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November 2023 by Vapor N.
A pretty nice thrift store ! Found what I needed quickly. They have a 50% off sale every 2nd Saturday ! Good stuff. Reasonable prices on most stuff. Fairly good quality items. They also have a return policy for store credit if your item doesn't work or has a problem. Great ! A great resource for the Santa Cruz area. When I need something, I always check Gray Bears first !
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September 2023 by Jui T.
Grey Bears prices have increased, things sit on shelves instead of moving. The place is overwhelmed with stuff. Instead of having the weird half off sales and whatever, just price things low and get them out. The clothing is the worse. Too much, too much. The more crap, the more your staff have to re-arrange, deal with and waste their time on. You have to turn sideways to get through the racks. Let the senior staff who've been there for years discount prices, let them judge - they know the place better than anyone. I've tried to donate nice clean children's clothes - they won't take kids clothes at all. Probably because there's no room. You can't tell me families aren't looking for small people clothes. Re-using clothes & getting things back out there is part of an ecological mandate. The site is a complete mess, the county tolerates a lot allowing this place to run. I wish Grey Bears was more dynamic, less stuffy and more in tune with their community.
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April 2023 by Mike P.
Very cool place to just check out and browse. I didn't need anything in particular, but amazing how big of an area it was, and all the little side "shops" to check out. Worth a trip, even if you don't need anything!
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February 2023 by Elizabeth B.
Dang, why do I ever go to this place on Monday when I know that Tuesdays and Thursdays everything is 50% off?? Well I was there on Monday anyway and I still got some amazing stuff. I am absolutely totally and completely in love with the rusted funky antique typewriter I got for $15! I also found some great clothes, including a brand new with tags habitat jacket for only $15. I know I know Tuesday it would've been 7.50, but why take a chance and this is such a good organization. They help seniors, and they feed seniors, and they do a lot of recycling in the house wears department I fell in love with a lamp, I think I'll go back on Thursday and see if it's still there after I found the typewriter I just was beside myself and couldn't look any farther. It's about the coolest thing I've ever seen. I don't know what I'm gonna do with it, except maybe just stare at it fondly. I saw a lot of great furniture there and some really stellar art. I don't need any of those things, but they were sure tempting. Go to this to this place any day, but best to go on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
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December 2022 by GEO E.
A big hats off to the Org and volunteers. The holiday meal was delish.But, the volunteers and BOD members who put everything together, directed traffic and handed out meals where just amazing. And it was rather chilly so standing outside was impressive.Thank you again.
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December 2022 by Shawn O.
Great thrift store, also provides great service to seniors in the area with low-cost food bags.
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November 2022 by Athonia C.
if parking is full, which it usually is, you can park in the lot that is east of Chanticleer that has an easement into the backside of gray bears. That lot is usually used for the flea market, which occurs on the weekends.Note that drop off times for e-waste and home electronics (appliances) usually close at 2 PM. Be sure to check the hours ahead of time. That part of gray bears here you can shop is open longer than donation drop off each day.
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July 2022 by Rob M.
Son and I were looking for a "yard sale" type place and found this through an internet search. This place is worth the trip, a lot of items for sale in various "themed" buildings. Lots of good deals to be found if you search, but a lot of items priced pretty high also (especially collectibles). I picked up some cheap Craftsman sockets and wrenches. Son was a little disappointed on the price of clothes. All people working there were very nice and it purchases go toward a good cause.
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July 2022 by C E.
Awesome thrift shop in Santa Cruz. Tons of furniture and clothing. Great prices! Purchased a nice pea coat and work blazer. My daughter got some great shoes also.
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July 2022 by Christopher L.
This organization is for a very good cause and offers many handy conveniences. I have run into a few grumpy/short tempered/impatient employees there, mostly at the donation drop-off . While I think they are volunteering, they still could've been nicer. Just try to make sure you are following their protocols as best you can, or you might get snapped at lol. I still highly recommend this place, some great deals there and it helps seniors!
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July 2022 by Isaiah G.
We were in the area and decided to go thrifting. This place is huge. There's a lot of parking and they had clean bathrooms. It's so big it's divided into sections by portables. There's a lot of old things here but very well organized. This place was very busy with people shopping and donations. We found a few a big jar with a cork the was a place to add a great gift. I found some shorts and a pair of express pants. The woman's items were $1.50 you literally can not beat this anywhere. They had a portable with electronics my son was able to find a dvd and two games. My favorite was the portable with the boos. It was like a tiny little book store. Everything was extremely organized and price was extremely reasonable. They had this deal of filling up a bag for $10. We will definitely be returning.
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April 2022 by Taste T.
Always a treasure to be found here. Always stop here for a few minutes whenever heading to Santa Cruz. Highly recommend but be prepared to wait a bit for a parking spot since they are quite busy.
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April 2022 by Red S.
Today, I was told that something I was trying to donate to Good Will needed to be assembled or I could try Grey Bears. I laughed- it reminded me of every time I've tried to use Grey Bears as either a supplier or shopper. Have you ever tried to donate to them? They will (rudely) make you jump through 1000 hoops before they take it while sneering at you or tell you "after all that, taking the pictures, showing up at the time we told you, etc. no we won't take it." I would rather just throw something out than try to donate to this store at this point. And have you ever talked to their staff? I have never talked to ruder people, even when I'm in the store as a customer. They treat you like absolute garbage at every level, and I have a decent (though outdated) sample size of this behavior. That has been my definitive Grey Bears experience, being treated like garbage every time.
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February 2022 by dana b.
This place brings back memories and is very sentimental, as my grandmother used to volunteer there. Every time I'm in town I have to stop in and check things out. You'll never know what you're going to find, there are always treasures to hunt for. Make sure to take your time and carefully walk through, there are so many things to discover. Also, there is a book shop and an electronic shop behind the main building so make sure to check them out too.
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January 2022 by Zumi V.
Found this amazing thrift store while visiting my son at UCSC. I bought some very nice tops and other clothing, along with a beautiful set of glassware for a bargain. I was very impressed with the organization of this place. They had a very organized donation drive-through drop off, within a compound of buildings organized into different categories - furniture, electronics, home goods, clothes. There was a large staff busy in-taking donations, and the energy here felt good. I really wanted to take a tour of the place, b/c it felt like they are doing a lot more there than just selling donated items. I'll definitely go back again and support this business. A very unique thrifting experience.
