelves of their plates/​bowls/​cups section are overrun with crappy sets that are over priced, and not microwave or dishwasher safe. if you’re willing to dig through the shelves, you may be able to find a few bowls and plates that aren’t sold in a set that ARE dishwasher/​microwave safe. the utensils section is also kind of crappy. i can never find a spatula or tongs. but one time i found a great metal potato masher!
the used book selection, as pointed out by Arwen, is amazing and cheap! they have tons of books, including literature written in german, french, and spanish. they even have an «Oprah’s Book Club» section, which i found to be a laugh riot.
st. vinnie’s can be hit or miss, especially if you have specific items in mind. their selections are constantly changing for furniture and housewares. they also have color tag discounts, where on specific days, all items with a green/​yellow/​white tag are discounted, either 25% or 50%. pretty useful!

St Vinnie’s has the best book deals in town. The selection is totally random, and changes frequently. We always watch their road signs for the one that says book 50% off. Regular prize is childrens book .50, and paper backs 1.25.
They also have tons of furniture, clothing, and appliances. The reason they don’t get 5 stars is because their electronics wall, and home area are disasters.