Brown Elephant Resale Store

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fisch4angie

Joined 5 years ago

Worth a trip half-way across the country!!!. This place is AWESOME! I travel from up-state New York to Chicago to visit my daughter and look forward to shopping at The Brown Elephant with her knowing that I'll walk out with THE best finds EVER!

This store is very well organized - and has such a unique assortment of anything you would ever need or desire for your home. I have found the most amazing items to bring back home and packed them in my spare suitcase or shipped them. They were just to cool to pass up! If you can think outside the box and can re-purpose items, this is the place for you! Recycle old stuff and make your home new for pennys.

Their clothing assortment is great as well. I have had so many compliments on my wardrobe - nobody can believe that it's second-hand. I wear a designer wardrobe on a "dollar store" budget! My entire family is well dressed and I didn't have to pay the inflated shopping mall prices. If you enjoy the thrill of the hunt, it's worth your time to search through the isles of racks of clothing to save money and dress your family nicely.

My friends at home here in New York are so thrilled with my found treasures from The Brown Elephant that we are planning a trip for all of us girls to fly out to Chicago just to spend a few days shopping at their stores! Now that's sounds like some seriously dedicated shoppers. But who can blame them - The Brown Elephant Stores are seriously amazing stores!

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jelloow

Joined 6 years ago

Good finds, good cause. I consider Brown Elephant a step above most donation based thrift stores. Unfortunately, their prices are a step above as well, unless you happen to catch an ocasional sale. Items are better organized and displayed than most, and appear to be screened.... I didnt find many broken or stained items as in a typical thrift store and everything was reasonably clean. You may pay a bit more, but still walk away with some good bargins for a good cause.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Shop for a good deal, serve a good cause at this Lakeview resale shop.. The Scene
This is the granddaddy of the Brown Elephant shops. It features a tremendous amount of space, looking more like an open-air market than a resale shop. Merchandise is arranged by category in wide aisles under the high ceiling of what was once an auto mechanic garage. A lack of air conditioning is remedied in part by opening the original garage doors up front. Sales proceeds go to the Howard Brown Health Center for people with AIDS.

The Goods
New shipments come in every day, so it pays to shop often. The store receives the most on weekends--and it's the most crowded, but also the best, time to shop. Expect to find everything from books, videos, CDs and LPs to clothing and accessories, electrical appliances, furniture and novelty items. Past donations include jewelry, cars, and even a baby grand piano.

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truthmaker

Joined 7 years ago

Great finds. Everything is here - from old vintage dressers to cool clothes. You can find the best paintings, books, dishes, and accessories. The sales people are really friendly and all of the proceeds go to help a great cause. I always come out with a great find from this store; I get many compliments on my purchases and recommend this store to all my friends.

Garth is the "man with the van"; he works with the store and also independently. Nice guy who will deliver your stuff promptly and conveniently. (He worked around my schedule, which was very tight.) Garth's # is 773 680 9384.

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Elisa Kronish

Joined 10 years ago

Patrons wander through shelf after shelf, bin after bin, and rack after rack of second-hand goodies.. The Scene
Rivaling a small bookstore, the front of the shop has about three dozen bookcases, stocked with all varieties of paperback and hardcover, including women's studies, gay relationships, gay studies and fiction, and reference books. Here also are CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks and thousands of LPs ($1 each). Oh, yes, there is also a small selection of adult magazines.

The Goods
Several tables display random home appliances, dishware and décor. More household items sit on shelves above categories such as dishes, glasses, coffee makers, bowls, containers, blankets, tins and skillets. In the back of the store lies the furniture--couches, chairs, desks and filing cabinets. There are also air conditioners, microwave ovens, speakers and a few old typewriters. Men's and women's clothing fill the middle of the store in all sizes and colors, but mostly last season's (or last decade's) styles, with no attention paid to labels and an occasional surprisingly high price. Overall, prices are pretty reasonable.