Out of the Closet does not smell like grandma’s house

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

Thrift stores are essentially condensed department stores—the difference being department stores sell lots of new junk you don’t need, while thrift stores sell lots of used stuff you don’t need. This theory is nearly always accurate, which explains my confusion each time I shop at Out of the Closet (slogan: “The World’s Most Fabulous Thrift Store”).

Similar to other second-hand shops, Out of the Closet sells a little bit of everything, ranging from DVD players, golf clubs, books and framed art to clothes, furniture, board games and the occasional armoire. But unlike its competitors, Out of the Closet’s merchandise is in tip-top shape—and doesn’t smell like my grandma’s house. I don’t make a habit of inquiring where thrift stores get their stock (honestly, I’d rather not know), but this place is too good—too consistently—not to ask.

“We have a more sophisticated donor,” says group store manager Michael Saunders. “We have a lot of theater groups donate costumes and we seek corporate donors. In this particular store, everything comes from this community.”

“It’s not someone unloading their crap,” adds assistant manager Matthew Ganoe. “When someone donates here, they think about where it’s going and who they are helping. Other thrift stores can be a clearing house—we’re not.”

I’ve never been a stranger to wearing second-hand clothes, especially T-shirts, jackets and sweaters. Basically, anything above the equator is fair game for me. (Below? That’s another story.) And usually, stains and thin material are what you see with used shirts: You pull something off the rack, thinking you’ve found the Golden Ticket; you search up and down and see no imperfections in that $2 vintage shirt; then you get home and in new light find what looks like a snot stain on the left pocket.

But miraculously, the items on Out of the Closet’s racks are wearable right out the door. This comes from a stringent sorting policy that weeds the wearable from the trash bin.

“Our staff is educated on clothing, so the best quality stuff goes out first,” Saunders says. “The stuff considered garbage goes to recycling companies.”

Out of the Closet uses a six-week rotation to ensure a study flux of new merchandise. Items hit racks for two weeks, then are dropped 30 percent for a week, then fall to half the original price before winding up on the dollar rack.

“This keeps new stuff on the racks all the time and keeps us processing,” explains Ganoe. “Our merchandise changes late Saturday/early Sunday, so there will be a line of people on Sunday mornings.”

Still, to me, shopping for thrift store gear has always been more necessity than vanity. The real fun at Out of the Closet is digging through all that non-clothing merchandise, because that’s where the treasures are buried. Last month I found a copy of Howard Stern’s book Private Parts for $2, the previous month’s Esquire magazine for a quarter, and a five-piece ceramic cat set for five bucks. (I would have gone for the Nintendo Power Glove for nostalgic reasons, but I had only $8 on me.)

You know a thrift store takes some pride in its work when its selection of books and vinyl are categorized by genre. Next to these records is the magazine stand, where monthly publications and a wide selection of comic books sit on a shelf. And if you’re into the holier-than-thou retro thing, there are sad-looking cassettes and eight-tracks just dying for a new home.

As if good clothes, old Playboys and a stellar selection of household knickknacks weren’t enough, Out of the Closet donates 95 cents of every dollar to medical services provided by AIDS Heathcare Foundation, offers free 20-minute oral HIV testing on Sundays and gives away free condoms near the register. And with your new (old) wardrobe, you’re going to need them.

OUT OF THE CLOSET THRIFT STORES/AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION 3500 E PACIFIC COAST HWY | LONG BEACH 90804 | 562.494.0340 | OUTOFTHECLOSET.ORG

Tags: Long Beach, out of the closet, shopping, thrift store