The Restore is run by the Habitat for Humanity, and offers brand new and donated building materials and furniture. Funds raised are used to assist in the Habitat for Humanity's accessably priced housing initiatives.
Location:
125, 2323 - 32 Avenue NE
Calgary, AB
Phone: 403.253.9331 ext 233
Website: www.habitatcalgary.ca
Hours: 9 - 6 pm, Tuesday thru Saturday.
Prices: Good to Excellent.
Chance of finding a bargain: Good.
Chance of finding a treasure: Very Good.
Merchandise: Recycled and new building materials, including but not limited to: Lamps, chandeliers, lighting fixtures, doors, hardwood flooring, windows, jacuzzi tubs, etc. Much of their material is brand new, donated by builders who found themselves with overstock and retailers getting rid of unsold merchandise.
Overall: A bit of creativity might lower that home reno. project budget from $20,000 to $2,000, without compromising the quality.
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- Category: Thrift Shops
The Interfaith Furniture Store is a large warehouse style thrift shop in Calgary's North East that offers an immense variety and selection of used furniture and antiques. The store will provide you with their mission statement.
Location:
635 - 35 Ave. NE
Phone: 403.276.3173
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Closed Tuesdays after a Monday statutory holiday.)
Prices: Outrageous. Prices for older furniture and antiques tend to be exhorbitantly high, often in excess of what you would expect to pay at an upmarket antique dealers. They seem to calculate their prices by doing searches through donated antique catelogues, finding the highest priced example (eg: a Louis IV armoire for $10, 000) that comes close to what they have, then adding 20% to account for inflation, and another 20% finders fee. Never mind that the Armoire they have is actually a depression era 1940's oak wardrobe and missing a door ...
Apparently this policy is done to discourage "Dealers" from picking up bargains and reselling them, unfortunately it also discourages customers. On the good side they do run a Dutch Auction, wherein larger goods are tagged with the date they came into the store, then marked down 25% after a week, and 50% after a month. Even with these markdowns the prices still tend to be very high.
Chance of finding a bargain: Slender to none.
Chance of finding a treasure: Excellent.
Merchandise: Mostly furniture, some antiques, housewares, toys, some clothing and books.
Overall: Worth popping into, but generally not worth purchasing anything. Check the other thrift shops in Calgary first.
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- Category: Thrift Shops
The Women in Need is a Calgary based organization that uses funds raised to assist women in low income situations.
Website: www.womeninneed.net/
Locations:
Fisher Park
134 71 Ave SE
Phone: 403.255.7514
Killarney
2907 Richmond Rd SW
Phone: 403.242.4969
Bowness
6432 Bowness Road NW
Phone: 403.288.4825
Dover
3525 26 Ave SE
Phone: 403.235.6448
Prices: Very Good. Each store has it's own sales and pricing structure, for example in Killarney they frequently have sales in which they mark down unsold clothing to half price or 50 cents per colored tag item. Selection varies from store to store so check back frequently to find new items.
Chance of finding a bargain: Excellent.
Chance of finding a treasure: Good
Merchandise: Clothing, miscellaneous household appliances with some jewellry and books. Selection and prices vary from store to store. Furniture is available at the Dover Location only.
Overall: Probably the best charity shop in Calgary.
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- Category: Thrift Shops