PACS Thrift Store

PACS is not just a thrift store. They are a clinic, food pantry, and thrift store. From e their website: «PACS is a vibrant community of volunteers and donors who work together to provide food, health care, and low-​cost clothing/​household items to low-​income individuals in the Portland area»
PACS is definitely not a place to go to get slightly used high end goods. If you are a person in need of basics they tend to have a lot to offer at very affordable prices. They are a thrift store, so their inventory is constantly changing. Your shopping can be hit or miss. I have found great deals there like working electronics, crafting supplies, office supplies, kitchen appliances, board games, photography equipment, and a lot more. Most were a few dollars each or less. I even grabbed a never used food dehydrator for a quarter. They also seem to always have a lot of those Styrofoam coolers for some reason.
Their prices have increased recently, but that is the case everywhere. The increases I have seen are really minuscule compared to other places.
Their sale system works as follows:
«Items are priced with colored tags, and are marked down every two weeks to 25% off, 50% off and sometimes end up as low as $ 0.25. Colors change on the 1^st and 16^th of each month, or if we are closed on the normal color-​change date, it moves to the next following business day. On the last business day before a color change day there is ten cent day where items of the lowest-​priced color are marked down to $ 0.10 for one day to clear them off the floor.»
Staff is usually pretty nice and helpful. They do not however seem to know much about the items for sale, and seeing as they are volunteers, the teens a little bit less willingly, it is understandable.
If PACS is not to your liking, or even if it is, you might want to check out:
Better Bargains on Sandy and 102^nd.
They have a lot more clothes and they do a 35 cent clothing sale in the basement a couple times a month. They also have coupons you can use to get discounts on their regular price stuff as well.
Deseret on 82^nd near king.
If you want a «Higher Class» experience, while staying out of those snobby vintage places. this might be more the place for you. They do tend to have pretty nice Items, but their prices are a good deal higher, no 0.25 cent pants here, but still some good deals.

Wow! I am surprised to see such negative reviews for this place. It is one of my favorite thrift stores! Granted I live nearby, and I’m not sure I would drive far out of my way to go here, but I love popping in on ocassion to see what they’ve got in.
If you want a hipster chic thrift store, you’re in the wrong neighborhood! Gateway residents, for the most part, don’t have designer fashions to donate. But I have found shoes, books, tea pots, tools, toys, games, records and many other items here for a very reasonable price! They have a rotating sticker system, so many items are 25 or 50 percent off. And some are even marked down to 25 cents! I got a nice pair of slacks for a quarter once.
The people working the counters are volunteers and have never been anything but nice to me. If something has lost its price tag someone will price it for you, which is more than can be said for the nearby Salvation Army. There is also a free day (s)-old bread cart here for anyone to take (limit two I think). You can tell this is a thrift shop with a good heart.
There are plenty of «thrift» stores in other quadrants of town if you want posher items, but if you just want to hunt for some fun and useful things at a good price, P.A.C.S. has you covered.

the reviews on this store are ridiculous this is my favorite thrift store by far. I always find something new no matter what, even if i claim to just «check in.» most of the workers are volunteers who just want to help, and they even have their own bookstore inside, which is amazing for those who are avid readers. If you are semi open minded about clothing, I highly recommend this store!

The reason this PACS thrift store doesn’t rank among Portland’s best thrifting opportunities is because it’s not. Most of the stuff in this store wouldn’t even be worthy of a rain soaked FREE box.
Here’s a sampling of the awesome things I found for sale: A store map for Powell’s circa 2006, several sofas that appear to have lost fights with cats, a fiberboard TV stand held together with only the grime that covers it, tabletop literature stands from an insurance office, Big Gulp cups. What the hell?