The Brown Elephant - Andersonville

It’s Pretty organized. Their Prices aren’t bad. They have Decent variety. Friendly staff. Alex in the furniture department was very helpful. Needs a better processing area and to expand the back area. Bring your own bags.

It is undoubtedly the largest thrift store I've ever been to in Chicago, with a wide variety of stuff. For the most part, everything is priced decently as well. There aren't super amazing finds in terms of clothes, and if there are, they are usually marked up much higher than necessary. Their selection of furniture and dishware is unmatched, though. Only 2 fitting rooms for such a large place is kind of a letdown. Regardless, I spent hours here and left with some pretty good finds.

Love this place. Unlike most thrift stores nowadays, this one actually keeps the prices low, which is something all thrift stores should do. The whole point of people buying used clothes is to help the environment and also to keep prices low for those who can't afford them. The store itself is gorgeous, with so many cool things to see. I will be coming back soon.

Used to be a lot more affordable. I'm not spending $500 on a used West Elm bench that's been farted on smh. $40 for a used set a of plates? RIP. The building is still cool though.

One of the better organized Thrift Stores I've seen. They have a good selection of glassware and furniture. They have a little space dedicated for higher end accessories and clothes which is cool. Like this place, did purchase some glassware in very good contidion.

The employee that works the front boutique looks bothered, all the time. Literally looks like she hates when people come in. Will look in the opposite direction of costumers unless she’s addressed. While I understand you see a high volume of clients and it’s difficult to service everyone maybe say “hello” when someone walks in - if it’s totally empty. The clothes aren’t THAT nice.

Always find something when we stop in! I love all brown elephant locations but the Andersonville location is really quite spectacular, the building is so cool! Lexi and the rest of the staff are super nice, helpful, and run a wonderful shop!

One of the BEST resale shops in Chicago! Everyone is so lovely and helpful there! It’s a bonus that proceeds from sales go to such a good, necessary cause. If you need help styling an outfit, seek out Lexi who has FABULOUS taste! Thank you for your help Lexi!! You made my day!

Adore! Everytime I'm back in Chicago, I'll need to make it a point to come to the Brown Elephant. There's a small fashion section (for pricier stuff) to the side and then another for home appliances/ housewares. Pricing is good for thrift store. Down the middle is a hallway full of larger furniture pieces - which all looked to be in great condition. There were some pretty great items. The back area is HUGE! Some more furniture, electronics, and tons of clothing to choose from at decent prices. I found two sweaters. I will say though that there were a few pieces that were pretty damaged - I was surprised to see them there on the racks. So just check the clothing before you go. Definitely recommend coming here if you have the time. I'd say give yourself an hour minimum.

Wow! An amazing thrift shop with a historical looking building. I got the best fitting jeans for $10, a beautiful shall for $6 and the cutest heals for $5. I'm very pleased with all my finds and the staff was fun to talk with. The proceeds go to a good cause and I wish there was a thrift like this where I'm from.

I have scored some really great deals at Brown Elephant in Andersonville. I mostly find decor and household items. Their clothes, while priced fairly for brand names I guess, seem a little steep to me. Their non-clothing items are priced extremely fairly. I'm usually in the area on a Saturday, so it's very busy, and the courteous employees are working hard while being so kind. I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for random furniture items and larger statement pieces such as lamps and the like. They seem to have a great variety.

One of my hobbies include visiting thrift stores such as the Brown Elephant Resale Shop. With thrift stores, one can find treasures waiting to be discovered. The Brown Elephant Resale Shop sells donated items such as dining sets, clothing - both high end and casual styles for men and women, furniture, books, posters, and music albums. The list becomes endless. When we go to the Brown Elephant, we like to stroll around the aisles. While looking at the clothing racks around the ladies' section, I find a gem: denim DKNY jacket. Spotting this gem leads me to purchase it. Joseph finds a dog/pet stairs. While walking around the book section, I find a Winnie the Pooh book set. It only costs $5.00. I feel like I hit the lottery. The donated items look decent and in good condition. Come to the Brown Elephant Resale Shop. Donate. Shop. The proceeds go to a good cause: the LGBTQ healthcare.

There is a lot here, especially in terms of clothes and the supply is constantly circulating. However, the place isn't terribly clean, tends to get crowded, and smells bad. The actual building itself is very cool to see, though.

Not a lot of clothing but a cool vibe. Separate more upscale section to the right upon entering

This place is awesome just to visit the site then they filled it with a bunch of awesome stuff! This sprawling vintage shop is converted from an old vaudeville era theater in bustling and quaint Andersonville. There so many architectural details to notice. There's a bunch of areas as well. The entry to the right has select higher end looking clothing and accessories, to the left housewares, and the main hallway has furniture mostly and the auditorium in back has clothing and accessories. I kinda feel I need to take multiple trips but they also have delivery referrals for any large items and they have pick up for donations. Definitely lots of cool stuff!

I have been donating to the Brown Elephant for years. On Saturday , August 24th I donated 3 bags of clothing and went to the back alley where you go to donate. I placed my three bag in the container and since it was hot I thought I would walk through the store and was told I couldn't do thatr. There was no thank you for the donation anbd no explanation as to why I could not do this. One of them said something I couldn'thear but I am sure it was not thank you. I think they could be a little nicer. From now on I will donate my things to another resale shop.

Brown Elephant is an absolute gem - just like all the goodies you'll find here! Thrifting can be overwhelming, but this place has a way of taking away the stress. Upon walking in, we were greeted by a friendly staff member eager to help and point us in the right direction. The furniture collection is epic. So many pieces that are great as is or can be refurbished to be wonderful additions to your home.My favorite section though is the home goods: vases, glassware, ceramic pots, etc. The collection is quality stuff, so it doesn't feel like you have to sift through a bunch of junk like some thrift stores can. The prices can't be beat. I paid $1 for a vase that would have been closer to $15 at Target. As for clothes, it's definitely a limited collection of offerings, but I always enjoying seeing what's in stock. My friend scored an adorable Madewell to. I saw plenty of other well known brands including Levi's, Adidas, Urban Outfitters, and more! Additionally, Brown Elephant offers a wide range of books, art and picture frames, and jewelry (don't skip this one!). To top it off, a portion of all proceeds benefit LGBTQ health and fund care for the uninsured and under-insured, making Brown Elephant the perfect business to support during pride month (and every month for that matter!).

this place is housed in the coolest (!) building and prices reflect genuine thrifting. i was a little let down by the selection though- they have a lot of supply but it just felt picked over a bit.

If you like thrifting and vintage items, this is the place for you. Located in a very large store, it was an old theater, so it is large and has so many interesting architectural details. All the items are well organized, prices are clearly marked. My daughter found a suede blazer , so stylish and a reasonable price. The proceeds support fund care for the uninsured and underinsured at Howard Brown Health.

This is always a fun weekend visit. Love the support this one-of-a-kind resale shop shows the LGBQTiA community. Great selection of vintage clothes. This is an Andersonville gem.

This spot is fantastic! Whenever I'm around, I always make sure to visit. We discovered our stunning Victorian dining table at this place! I definitely suggest checking it out. The affordable prices are a great perk too!

I love this Brown Elephant. We recently purchased a large cabinet console and had such a great experience. Special shoutout to Lexi for all of her help; she assisted with our purchase from start to finish over a few days. Not only did she have information on the purchase history to share with us but she assisted with measuring so that we knew it would be the perfect fit as well as helping us lift it and move it out to their alley. Such a great find for an awesome price at a friendly business with an important mission.

I'm teaching my daughter about thrifting and this was our second stop today. This shop is quite large and organized very nicely. It's spaced out due to the pandemic and not overly crowded with stuff. You go down a long hallway before you're in the main room which is like a showroom. Everything was neat and they had a lot of nice jewelry. While we're not in the market for furniture we saw some really nice pieces. Shoes and clothes were ok; we ended up buying 5 shirts for $25. I can see spending a Saturday afternoon browsing here. We will definitely be back.

Loved working with Brown Elephant website and staff for my furniture donation. Their fill in the blank info sheet links directly to a pick up response email for fast and efficient scheduling. All details were easy to follow on the website. The pick up crew called in advance of the pick up as described. Their pick up crew was friendly, grateful and on time.

For the past few years they've been matching their prices with ebay, so the days of true bargains at the Elephant are long gone. $5 for used video game titles is outright robbery compared to used gamestop titles, but, the money goes to charity. My legitimate complaint is that they expanded into an unused space next door, which is the former Hamburger Mary's craft bar space. Which had a plumbing problem. It STILL has a plumbing problem: The store smells like an open sewer line, because there's an open sewer line. Seriously: be prepared for sewer gas and open feces smell. Hasn't been addressed in six months. I can't go in here, and I can't believe people WORK here. Try me. Go into "the Elephant's trunk" where the housewares are.

My favorite resale (and I like resale shopping--feels like treasure hunting). Skilled workers do a stylish job displaying what is there and it is spacious. So it is not so claustrophobic as some resales. One can browse at leisure. We furnished half our home from BE. Reasonable in prices and it often has sales (50% off). . Many treasures on display if you have a little time and patience. I got great planters, costume jewelry, purses there. And of course, it is for a good cause. The money goes to health care.

Good bargains. Great cause. My review needs to be 85 characters. Whatever happened to brevity?

Always amazing finds here. I love that they will hold pieces for you to come pick up in two days. So if you happen to be passing by and find something you can't carry they will keep it in back for you to pick up later. They also will pick up larger pieces if you'd like to donate. Nothing beats a great resale shop for a good cause.

Amazing ambiance and great selection. Botha a good amount of furniture as well as clothing and books. Everything is priced super well.

Visit every trip to Chicago Love love love this store. A must do and some of my best finds in thrift shopping

Huge resale shop with interesting merch, cheap used books and a cool aesthetic! Money goes toward LGBTQ health care.

My wife and I love their mission statement, also love the Andersonville location in an old gutted theater space. Eclectic odd and end shopping, think jewelry, clothes, vinyl, DVDs, CDs, electronics, furniture, art, etc, yet fairly organized with friendly customer service. Outside of the popping tags cool factor, it is refreshing to have another option to consider besides Goodwill and Salvation Army.

Don't trust them to come and do a pick up when they say they will. I scheduled way in advance for them to come pick up 2 sofas, club chair, ottoman and a portable dishwasher. They were supposed to call at 9 AM to let me know what time between 10 AM & 3 PM they would be here. At around 11:30 they sent me an email letting me know that they wouldn't be picking up today (Saturday). So they pretty much wasted my day, couldn't even bother to call and let me know they wouldn't be here. After all the years of donating stuff to their stores I think its time to find a new charity to donate to since they have zero respect for other peoples time.

The good news is the inventory at this store is better than many other resale shops. The goods tend to be higher end and better quality, perhaps by virtue of the neighborhood it is located in. The bad news is they are disorganized. I purchased an IKEA armchair and had them set it aside to pick it up later, as my small car could not accommodate it. Unfortunately, when I picked up the chair the next day (from the area specifically designated for purchased items), I accidentally left the back rest there. In the 35 minutes it took me to get home, realize this, and call them back, they apparently sold the back cushion to someone! I mean, how does that happen? First, who sells a seat backrest from an IKEA chair? It was in a area specifically designated for sold items, so why? Just why? Second, and perhaps the more interesting question, who BUYS a seat back rest from an IKEA chair?? Have we really devolved into this kind of blind consumerism? I could see how that transaction went down. "OMG, I just LOVE this! I'll give you 5 bucks for it." Brown Elephant Staff, "Uh, ok, sure why not, I need a beer." And to be fair, they probably do given the general chaos of that place. Sadly, the end result will be a (partial) IKEA armchair in a local landfill, as the cushion is not replaceable and the chair does not function without it. Oh well. It is what it is. But the lesson to be taken from this is to pick up your item the day you buy it. Who knows what parts of it might end up getting sold off it otherwise.

I wish i had found this place sooner! So much cool stuff, surprisingly low prices, and every item is tagged with a price. Cant wait to donate!

Large selection of vintage and second hang home furnishings, kitchenware, decor, clothes and music at a reasonable price. Found a great red Ferrari jacket here

The Brown Elephant resale shop is a great organization we are frequent donor, many time browser, occasional buyer. After we moved combining our households with a bonus of getting married we had a bunch of items, ion great shape, that we no longer needed. What is a person to do... Toss in the alley for the scavengers, post on Facebook/Craigslist and wade through the scams and creepers for pocket change, or donate to the Brown Elephant so they can turn it into cash monies for the Howard Brown Health services and all their good works... this is an easy choice Hey Brown Elephant! Typically we would just wander up the street and drop off a bag/box of goodies and wander through the store to take a look at the items and be on our merry way. This run however was a much bigger block of items to drop. Reached out via the web on their donation page, which states that they only pick up furniture, but if you make the right case and have enough kit (give a run down of items) they may offer to pop by and grab them from you. We had 15 boxes of household items, primarily for the kitchen, and they agreed that they could make the time. Talk about easy! After they agree, you get an email with a window of time and a phone call on the day of pick up to confirm. I had a time constraint and they worked with me to make it happen. They popped in with two guys who picked up the boxes and gave me a letter for tax purposes. Great organization and a fun place to pick through, who knows what you may find.

my partner and i love this place so much. they have great selection (though can do a bit more with house good items). the prices are ridiculously good for furniture pieces as well, and everyone is always very nice.

When the final value was calculated--at very conservative values typical of resale shop prices or less--it came to more than $2,600 (largely from an estate I handled). That is what the Brown Elephant missed out on when I called them both before and during covid. The charity that picked up the stuff benefits the Jesse White Tumbling Team and Rotary. It takes so little effort to be kind and polite to people. When you do, everybody has a better day and your company benefits from it. When you are rude or sound like you're annoyed by having to do your job, the very name of your company will elicit negative feelings and you lose customers and people's support.

When I lived in the neighborhood, I donated frequently and shopped occasionally. But that was years ago. I stopped in recently and found the place a lot tidier than it was in my memories. The main thing that I was interested in was just cheap t-shirts to wear around the house. Get this, t-shirts are priced at only two dollars. At Goodwill they range from about $4 to $6. You can also find decent dress shirts for $6. Furniture was 50% off on the day of my visit, and men's coats $10 off. This place is cheap as hell, and good finds can be found. The bookshelves are worth five minutes combing through. Check out this Ralph Lauren houndstooth jacket that looks pretty decent on a 40-year-old man. Fifteen dollars!

This resale shop, just like any other resale shop, is a hit or miss with items you are looking for. Upon entering the long entry way, I noticed how welcoming this place is. The welcome/cashiering desk is right as you enter the main room. The shop is very well planned out with various "departments". The pre-owned furniture pieces seemed to be well picked over. The clothing and dishes are reasonably priced. I can understand why people go there often.

Tall blond thin manager is very helpful and kind and efficient. Don't know his name but he's great. And quick to help.

Listen: everything is priced to move and you're donating to a fab cause with every little gem you buy.. and there are a lot of them so look closely. The lay out of the store is user-friendly and the people who work here are people-friendly. You can't go wrong. We left with a bag full of trinkets from a tiny wooden hippo to a glass mug full of golden glitter balls that made my daughter's day! Many treasures here simply are not made anymore and will take you on quite a nostalgic trip if you're my age. (Old enough to have a daughter that shops here) So a bag full of fun for $13 something and then you round up for the cause. ($14 and an extra dollar in the hat for the great service) Love it here. Spread the spirit.

I've been coming here for several years, originally as a donor. I was cleaning out my mother's apartment and had SO MUCH STUFF! I felt good about donating to Brown Elephant, because, in that way, I could support their mission. But of course, on my way out, I would start to wander the aisles. The glassware and kitchenware section has some amazing things. I've done holiday and birthday shopping there. Taking time to peruse the clothing racks is worthwhile, too. This is a thrift store, so, of course, you never know what's going to be on the racks. I've found mostly shirts here that I like, and paying $6.00 for a long-sleeved blue shirt that I've worn for maybe three years makes me feel good, too. The staff is always friendly, gracious and helpful. My only complaint is that shoppers and donors stay too long in the 15-minute parking space in front, but that's not the fault of Brown Elephant staff.

I recently embarked on the journey of a "Brown Elephant" hunt. This Andersonville location may be equivalent in size, or a tiny bit smaller, in comparison to the Lakeview location, but it appears more open and more "showroom-like." Like I mentioned in another Brown Elephant review, the profits they make are to benefit the operation of the Howard Brown Health Center, which specializes in LGBTQ health. Although I didn't see anything that tickled my fancy this afternoon, I enjoyed my time looking through what they had to offer. I certainly will pop in there whenever I get a chance or if I'm in the area. There's a gender neutral restroom in the "gallery room," just in case you need it. I saw some people bring in plastic and paper bags. They are welcome to that kind of donation even if you don't have anything to else to get rid off. They use those bags for customers' purchases to reduce the overall overhead costs. Their jewelry and accessory "department" is done quite nicely, considering this is a resale shop. The cases and vitrines are well-lit, and visual arrangements are pretty appealing. The part of town is a local-business central. Popular coffee shops, bakeries, knickknack stores, and restaurants are in close proximity. I will encourage all of you to make a point of stopping in.

Ok, so I'm gonna skip over all the stuff you already know about Brown Elephant and tell you about a mixed experience I had so that hopefully someone reads this and is more prepared than I was. I'm on the hunt for furniture, and I'm on a budget, so naturally I stopped at Brown Elephant. Got lucky that they were doing half price furniture the day I was there. I found a huge marble coffee table that I fell in love with, and with the half price deal, SOLD! Here's the first thing you need to know. If you buy furniture you have only 2 days to move it out of the store. After that they return it to the sales floor and they do NOT refund your money. They consider it a donation. Two days is a bit harsh for me, but I understand they must need the space. I get it. The second thing is related to the first thing. They don't deliver, but they have a couple delivery guys they recommend. I texted both of them with a pic of the table for an estimate. One quoted me $5 less than the other, and if I could undo that choice I would. The guy I chose canceled on me twice (and remember, this is a 2 day period we're working with). On the final day we agreed that he would deliver when I got home from work around 8. He texted me in the middle of the day that he needed to deliver it by 7, even though we'd already agreed on 8. I begged the boss to let me leave early with all the trouble I already had getting him to deliver. Then once the table was in my apartment he charged more than the price we agreed on. It would've been one thing if the table had been harder to deliver than he thought, but he said, "Didn't I say it was..." and named a price $10 more. I was so frustrated and annoyed that the $10 was worth getting rid of him. Didn't want to argue. I won't say his name in the review, but if you're gonna shop there PM me and I'll spill the tea. Moral of the story is this delivery guy makes me think I won't buy anything big at Brown Elephant again. Between their recommended mover and the two-day limit, I have trepidation. But I love this coffee table!

I've been a supporter of Brown Elephant longer than I can remember. I just had an experience with them that has changed my mind. After years of donating various items to them, I had two recliners that I wanted to donate. I sent an email with the request and a picture which they requested. The recliners are in good shape, the mechanism works they're not ripped or soiled but have been used. They said they weren't interested because of wear and tear. Really? Where is the tear, where is the wear? You can look at the picture yourself and decide. It was insulting, I was offering them something to help their cause. I guess they've grown too big for their own britches. There are plenty of other Charities that will be grateful to take the donation. Sad! They lost a good customer!

I am a regular customer at Brown Elephant.I always round up and donate .I understand it's a non for profit and where the money goes.I in the past have always thought it was a great store with friendly nice professional folks that work there till yesterday.I am a thrifty I live on a budget but I like well made things I have worked retail and understand customer service.Yyesterday I got a hat out of the hat bin it had tag but no price .Hats are 5 or 3 bucks I believe.Looking at the hat I am sure it a designer knock off . I go to the counter to pay for my things and the cashier with a condescending tone said I have to talk to the manager about this hat.The so called manager took the hat and said it had to be researched.The situation was handled I a very unpleasant and unprofessional way. I also feel there was an element of racism there.Also in all this there was not one word said of store policy or what would happen .I felt disrespected and shamed for trying to buy a hat.I have gotten plenty of things that I have paid a lot less than they were worth HELLO that's why I dig in bins there and not Saks.To put a cherry on top there's a sign at the counter that says no haggling.and the cashier had the bad judgement to ask me if I was doing anything fun with the rest of my day.I still think Brown Elephant is good place and I will most likely shop there again when I get over my anger and I feel the hat should be returned to me at a reasonable price if that doesn't happen we all know we're the hat can go .I like the Brown Elephant taking things away from customers and this kind of crap should not be happening.

Poorly priced furniture. Could go to Ikea and get better for cheaper. Disappointed after reading the reviews. Will not go again.

This store is great if you've just moved here (like me). You can kinda negotiate prices based on how long items have been in the store, and they also do sales on random days of the week. Delivery is decently priced. Goes to a fantastic cause, but I have been warned that they don't check for bed bugs so be careful what you bring home. I love my couch I got and it's bed bug free, so have fun and buy some good stuff.

This is a wonderful resale shop with proceeds going go howard brown health. You NEVER know what you will find and there can be some seriously great finds and great bargains too. You just have to visit often because when they get stuff in...it goes on floor and the good stuff goes fast. From furniture, dishes, jewelry, decor, everything. They even have clothes although ive actually never looked at clothes there. They get the interesting fun finds too and i really love its priced well so things turnover fast. If you see something you like...you better buy it because things dont last long. Great shop...great people too. Love brown elephant! Employees are all super cool and super friendly too..

My dog loves Brown Elephant!!! For real. She is sort of a celebrity around those parts. The minute we start our daily trek down Clark Street her excitement grows; the minute we walk through the double glass doors and up the ramp to her favorite shopping place ever she goes crazy! The staff is so friendly and literally go out of their way to say hi to her (and us), give her hugs and, most importantly, give her treats. She even made their Instagram page. It's pretty amazing. I am a fan of any dog-friendly place! But us doggy parents love the Brown Elephant, too. It's always a fun time stopping in to see all sorts of things. Things you love, things you hate, things you wonder who the heck would have ever owned something like it. One person's trash is another's treasure though, and while we walk out more often than not with nothing in hand, we have found some great items there that are not a part of our home. The store always seems to have some sort of promotion going on - half off furniture, discounted artwork, etc. Feel free to haggle on pricing, too; they will always cut you a great deal! Weekends and month-ends seem to be the best days for plenty of selection but they have great stuff there at all times. Why buy new when you can reuse? Thanks for being and continuing to be a part of our weekend routine, Brown Elephant!

Absolutely love this place, hasn't been scoured by tiktokers and depop flippers so there's actually good clothing. Really great furniture! Also I found a yellow FTP shirt here, it was like $6, such a come up. My couch is from here, and some of my appliances.

Love this location (very cool building) ... my great finds include furniture, home decor, and frames. The staff is very friendly and the store is clean and very organized.

It's early Saturday afternoon. Dazed in a food coma, I find myself wandering yet again to the Brown Elephant. I feel a bit like the alcoholic who stumbles into his last-call bar. "I'm here again, boys!" I call as I slump past. "Don't mind me." Truth is, this is my A-ville haven for when the thrift bug bites. I can't help but hope to find some fantastic pill box hat or amazing wall art. More often than not, I leave empty-handed, but I must admit that I am a picky thrift shopper. There's always something I fall in love with and it's almost always reasonably-priced. If you're not convinced, here are some of my past scores from Brown Elephant, just to clue you into what you might find: -A tomato red, Cleopatra-like evening gown, perfect for those unexpected dress-up occasions -A set of pins your grandmother would covet -Framed and matted "chocolat a boire" posters, perfect for my kitchen -You Don't Know Jack computer game a la 1999 -High quality empty frames for finally hanging photographs that didn't have a home -An iPod charging dock (take that, Apple!!) Finally, it must be mentioned that the Brown Elephant makes its home in the old space of the Calo Theater, a beautiful beaux art movie house built in 1915. The space was a movie house until the late fifties, and was even site of a deadly shoot-out with a jail-breaking police-killer named Gus Amedeo. In the early 1960s, it became a bowling alley, and later in the 90s it was a small theater house. Today, we're lucky to have the Brown Elephant in its space. In case you're interested, here's an old shot of what the theatre used to look like in 1916: http://chsmedia.org/media/dn/06/0659/DN-0065902.jpg

I love thrifting for a good cause, but I hate when donation based stores won't negotiate on price. Everything seems to be in good shape and I was surprised at how nice the furniture looked, however, it seemed so expensive. I'd rather get a cheap brand new piece of furniture, than a stained, used fashionable piece of furniture. The gender neutral bathroom was nice, and I love that it funds LBGTQ healthcare, so overall I'd rather spend my money here than other places. If I ever make it up north to Andersonville again, I'll definitely be browsing the shelves.

Might find something useful here. There are a few cool pieces and a lot more worn out furniture. Fun to browse. The employees aren't very nice, especially to people who are making donations, which is weird. But the funds go to a great cause.