Avalon Exchange

I’ve had nothing but positive experiences shopping here. I’ll have to write another review once I have a chance to sell some clothes, but I give shopping here two thumbs up. If you walk in expecting thrift store prices, you’ll be disappointed. The clothing is name brand or vintage that is slightly used and the price reflects that. I’ve bought everything here from Micky Mouse ears for my halloween costume, to a dressy jacket from the Gap, to a vintage sweater with a built in jean collar. The store is well organized and not overwhelming like a typical thrift shop. Every time you go into Avalon it’s a new adventure.

I’ll start by saying that I’m a professional thrifter; probably about 70−80% of my clothes are used. I’ve also been to many thrift and consignment shops in different parts of the country. This place, in my opinion, is overpriced and a bit pretentious. To be fair, I don’t place much value on designer names or brands. If it’s my style, fits me well, and appears to be good quality, then I’ll buy it. That being said, I just don’t understand why some of these prices are so high.
The staff is hit and miss. I’ve met more friendly employees here than not. I might differ from other reviews in this opinion because I typically tend to be very friendly, so generally people are friendly in return.
The $ 1 sale (I think it might be an annual thing) is a great deal, but the store gets super packed. Crowd maneuvering and patience is definitely required.

I have tried going in this store multiple times, and I just don’t get it. It seems that the prices are determined by the staff, and Avalon accepts only certain kinds of clothing. But these clothes are usually worn and in awful condition. I have seen a few cute things, but they often have holes or are just too old.
I agree with the others that the staff leaves much to be desired. They tend to be nicer to me when I come in directly after yoga or dressed up. So they definitely judge you when you walk in the door. This wouldn’t bother me if the selection was really great, though!
I have much better luck at the Goodwill in South Side. The clothes are in better condition and usually cuter. Not impressed.

Such a rude and snobby staff. My items were taken from me and put away while I was trying to sort through what I wanted. Instead of making themselves a better store with people who give quality customer service, they wasted time and energy having a past Unilocal review of mine removed. Reminded me of that hilarious episode of South Park. Goodwill has a better selection as well as employees.

A little pricey but you can definitely find a deal here. Just got a pair of Stuart Weitzman nude pumps (originally $ 340) for $ 32. Sometimes you just can’t pass up a deal.

Sigh. Oh, Avalon. We have a love-​hate relationship, don’t we?
I’ve found some great pieces that I’ve worn for years, like a jacket and a brooch. Other times, I’ve bought things that turn out to have a hole or a missing button. There’s not a whole lot of consistency.
As others have said, the attitude of some of the staff is a little out of control. Can’t say it’s everyone working there, but maybe the über trendy clothes they’re wearing is cutting off the circulation to their hearts and any potential down-​to-​earth vibes.
The two-​tier racks are usually jam packed, as are the aisles with shoppers, making it difficult to peruse stress-​free. And as someone who usually wears L and XL clothing, the options are often lacking.
And I don’t even bother trying to go to the semi-​annual dollar sales anymore. I almost got trampled last time I went. I used to love this place and used to stop by any time I was in Squirrel Hill, but now it’s usually too much of a hassle.

I’ve sold clothing a few times here and had two totally different experiences. The first time, the guy working was super friendly and nice. He gave me an ok price for the stuff I brought it and it was an easy process.
The second time, two women were working up front and treated me with the superior, we’re cooler than you attitude I’ve read about in reviews. They only took a few items, which I was happy with but they felt the need to tell me why they weren’t taking the other things («nobody buys that brand here»). I was embarrassed. It’s cool if you don’t want to buy my stuff, but I wasn’t asking for an explanation so it felt very negative and awkward.
Take your stuff to Clothes Minded in Bloomfield instead. Owner is super chill and doesn’t make you feel bad for bringing the wrong brand in.

I been to the one in Mount a Lebo as well. Both places have very snotty sales people. I have sold things and made some money. I have bought a few nice items… But I won’t go back. I don’t like the vibes.

Avalon is my go-​to consignment shop in the city. I am typically able to find cute skirts and dresses that are unique and at a great price. I used to frequent the boutique in Mt. Lebanon, and I truly miss that store. It was a bigger space and was organized in a very assessable way and I purchased numerous outfits here.
I wish I could give Avalon in Squirrel Hill more than three stars, but the layout and space just aren’t up to par. I usually only buy skirts and dresses because they are on the lower rack. Most shirts are on the upper rack, and since I am short it becomes a trial to continually strain my neck looking at the top rack and requesting help to get down everything I want to see. The space is also very tight, and the aisles easily become crowded.
Since I do continue to find cute and unique things here I will always go back, but I hope they consider changing the layout or moving to a larger space soon!

I’ve found some great stuff here that are still a part of my wardrobe. You never know what you might find. Whenever I’m in Squirrel Hill I pop in for at least a few minutes.

In my senior year of college year, and like a quarter of my wardrobe is from Avalon. Yes, can be on the pricey side of thrift stores, but I just take that as a fee for the curating they do. They also started a sale section maybe a year ago, which takes 50% off everything in that rack.
Notable pieces I’ve gotten from Avalon: vintage coach purse for $ 30, levi’s denim jacket for $ 25, j. crew wallet for $ 12.
The shoe collection is always on point, as is the jewelry section. I’ve definitely found some really unique pieces for great prices. Don’t be afraid to wander into the men’s section if you’re a girl – oversized cardigans, jackets and tees can never go wrong.
Honestly, bottom line is you have to pick and choose – and it’s heaven if you know how. Great place to pick up signature pieces for your wardrobe. And if the prices scare you off, come back at the dollar sales they have at the end of each season, or hit the sales rack.

Avalon Exchange is a haven for the vintage/​thrifted clothes lover in me! It’s not as cheap as a regular thrift store, but honestly I’m willing to pay more for a carefully curated selection of items. Style-​wise it’s like a larger and slightly more conventional version of Clothes Minded on Liberty Avenue. I’ve scored adorable dresses here as well as gorgeous Sam Eddelman flats that I wear all the time and plenty of other items that I was forced to pass on in the moment but still remember. I contemplate updating my entire collection of winter coats every time I browse here. Stay awesome Avalon!

They forget it ‘Used” cloths. The cloths are priced way higher. They do have decent collections at times

In college, I loved looking through the racks here with friends on a rainy day. It was like our own movie montage dress-​up moment. It’s fun to browse, but beware that the clerks a bit snotty.
Buying is another story. The quality of the clothing has gone done over the years and it’s more difficult to find high-​end brands. For the lower-​end stuff, you can do better with the Macy’s sale racks or at Goodwill. The prices here are high all around in fact – you can do way better on the 70s/​80s items at any nearly vintage shop in New York or on eBay or Etsy.

I’ve been shopping and selling items at the Cleveland Avalon Exchange for the past few years, so I thought I’d pop in here and check it out while in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, this one is pretty disappointing. The store is a lot smaller than the one in Cleveland, which is understandable since the cost of renting a store front is probably more pricy than in Cleveland! The reason why I’m disappointed is that the selection of clothes is very subpar. Most of the items here look extremely worn and non-​trendy. They have many retro/​80s inspired items, so I recommend checking this place out if you’re preparing for a costume party or something!

If you’re not a hipster douche bag, aka one of the employee’s friends, then don’t expect any kind of service. There was a really sweet employee awhile back, but I think they fired her because she smiled too much and was kind to ALL the customers.
OK selection of clothing, but a little pricy for used H&M and Forever 21 brands.

I’ve always considered myself to be pretty hip – I’m 22 and I read Gawker, for God’s sake! – but I’m not sure I’m hip enough for Avalon. It’s my neighborhood consignment store and supplied a majority of my wardrobe in high school, but unless one of my friends is working there I always feel like I get weird looks from the clerks. But maybe I’m just painfully self-​conscious about my own coolness level. They are definitely aiming for an ironic 70s-​80s aesthetic, so
seller beware unless your mom went to
Studio 54 a lot in 1979 and wants to give all her stuff away – they do pick and choose donated clothes depending on the theme. It’s pricey for consignment but is smaller and less daunting so you don’t have to face sorting through racks and racks of clothing like you would at Goodwill, for example. They also always have a big shoe selection in a women’s size 10, which is useful. This is a good place for beginning thrifters or those overly concerned with a «vintage» look, but I might stick with Goodwill or Red White and Blue.

I used to come here a lot with my brother but I think I only bought one thing. Very fun to look around but the isle are so small that if it’s a busy time I end up getting too annoyed to look.
They have some really good deals but I’ve also seen some ripped/​stained clothing. My brother tried to sell multiple items of clothing there before, all name brand and in good condition, but they barely bought any and then asked my brother to just give them the rest.
I’m not sure what type of process they have on deciding what clothes to buy but it didn’t seem worth it to lug all those boxes there.
I still enjoy going during there sales and when it’s not too busy.

I had heard a lot about the Avalon Exchange so when I found myself in Squirrel Hill, I had to take a peek. They have a pretty good selection of clothing and accessories for the teens, 20s, 30s crowd, including designer and name brands. I saw quite a few pairs of cute shorts I wish I had the time to try on. The prices are more than good will, but this store is more of a specialty thrift shop than good will and has a better selection, so i expected to see higher prices. They also had a great selection of sunglasses which I could appreciate because I always seem to lose, scratch, or break mine so it’s nice to know I can get stylish ones here on the cheap.

Going to Avalon always seems like a really great idea until I actually go. Don’t get me wrong, this is hip and you can find some pretty cool stuff occasionally, but for me it’s really hit or miss. Sometimes I have a really hard time understanding how they price their items. Once I picked our a tshirt that had holes in it and it was $ 14. As far as «thrift stores» go, I wouldn’t exactly say its super thrifty, but I have gotten a few items priced lower than they would have originally been stores (AE jeans, Urban Outfitter top).
Another thing I don’t understand is how their buying process works. I’ve taken clothes here a few times to sell… and that process is also hit or miss. I’ve taken almost new, «in-​style» clothes there and they didn’t take anything, but then you look on the racks and they have clothes that look like they should belong to someone’s Grandma.
In conclusion, shopping here is definitely always a mixed bag, however any time I’m in Squirrel Hill I make sure I stop in just to see what they have. They also always have a very good selection of Halloween costumes in October.