If you're wondering where the bag of clothing you donated last fall might have ended up, odds are it's here at the Salvation Army thrift on Dempster. The draw for this large Family Store are the clothes. Racks and racks of clothes for all sizes and seasons housed in a building the size of a supermarket.
The clothing is moderately organized by color and size in men's, women's and kids' departments. There's so much, there are bound to be good finds: a beautifully stitched vintage camel hair coat ($20) and an Ann Taylor pinstripe blazer ($3) were two I spotted. Aside from that, the store is a hot mess.
In the not-so-fun toy section, tons of stuffed animals spill off the shelves onto the peeling painted floor. Next to it, books, VHS tapes and record albums are heaped on the floor to form the media department. The large selection of kitchen and bed linens, while neatly hung on hangers, looks too worn out to be sold.
The day I toured the store, two women from a nearby hospital were shopping during their lunch hour. They were looking for something to wear to an ugly sweater party that night and found several candidates. They shopped at the store often, they said, and found good deals on scrubs for work.
In the men's department, a guy in his early twenties was trying on overcoats. He said this was his first time at this thrift, though he shopped frequently at the Unique on Howard and Western. He came to the Family Store on a recommendation from friends, but didn't find anything worth purchasing that day.
The gallery of photos from the Family Store will give you an idea of price, selection and condition of the items in the shop. I've also put in a few notes on what clothing labels you can expect to find there. Salvation Army Family Store: 6715 W. Dempster, Morton Grove, 60053. Phone 847-581-0590 for the exact hours.
Filed under: Thrift shops
Tags: Chicago thrift shops, thrift shop, thrift shopping, used clothes
