Abbot's Thrift — Attraction in Scotts Valley

I'd rather not tell you why I love this place because I'd rather you didn't come and swoop on all the treasures I intend to swoop on. I mean, for example, like this incredible one thing... that I can't tell you about. So... never mind. But it's one of the coolest one of those I've seen. Just forget I ever mentioned it, K? A great section of... scarves. And... candleholders. And... um, paperweights. Used matches. Used lightbulbs for the DIY lightbulb repair people. That's all you really need to know.

The tools, musical instruments, furniture, mobility and physical assistance items, electronics and stereo components, bins full of power/USB/audio/video/HDMI/fiber and all sorts of cords and cables, multiple aisles of categorized books, glassware, cookware, flatware, crafting supplies, pet accessories (including equestrian items), small appliances, camping and outdoor gear, sports equipment, fabrics, lighting, collectables, games, and on and on... probably of little interest to you. Besides, who wants somebody else's used vintage stuff anyways, right?! Nonerheless, let's just go ahead and keep this to ourselves, M'kay? M'kay.

Good talk. We never had it.

Oh, but I do have to add an update here (Nov 2022): Apparently whoever was pricing the items no longer is, and the new person (if that's the case) is living a Neiman-Marcus lifestyle and thinks we should be, too. Prices, especially in certain departments like tools, have shot up to being often unreasonable. Books are still cheap, housewares are good (mostly), clothes still range from cheap to upper-end-reasonable. But the things I mostly shop for are often priced at nearly the same or just under what say Harbor Freight sells them for NEW, with a WARRANTY, and no missing parts. It's ridiculous. A medium size canvas Ryobi tool duffle bag - $15. A chain grip pipe vice without a mounting base - $59. A beat up extendable pole branch trimmer - $25. An old, dirty, beat up Harbor Freight shop dust collector without the canvas collection bag (necessary component) - $125... They're $160 new. You get the point. There's still some good deals to be found, but it's worth knowing the value of the same new items before falling into...

I am a life long organizer working with hundreds of volunteers. There are many places to donate goods. The man who accepts the donations during the week was so lukewarm, so dead, so unfriendly, so in a trance, I will decide to donate the next car load of good Gap cloths and high ended cloths to some other group. But then I looked at the reviews, apparently there is an attitude issue with a few people working there. I wish I had looked at reviews first, I would have donated elsewhere. The first contact in any non profit or organization is vital, as it represents the group. I also contact Project Purr. They responded in various words, thank you for thinking of us, so grateful, will go to help feral cats. They had been schooled or naturally able to generate common sense and understand how important it is to deal with people who are trying to help their cause. I bypassed that their church like almost all churches feels woman are unworthy of being ordained as priests or bishops, I as a liberation theologist, would never contemplate a church who sees women as less then, oh they have all the clever excuses why they are not allowed to advance, but in short it is called misogyny . If it was good enough for Jesus to be with Mary Magdala, as she was the apostle to the apostles, she was his favorite companion, it sure is good enough to let women advance up and not just be pregnant and cooking. I will donation to Project Purr to help kitties. The people accepting the donations are pleasant. A smile is thanks enough. If the dude is so valuable to the group, he should be put in the back where he has zero contact with the public, but then when I saw some workers seem to need prozac to be nice, I vote with my...

I used to to love this place and go there weekly. The staff is still great and I still donate there. I’m sure it’s still worth going IF YOU HAVE HOURS TO SPEND sorting through the clothes. A few months ago something major changed. The back room staff stopped sorting the clothes. They just through all colors and all sizes in any old rack. I tried to talk to one of the main back room ladies, but she just shrugged her shoulders like who cares? My busy mom friends and I used to be able to pop in for thirty minutes during our kid’s soccer or dance class and go right to the sizes we needed and find lots of stuff in a short time. Those days are over. You have to have hours go sort through thousands of shirts to find anything in your size or your kid’s sizes. It’s overwhelming and we just all drive over to Scott’s Valley where they still sort their clothes racks. It’s just easier. You can find five shirts and three pant in your kid’s size in thirty minutes. I bet they are selling less clothes than they used to and don’t even know why. I’ve told the front cashiers too, who do seem to care, but nothing has changed. I will gladly update this review and give them five starts if they go back to sorting the clothes. We used to love shopping here, but who has that kind of time? And the size markers are still on the racks too, but they effectively...