The Cellar Thrift Store

50 cent jigsaw puzzles and books! Sometimes interesting travel souvenirs and kitchen gear. The clothes are not usually suited to the tastes of the under 80 set but every once in a while a great item appears. Worth checking out if you can get there during their extremely limited hours.

This is the best, albeit tiniest, thrift shop I’ve found in Berkeley.
Everything is organized very neatly into separate sections, including books, electronics, vinyl records, yardage, men’s ties, kitchenware, clothes, drapes & curtains, and more. I’m serious, there is so much more.
The store is kept super neat so it doesn’t have all the clutter that you’d find in a bigger thrift shop, and best of all, everything is pretty high quality for extremely cheap. I’ve been there twice and found an awesome Halloween costume, beautiful yardage, curtains, a few good books, and mugs for my kitchen– the total for everything has been under $ 20. It’s unreal.
The ambience is very nice. I normally get allergies when I go to thrift stores, but here, my allergies are minimal. The atmosphere is like your grandmother’s living room, and adding to that, they normally have jazz playing in the background while you shop. The store is staffed by some folks who attend the church right above, and they’re pretty helpful. They only accept cash, so don’t forget have money on hand! I forgot that the last time I went, but they put my items on hold while I ran to the ATM. (I didn’t need to run– the holds last for a week.)
The hours definitely blow, but you won’t be disappointed.
tl;dr cash only, cheap as hell, great when shopping for your home. :)

This is one of my most favorite thrift stores! Not for the clothes but for the beautiful grandma-​style plates, tea cups & more, many if which come from Europe. It totally beats shopping at IKEA!!!
Bring cash because they don’t accept credit cards.

There isnt much here but the smell of old people and a variety of paperbacks and cheap china. That said its fun to browse around and people watch from behind a stack of dusty dictionaries.

I went to the Cellar Thrift Store on 18 Gennaio 2012. It is down the stairs of the Church in Dana street and Channing Way. The hours of operations are MERCOLEDI: 10– 4pm, SABATO: 10−2pm;, and DOMENICA: after church services whic would be at 10am. It is a small thrift store full of knicknacks! Prices are really great here. I came to look at the clothes and shoes but they have very little to offer. It is a great thrift store to come to if one wants to buy house hold items. prices range from .5 cents for magazines to $ 20 for big picture frames. They have many books, jewelry, some bags, limited clothes, knicknacks, dishes, kid items, some sewing supplies, small assortment of shoes, picture frames, belts, cds, tapes, etc. Remember this is a small thrift store… so they have very little of the items described above.
Oh! and they also have a small free box of clothes outside their store; along with books!

i’ll try to put this in the nicest way possible:
the people that work here are not very kind to anyone who isn’t white, over 50, and heteronormative.
and i’ve witnessed this and/​or had it directed at me on more than one occasion.

This one’s full of old-​people stuff, so it’s good for kitchen, sewing, and decorative knick-​knacks. In the back there’s a nice selection of cards for those times you want to thank someone, but don’t think it’s worth forking over $ 5 to Hallmark to do so. They also gather up seasonal items and put them all on the same table, so if you want a little something for a party, check here.
Prices can be fantastically cheap, or just plain-​old cheap. Check out the box of free books near the door (not necessarily worthless ones — I spotted Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale the last time I went). I like to drop by on Wednesdays between classes.

A perfectly good thrift store, though the selection is tiny. Great deals if they happen to have what you want. I got 10 cute (mix-​and-​matched) Christmas cards here today for 25 cents, and an old-​fashioned flour sifter can for $ 1.50. Worth popping in if you’re in the area while they’re open.

Yes, it’s small. Yes, it’s open only Wed 10 – 4 and Sat 10 – 2. Yes, it’s easy to miss if you don’t live in the area. But I love it.
If you’re going to The Cellar, don’t go for the clothes. Go for the adorable and quaint bowls, baskets and beautiful often hand-​made blankets. It’s perfect if you want to find something antique but in-​taste to touch-​up your room and at a low price. They do mark down for items that stay around, but if you find something you like don’t let it go. It won’t be there for long. I resisted temptation from a gorgeous bowl there one weekend, and saw my roommate with it the following Wednesday evening.

Small, though not all that bad. There isn’t much there and its only open Wed 10 – 4 and Sat 10 – 2, so its hard to actually check it out.
The prices are pretty reasonable for Berkeley thrift stores, though a lot of things are unmarked or there are price discrepancies. This is due to the fact that everyone who works/​volunteers there is about 200 years old and each has their own idea of what prices should be. If you’re comfortable finagling with old women who are raising money for The Children and God, you might give it a shot and save a few extra bucks. If not, just wait until next week. If crap stays around too long, they mark it down.
This place is good for the nouveau-​grandma-​hipster-​chic look. You all know what I’m talking about… over-​sized sunglasses and polyester dresses. THAT look. So check it out if you have time and are nearby. Don’t make a point of it though, it’s only alright.