Value Village

Good thrifting, tons of merchandise, and at super low prices.

This place has become a favorite place to visit when I’m Seattle. A few years ago, I scored a great jacket, sweater and some modestly priced Gentle Soul heals, all in in mint condition (gals, you know how spendy these shoes get). During my visit in September 2015, I found a great Banana Republic summer dress… for $ 12, fit perfectly.
I’m sad to hear the famed store will be closing its doors soon. I hope you can be saved but thank you for some great affordable clothes, sparse but clean and organized store, and nice staff. Thank you.

Almost all items are priced at higher prices than they are worth. Also, the selection is very sparse. I much prefer Goodwill. The young blonde woman who was my cashier watched a movie that was playing on a nearby tv the entire time she was slowly ringing me up. You don’t even have to be super friendly to me, I get it, but not even paying attention to someone in front of you because you are watching a movie while working, rude. Oh and she kept shouting to her managers that she had a break coming up. Managers weren’t helpful either.

This place has grown on me (and I’ve recently become an avid thrifter). We moved in to Cap Hill recently and I’ve been to this place almost every second day since. Its huge, three stories, and its open late (9:30pm most days) which is great because I sneak off once my husband gets home and stroll over for my daily dose of… whatever it is this place gives me (I haven’t figured it out yet as its a bit of a love-​hate thing at present).
Their selection of household items is good though furniture, artwork and frames not so much. In general, they’ve got a lot of everything because the place is quite big for a neighbourhood thrift store. Their fabric selection is decent (I’ve recently taking to upcycling and sewing random things) — nice yardage from Joann’s, cotton quilting fabrics appear from time-​to-​time etc. but maybe I’ve had luck because I go so often. If you’ve wondered why all of the vintage thread and sewing notions go so quickly, that’s probably me. I love their little bags of vintage sewing whatnot. The kids section with toys is one of the best I’ve seen in a thrift store and decently priced, though I would recommend finding out when they stock their shelves and go on that day because I’ve noticed that sometimes the section is a little bare at certain parts of the week (or after a sale maybe? I’m not organized enough to notice a pattern). I go here with my kids at least three times a week and buy a couple of toys and (most of) the staff is super friendly, and let them play with the items before buying them without giving us that annoyed omg-I’m-gonna-have-to-clean-this-up-after-you-leave look (btw we pick up after ourselves each time we go, so… you know). That helps break up our day and is definitely a highlight for the kids (and I get to relax a little too — win-​win). I can’t comment on the clothes selection because I don’t really shop for clothes. I have bought a couple of new pairs of shoes there and a genuine designer bag for $ 30 (though some of the used shoes look quite, well, used. But sometimes too much I would say).
What I don’t like is the smell and the heat — both are extreme, all the time. I read somewhere online that they treated the floors with some chemical, and the smell is just impregnated on everything I buy from there — the place itself is quite «vintage» so I guess a smell is to be expected. I generally have to wash fabrics a couple of times before the smell goes away. The top floor is like a sauna (not exaggerating, other shoppers and I usually comment on this while wiping sweat off our face — sorry for the visual) but if you don’t mind that then its well worth it for their books, toys, and children’s clothing selection. Kids shoes are not a highlight in any thrift store I’ve been to. I also don’t like the crowd sometimes, and that goes for inside and immediately outside to the left of the store loitering close to where the donation area is, especially since I’m going in with kids. You’d probably say, hey, thats expected in a thrift store (or in Cap Hill generally), but I’d say it depends on the store (though I would agree w.r.t. Cap Hill) — thrift crowds are always diverse, but in this place sometimes they’re a little too sketchy. Most days its fine though. I also don’t like that you have to depend on the staff to operate the elevator. Sometimes its tough to find someone quickly so you end up being stuck on the top or bottom floor (in my case with impatient or hungry toddlers) while you wait for someone to show up. This should def. be changed given the size and traffic of people in the place.
In terms of the customer service, a couple of the managers/​supervisors there are super nice, helpful, and to be fair, MOST of the staff are quite nice and just make my almost-​daily trips there a positive part of my day, while some of their staff are just weird introverts who are annoyed by having to help me get my stroller and hoard of random finds up and down the elevator, or by life in general it seems. Admittedly, I too can be a weird introvert at times, so I try and empathise with folks as long as there’s no rudeness (which unfortunately, there has been a couple of times).
Oh, Value Village, you’re definitely not perfect but heck, none of us are. I will and do go back, often.

Stumbled in here one day. Honestly tried my best to do some bargain hunting. But the whole place just has that odd smell that I couldn’t get over. On every floor. If I could describe it, I would say think of a really wet pair of boots that dried up in the sun. Now add some dog poop in those boots, and there you have it.

I am an avid thrift store shopper and live closest to the C. Hill store. I noticed around a year ago that the once friendly workers seemed and looked stressed and I noticed a lot of turnover. Around the same time, I would see or hear this woman that was clearly a manager or supervisor talking not so nicely to the workers and at other times I would witness her acting unprofessional, talking about personal matters loudly w/​co-​workers. One day I asked at the cash register who she is as well as her position. I was told her name is Beth and that she is a supervisor. Yikes… I usually don’t post negative reviews but feel that I should in this instance. I avoid this store now and will drive farther or go to the Goodwill instead. just not worth seeing people being treated this way.

One of the larger thrift stores that you’ll find in Seattle. Usually has almost anything that you want, and a bunch of stuff you probably don’t want. It’s a great place to go if you wanted to themed costume ideas, because they have got a plethora of every type of clothing you can imagine. They have a downstairs furniture area, but it’s very limited to the number of actual furniture items. They do have a huge collection of dishes and glassware and kitchen utensils the good place to start if your looking to start a new kitchen on the cheap. The downfall is it is in the heart of capitol hill and parking can be hard to find. But during the day you should be able find street parking within a block or two.

Recently vacationed in Seattle with my girlfriend, and we just ~had~ to pop some tags. Value Village was open late compared to other thrift stores in the area so we decided to hunt for some deals before starting the evening proper.
This place has three large floors of clothes, furniture, shoes, books, music, and bric a brac for you to peruse. The store was very neatly arranged, and I especially like how they hang the pants so you can clearly see the brand’s label. I was very fortunate to find a pair of Bonobo’s chinos, in my exact size, for only $ 8!
The atmosphere was bland. Plain white walls were sparsely adorned with some corny posters stating that purchases at Value Village supported local charities. Inoffensive popular music played throughout the building, and there wasn’t any sort of personality to anything. Granted, I don’t expect much in the way of ambiance from a thrift store, so this isn’t too big a knock against an otherwise terrific experience.
4 Stars

The smell. seriously. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? This is not your average thrift store smell and it literally sticks to you. I won’t even go unless I plan to shower right after. Besides that, they’ve got a relatively good selection. Some of their items are way overpriced in my opinion. Best place for thrifting if you don’t have access to a car.

Hands down, the best place to shop on Capitol Hill.

Good selection, nice customer service. Always reasonable price. Bargain hunter’s dream, must visit

Value Village really ought to change their name to Village Treasure Chest!
I sometimes feel like I am here every day, and I oftentimes feel uncomfortable about this fact, but there is always something great for really cheap that caresses your eye balls. Let me give you some examples:
— I picked up a picture book that compared photos of Seattle in the early 1900’s to the early 2000’s for $ 2 (or something)… hello arts and crafts!
— I just moved and I really miss having jars of crap… perhaps for sugar or for pens… I just really like jars. Picked up a handful of them for $ 0.99 each
— I could have gone to Target for silverware; instead, Value Village has a wall of mix-​matched silverware in plastic bags. You’ll never have a perfect set, but they will all be unique gems
— I got a job pulling espresso and I could have gone to H&M for work clothes; instead, I got two shirts for $ 3.99 each
— My friend made fun of my belt (rightfully so), so I went to VV for a new one, that is exponentially better, for $ 3
I can go on and on, but I won’t, because you really ought to experience Value Village for what it is.
But, what I will leave you with, is the fact that every person working there is so sweet and fun to chat with. I have never experienced a sour face, just smiles… AND you’re helping a good cause when you buy stuff!

It has your typical thrift store fare; once in a while you get something awesome for cheap, but most of the time it’s just junk, and the pricing is inconsistent.
A few cons:
1. This store smells terrible, and anything you buy from the store will smell this way (you’ll smell this way when you leave, too). It does seem to wash out of clothing just fine, but home goods will always smell faintly to remind you where you bought them.
2. The impossible to remove stickers. I mean, come on: they stick a sticker on the glass part of a picture frame which then takes industrial chemicals and a crowbar to remove completely.
3. It’s hard to get an employee if you want to look at something in the case or need help on the floor. You have to go up to the registers and try to catch someone’s attention, and they’re almost always either a. too busy ringing up a huge line of people to help you, or b. talking among themselves or ignoring you.
4. Not very handicapped accessible.
Really, this place is more of a 2.5 stars, because I do go often despite these drawbacks for cheap stuff or to drop off my own stuff, though I only end up actually buying something 50% of the time. Sometimes, they really don’t know how to price things. For example, their cheapest floor lamp last time I went was $ 12.99, and I found one for $ 9.99 at Target.

The only section you should buy from here is housewares, and maybe shoes. Most of the clothes are old, bad quality, ugly, dirty… If you take the time to actually go through everything, most of what you do find that is cute will be brands like F21 and Lush… nothing vintage or designer. The pricers do not understand the worth of the product, so these closet filler brands will be marked at less than half off their retail. When F21 charges $ 15 for a shirt, it’s overpriced. When VV charges $ 8 for the same shirt, except used and stinky, it’s still overpriced! Especially considering you will use up one of the five washes these brands will survive through before you can even wear it. RARELY — and I mean EXTREMELY rarely — you might find something the pricers were completely ignorant about and way underpriced. I found a Free People caridgan here, priced at $ 13 and I paid $ 7.
However, you can usually find some good housewares here for dirt cheap. I would just test any appliance before you buy it. Also, the shoe selection is not bad. Most of the prices are around Payless prices (unless it’s sale day), and the women’s shoes size 7 – 8 can be really picked over (usually a good selection of smaller and larger sizes tho), but sometimes you can find some really cute shoes for under $ 10. I think they get in a very good selection of men’s dress shoes, as well. I see a lot of nice looking oxfords and things like that. You can usually find a cool sweater or two in the men’s section as well, if that’s your thing.
I would skip books because you can buy used books only for much cheaper, not to mention a lot EASIER since the books are not very organized. I would also skip downstairs electronics — most is outdated or not functional. I hear the kid’s selection is pretty good, and they have cool toys sometimes for a few bucks but don’t expect everything to work properly or have all its pieces. I wouldn’t bother buying jewelry here, either, as most of it is costume jewelry and WILDLY overpriced.
If you come on 99cent days (Mondays), be there before open or don’t expect for there to be anything left. Lots of old hoarders and resellers come in that day and buy up all the tags. Half-​off days are Thursday — Sunday and the tag colors rotate each week.
By the way… it smells in this building because the floors were treated with creosote, not because of mothballs or anything else. It was the same when it was REI. Although the building itself is falling apart and oozes dirt and dust.
P. S. Give the employees a break. Most of the people who work here are very nice, but believe me when I say you cannot imagine the sort of things they have to clean up (drug paraphenalia, human feces, semen…) on a DAILY basis. Just don’t be rude or act entitled and they will be nice to you.

I LOVE VALUE VILLAGE!
Went here yesterday just to kill some time and I ended up leaving with a bag full of goods. I found a vintage cigar box for $ 1, an Oregon license plate for also $ 1, a bunch of Kerr mason jars ($ 2 each), and a cute pair of salt and pepper shakers ($ 3 for the set.)
I also found a really high-​quality framed print for $ 35, but didn’t buy it. It seemed a little pricey in terms of thrift-​store pricing.
When I got to the register, the cashier, who was visibly stressed with the long line of customers snaking around the store, was still very nice and exhibited great customer service. She even wrapped up my glassware in newspapers and then put them in a large paper bag for me to take home. Overall, I had a stellar experience here, and I’ll definitely be back.

Nah. I don’t understand what all the postive reviews were about. This place is spendy & smells funny, like railroad ties.
The prices are the same as if I went to Plato’s closet. I’d rather go to Plato’s closet.

«ValVil” — So much more than a way to kill some time.
Heh.
Anyway, this is one of the more sad, run down, smelly VV’s i’ve ever visited in my life. It was this smell… Of moth balls, old stuff, old people, and soiled clothing that made me really hate shopping at thrift stores when I was younger. I could feel my skin begin to itch as I stepped inside.
This store is not really handicap friendly. It is three stories of stuff. The stairs suck. Especially if you are a fat person. UGH so inconvenient to have to exercise unintentionally just to get up to the floor with books or down to the lower floor with plenty of gadgets (there was a light bright with no pegs. A playstation one. A karaōke machine that only took cassette tapes. An electric organ. A nu-​wave oven. An electronic wine opener that I was encouraged to «stick on my…»
Anyway… I won’t get all inappropriate.
I am a broke adult, so I now love thrifting, but some of the items in this place were clearly beyond gently used. And as a companion pointed out, they wanted more for an oversized rubber tarantula toy than some of the electronics. Highway robbery.
There are goddamn brick floors in this place. It’s just so weird. Leaving made me feel like I was coming down off of a really bad trip.
But they still had an incredible selection of things that no one really needs here. It was really fun to just walk around. If you are looking for a good selection of stylish used clothing and items in really good shape, then i’d pick a different location/.

This is a Value Village located in hipster mecca AKA Capitol Hill so I suspect that business should be pretty good here. This Value Village has three levels. The stairs are really creaky though and I almost felt like the stairs would have collapsed at one point.
The amount of clothing items here is quite impressive. I was not so impressed with some of the pricing though. I found some cute dresses but they were upwards of $ 15-​$ 20 for a lot of them, which seems odd because this is a thrift store. I found a lot of Ann Taylor, Banana Republic etc. brands. Not that many designer luxury brands here.
The books section is quite impressive. For some reason I found an unusual amount of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series here. There doesn’t seem to be a sort order besides rough categories of books (fiction, children’s, etc) so be prepared to spend some time browsing.
The men’s coat section was a bit dismal to my dismay. The women’s coat section was quite large although the sizes tended to skew to the larger sizes.
Anyway I didn’t find anything here but I did manage to kill some time browsing the racks. A lot of the merchandise seemed a bit worn and yet they are still going for $ 8-​$ 12 or so, which is a it steep for a thrift store and the items aren’t in like new condition. Also, the overall feeling of this store is quite dusty.

This place used to be a to-​go-​place for me when it comes to shopping. 99 cent deal on Mondays was really fun.
BUT not anymore. I don’t know what happens but I don’t see the deal at all even if I go there on Monday at 9am.
On top of that, they started pricing waaaaaaaaaaaay too high for a thrift store. I mean, who wants to pay $ 25 for a dress at a thrift store? They even price $ 8 for a cheapo dress from JC Penny’s or Sears. C’mon! This is a thrift store, not Buffalo Exchange or Crossroad. The place is filthy and staff were not all friendly, but I have been going there for years because it was really cheap.
I started thinking that I should go to a Crossroad, instead of Value Village, since pricing at a Crossroad is more reasonable, and it’s much cleaner.

I’m addicted to thrift shopping and have scored some awesome designer clothes at this location. The only bad part: they come with a weird smell. Don’t worry, after one wash the smell goes away and you’re left with a closet full of awesome.
I have a lot of people ask me where I buy my cute skirts and clothes for work: here.
The selection of furniture is lacking but they make up for it in their selection of purses and accessories. The rest of the store is just average.
The staff at this location aren’t as friendly as others – they pretty much fit the Capitol Hill «hipster» image but I’ll take the service since I’m walking away with my Gucci purse for $ 10.

Quelle petite phrase bouleversante au coeur d’un être?