Ypsilanti Thrift Shop

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 dozens of local organizations that provide for those in need in our area. We donated $72,000 in 2018.

• 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.​

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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

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HELPING AND DONATING

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) in good repair

during the hours specified on the home page.

• Please read the donation guidelines on the HELPING AND DONATING page, below, before you bring items to the shop.

LET'S TALK FRANKLY ABOUT DONATING: NOT EVERYTHING IS A SUITABLE DONATION!

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Without those of you who go to the trouble of donating to the shop, we wouldn’t exist. We are grateful every day for the many wonderful items you donate for us to sell and the trouble you take to pack them up and bring them in.

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BUT...along with all those great items, every month we receive literally hundreds of pounds of items that are in such poor condition that we can't resell them. 

Donations of items that are obviously broken or stained or dirty

 cause more work for our volunteers, and we are low on volunteers as it is. 

We have to separate them and then bag and store them 

until we can get them to recycling centers or dispose of them in other ways.

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The main idea when giving to a thrift store is to treat the donated items as if you would be giving them to a friend or family member,

someone who deserves respect. 

If the answer is yes, then it's probably something we can sell.

But if the answer is no, then it's something we are going to have to spend valuable volunteer time to sort, store, and discard.

Check items for damage before you bring them in—check clothing for rips, tears, stains, and broken zippers or missing buttons. Clean everything as if you were going to use it — wash the dishes, cookware, and clothes. Then, as much as possible, sort things into meaningful categories so that they can be easily sorted at the shop. This saves us valuable volunteer time.

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PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THRIFT SHOPS ARE NOT TRASH COLLECTING AGENCIES!

When you are sorting  items to donate, please separate out items that are dirty, smelly, broken, rusted, stained--in generally poor condition--and take them to a recycling center, recycle them curbside, or throw them away. 

HERE ARE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR OUR SHOP

CLOTHING AND LINENS 

• Donated items should be clean and free of mildew and odors.

• Please do not donate items that are stained or torn or that show significant signs of wear—frayed collars or cuffs, missing buttons, fading, and the like.

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SHOES

• Please do not donate shoes that have odors, stains, or significant wear,

such as dirt, rundown heels, worn soles, etc.

BOOKS

ONE BOX OR GROCERY BAG OF

BOOKS PER DONATION

• Donated books should be books you’d gladly give to a friend—

clean and in good condition.

• Please do not bring us books that have yellowed or brown pages; are mildewed, dirty, or water-damaged;  have broken or loose spines; have stains (check those cookbooks!); have writing in them,  or have odors from tobacco smoke, must, or mold.

• Please don't bring us books that are out of date--

travel guides, road atlases, very old cookbooks.

• No dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, manuals, yearbooks, workbooks, medical or technical books, very old books of any kind

HOUSEWARES, TOYS, AND SMALL APPLIANCES

• Pots, pans, and utensils should be free of rust

and corrosion and permanent staining.

• Dishes and glassware should be free of chips and cracks.

• Please do not bring us half-used candles, broken or dirty toys or dolls,

or puzzles or games that are missing pieces.

• Appliances should be usable and in working order.

• We do not accept computers or collaterals (printers, keyboards, etc.).

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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​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!

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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 the first day of a 50% off sale will be, and you can get to the shop before everything is picked over.

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

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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