YPSILANTI
THRIFT SHOP

Thank you for helping us clear the racks! We are accepting donations again. Please note: we can process only 2 bags or boxes per person, per day.

DONATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ON TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, AND SATURDAYS ONLY

Please check the donations guidelines LET'S TALK DONATIONS (see menu bar above to click on page) before bringing donations in.

WE ACCEPT CASH ONLY!

HOURS

Mondays 1 PM to 4 PM

Tuesdays 12 noon to 6 PM

Wednesdays 10 AM to 4 PM

Thursdays 10 AM to 4 PM

Fridays 1 PM to 4 PM

Saturdays 11 AM to 2 PM

To find us on Facebook, please search for: YpsiThriftShop.

Who We Are

ALL VOLUNTEER

ALL PROFITS DONATED TO LOCAL CHARITIES

The Ypsilanti Thrift Shop has been serving our community since 1942. We are the only all-volunteer, registered 501(c)3 thrift shop in Ypsilanti. No one who works here gets paid, and we donate all profits to local charities. As a group of dedicated volunteers, we work together to meet our major goals:

Providing affordable, gently used clothing and household items to our community; most clothing items are priced between $2 and $5
Donating funds to various local organizations that provide for the needy in our area. For example from 2016-2021, we donated nearly $354,000.
Creating a pleasant, fun shopping atmosphere for our customers

We sell clothing and shoes for men, women, and children; jewelry; household items, linens, decorative items, small electronics, and countertop appliances; books, games, CDs, and records; holiday items; toys; sewing and knitting supplies and craft items.

These are just a few of the charities we support:

Hope Clinic
Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels
Friends In Deed
Food Gatherers
Washtenaw Community Mental Health
Feeding His Sheep

How You Can Help

You can help us help the community in these ways:

Volunteer! We work hard, but we have a lot of fun doing it. See the information below

Donate items. We accept donations of clean, gently used items (clothing without stains, tears, or fading) during the hours specified on the home page.

Please read the donation guidelines on the LET'S TALK DONATIONS page, below, before you bring items to the shop.

Volunteer Your Time

Join us!

We are always looking for new volunteers. You commit to working a minimum of only 3 1/2 hours a month! If you'd like to become part of our team, stop by the shop and pick up a volunteer application.

Let’s Talk Donations: Not everything is suitable

Please do not donate any item you would not give to a friend

Without our material donors, we wouldn’t exist. We are so grateful for the many wonderful items you carefully pack and donate to the shop.

BUT every month we also receive pounds of items in such poor condition that we can't resell them. Donated items that are obviously broken, stained, dirty, or illegal to resell cause more work for our volunteers.

Specifically, don't donate these items:

Clothing, linens, fabrics that are dirty, stained, torn, or show significant signs of wear—frayed collars or cuffs, missing buttons, fading, and the like
Clothing with odors (mildew, tobacco smoke, body odor)
Shoes that have odors, stains, dirt, or signs of significant wear like rundown heels, worn-out soles
Books with yellowed or brown pages; that are mildewed, dirty, or water-damaged; have broken or loose spines; or have odors from mildew, tobacco smoke, or mold
Pots, pans, utensils, any other household items with rust, corrosion, permanent staining, grease, food residue
Dishes or glassware with chips or cracks
Half-used candles
Toys/games/dolls that are broken or dirty or have missing pieces or parts
Small appliances, picture frames, or any other items that are broken or not in working order

We do not accept:

VHS and cassette tapes
Out-of-date books (travel guides, atlases), dictionaries, textbooks, medical books, manuals, yearbooks, workbooks, pamphlets
Notebooks and binders
Large appliances, furniture
Televisions, computers, printers, monitors, keyboards, fax machines, toner cartridges, battery pack connectors, MP3 devices
Building/home improvement materials, glass panes, wire-into-circuit lamps/lighting
Any electrical items that do not work and/or have damaged or exposed wiring
Firearms, large exercise equipment/machines, skis, golf clubs/golf bags, inflatable flotation devices, life jackets

We cannot legally accept these items:

Breast pumps, nebulizers or tubing, sleep apnea machines, fire extinguishers
Child car seats, booster seats, baths, cribs, highchairs, swings, playpens, strollers, baby or adult potty chairs
Humidifiers, dehumidifiers, space heaters, any items containing freon
Food items, including baby formula, live plants
Opened makeup, nail polish, toiletries
Mattresses, mattress pads, electric blankets
Sports helmets
Household cleaners, paint, spray paint, industrial solvents, lamp oil, kerosene, propane or any other toxics

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION

Thoughts on Thrifting

Tips for Successful Thrifting

Thrift shopping is good for the environment, good for your pocketbook, good for the community, and a lot of fun...IF you know how to do it. And yes, there are tips that can help you find great items and get the most for your shopping dollar. Here are a few of them.

TAKE YOUR TIME. Thrifting takes patience. You have to be willing to go carefully through the racks and shelves to find what works for you. People who don't do well at thrift shops are those who spend 15 minutes glancing at items and are then ready to go to lunch. At our shop, we notice that shoppers who come with friends seem to have the most fun--and find the best items.

SHOP AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN. Because all our items are donated, our stock changes literally by the day. You might find only a couple of wineglasses on one day, but a week later, you may find an entire outfit that you love--and that wasn't available the last time you were in.

HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. It is always possible that you'll hit on an amazing find at the shop. A pair of brand new ED sandals for ten bucks (retail: $45), a Calvin Klein patent leather trench coat for $7 (retail: $120), a men's Givenchy blazer in perfect condition, etc. You won't find deals like this every day, but you can find them. We've sold every one of these items at the shop. But it's more likely that, on any given day, you'll find a new-with-tags Coldwater Creek blouse for three dollars or an Ann Taylor dress for four. Still great deals!

WATCH FOR SALES! Thrift shops get lots of donations, and because our space is limited, we have frequent sales. If you like our Facebook page, you'll always be alerted when we have sales, so you can get to the shop before everything is picked over.

BRING CASH. Like many thrift shops, we don't accept credit cards, so be sure you have cash with you.

BE SURE THE SIZE IS RIGHT. We don't accept returns, so make sure your purchase fits. Bring a tape measure if you're looking for a specific household item. Try on clothes before you buy.

BUY SEASONAL ITEMS OUT OF SEASON. The best time to buy Christmas decorations is after Christmas, when all the holiday stuff is on sale. Best time to buy summer items? At the end of summer.

MOST OF ALL, HAVE FUN! The best part of thrifting is in the great find--the coat you didn't know you couldn't live without, the soup tureen in the shape of a rabbit, an espresso machine at an incredibly low price.

Get in touch!

You can reach us by phone during regular business hours: 734-483-1226

14 S. Washington St., Ypsilanti MI 48197

We're right next door to the Downtown Farmers' Market.

You can contact us by email using the CONTACT US button below. We'll get back to you as soon as possible.