This is by far one of the coolest thrift stores I have ever been to. It felt like crafter heaven. They have bins upon bins of materials and tools for just about every craft you can think of. My roommate got magazines and fabric for quilting. I got 2 different pairs of knitting needles and lots of scrapes for jewelry making. I will definitely be visiting again.My roommate and I only came out on a whim before school starts tomorrow but it was well worth the 30min drive from Raleigh:)
Laura Nicholson, the executive director, needs to be fired or step down. Seeing the recent positive reviews of this place hurt me deeply. These are people that love the idea of what the scrap is supposed to be without realizing what the scrap has become. As someone whos shopped and volunteered there for years, I can clearly see the abrupt changes this place has gone through. While I can appreciate the fancy new interior changes made between both stores, I cant ignore the treatment of the staff and fading legacy of this very unique business. 20+ years of a culture built upon the arts, keeping trash out of the landfills and connecting the community is being run straight into the ground. These are not Laura Nicholsons main priorities therefore the Scrap Exchange is no longer the store it once was. Those of us whove been with the store for years can see and feel it. Laura Nicholson, please step down. For the community and the sake of this wonderful store.Side note, I really miss the old staff. It seems like 90% of the people that made that place what it was are all gone. No shade to the new staff but wheres the life and energy the old staff brought?
I used to LOVE the Scrap Exchange. I shopped there for nearly 30years. My children grew up on this place. Sadly, I no longer shop therebecause I cannot in good conscience support the current management.While I love STUFF and reuse and the concept of turning trash intotreasures, I cannot support what appears to me to be the undermining ofwhat grew the Scrap Exchange into such an iconic Durham landmark. Why are cameras installed to watch employees? Why were fences put up around the dock and around the area behind the Scrap? Community used to be such a HUGE part of the Scrap Exchange. The magic is gone. I now drive an hour to Greensboro to Reconsidered Goods. Their store was modeled after the old Scrap Exchange. Thats where the magic is now. Maybe some day the old Scrap will return and I can start shopping there again but for now I just cant do it.
Always a surprise and pleasant experience when we go there. Find what we want and more. Win win.
These place is amazing it has changed alot since I originally moved to Durham in the 90s its cleaner and more inclusive and as a person of color it is amazing to see more black employees. I believe the reason for this is the new management lead by Laura Nicholson and her staff Ive heard she has done a great job there. I love the scrap exchange and I recommend you shop there!
I love meandering through this store. Unique and unexpected treasures. We go every time we visit family in Durham. I bought 2 partial skeins of yarn and knit the grandson a sweater for $3. There is nothing else like it. Oh! We bought wallpaper for 4$ and put it up in my daughters house for an accent wall twice. Beautiful!
I was banned from the scrap exchange back in April by Laura. She made many nasty and totally false statements about me. I have tried reaching out to the owner via BBB,email,and many other staff to correct this wrong.i have been a loyal and respectful customer to staff and customers. I ask that someone get involved and correct this wrong.My concern that if nothing is done about what happened to me whats to stop her from banning someone else unjustly.
One of my favorite thrift stores in the triangle. A crafters dream. When in to just look around and came out with 5 pounds of stationary paper, envelopes and so much more.
The place is great except the director. They do not treat their employees or volunteers good. Get a new director, Laura is awful.I would also like to say that I have been coming here for many years with my kids. I am very disappointed in the current atmosphere of the scrap exchange. I feel and many others feel that the current director is ruining something I love so much!! I am very angry because people I see when I come to the scrap exchange are changing and the current people are not happy or helpful as it was when Tatyana was there!! I feel that this place is going in the wrong direction!! I hope the board or who ever is over seeing this place will see this and maybe take considerable action to fix this. Because if not, I will never come back again and tell everyone I know to never come here
This was my favorite place to go and take my kids for projects and just to see what they have. I recently found out that Tatyana was gone!! I was heart broken. She was always there and was so nice. I found out through people there that she was let go because of director Laura Nicholson.. I don’t know why because she was great!! This Director Laura must be insane!! I love this place but the past month has been horrible and no one there wants to be there. Also I wanted to volunteer there this summer but was told under the new policy that I could only volunteer certain times and only a few hours a day. Really? Are you kidding me me?? Who in there right mind denies free labor?? That is crazy in my opinion!!I hope this reaches the right people to fix this because under the current director this place is going in the wrong direction! Until this changes I will not come back nor will I tell anyone to go to the scrap exchange! I tell everyone about the scrap exchange but I will no longer will.
I usually love this place. Today was met at the door and told to put on a mask or could not enter. I have been fully vaccinated and was in compliance with both the President and the Governor. Did not appreciate being bullied to do their way. Will not be back any time soon. I was told it was private property. So was Costco, restaurants, Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store, the mall and many other places where my rights were honored as a citizen under the directive of the POTUS and the NC Governor. This place is full of stuff from everywhere and many with bins that you go through to find what you want. How sanitary is that? Get a grip.
This is undoubtedly my favorite place in Durham. Its recently lost a little bit of character with their expansion across the parking lot, but now you can actually walk around and find things! Ive completed numerous hardware projects using recycled materials from The Scrap Exchange. Check my arcade and microphone! Almost all of them are from parts found here.Great for creative kids too. Our 5 year old daughter begs to go on the weekend to see what crafting treasures she can find. This place has made our family life in Durham better. No doubt.
Wonderful second hand art supplies shop with great prices and wonder staff! They have almost everything you need to craft, from fabric to yarn to second hand decoration supplies, handmade masks, greeting cards, and office supplies. Definitely go here before visiting other craft stores!
Answer the phones and make the store hours clear. Other than that, its a hoarders paradise.
Omw i got some great deals. Got my husband two suits for 20 bux they look brand new got my great grandbaby a black suit for 2 dollars. Hubby got set of lefty gold set with bag and cart for 14$ I love this place
Ts me Rowan I. Ben at work but 2 weeks. Man its Ben hard on me. Miss my job. Is every thing done ia m a volunteer. I. Am frustrated. Up set board
Such an interesting and wonderful place. If you are an artist or teach/have kids who are into art, this is a wonderful place to look for different types of supplies! I was so impressed with the variety of things they had there. Most of my time was spent looking at postcards! Consider this place when looking for supplies and when getting rid of things you do not use! You would be surprised what other people can do with things you no longer need!
THIS IS THE COOLEST PLACE PERIODT. fr u should go here there are so many cute and fun things. i got a whole bag of like 15 stuffed animals FOR $3
My girlfriend and I absolutely enjoy going here! We started going here this past spring but hadnt been back until recently. The whole store, inside and out, has been completely renovated, and generally just cleaned up making it appear very nice and welcoming. Also I cannot stress enough how amazing some of the deals are inside. Her and I geocache and we were able to find a LOT of geocaching supplies for just $3!!! Cannot be beat, 11/10.
Its a really good place to bring old stuff for other people to reuse. It has fabric, broken jewelry, buttons, clothes, an art gallery, mystery bags and more. Theres also a thrift store that has dolls, books, toys and more stuff. The employees are really nice and didnt mind when I took a minute to find enough money. Its really interestingly decorated and colorful.
Always fun to see what they have.
This is the BEST thrift store/craft supply store I have EVER gone to. If you love thrift stores and crafting this will be paradise for you. It certainly was for me! One of the coolest spots is near the front where they have barrels full of misc items that are usually trashed. They even have an interesting selection of scientific equipment/supplies! Plan to spend at least half a day here when you come! Ill never forget this store!
So much to see and so many good deals on art supplies. Ill be going back. Some of the yarn might have been there a while, because I had to wash it before using it (Im allergic to dust). Ive had to do the same for yarn from big box stores sometimes so its not a big deal, though.
Was pretty good, ALOT OF STUFF. Some ODD THINGS that I see NO NEED FOR, like a BOX IF USED WINE CORKS with no price, and a box of PADLOCKS but no COMBINATION??🙄, what good if you cannot open and use them?
Has everything you could ever need for projects! Prices were amazing for pretty much everything and even had bulk amounts of things you can’t usually buy.(empty pill bottles, scrap fabrics, etc) I will be coming back as much as possible!
Walked here from Scrap Thrift. This is a wonderful second hand art supplies shop with great prices and wonder selection. Has almost everything you need to craft, from fabric to yarn to second hand everything.
It is always a treasure hunt at the scrap exchange. Im am art teacher and I love coming up with lessons and projects based off of the unique finds I discover here. The people are wonderful and I am happy to support such a great place.
Great place, however the donation process is really odd. If donations are the lifeblood of your organization, why make people wait to donate? I would donate more if you did not have to schedule an appointment.
Huge selection of odds and ends as well as every craft product you could want. A great place to just walk especially if you need inspiration for a project. Very helpful and friendly staff. All personal were wearing masks and some even gloves. Social distancing was encouraged as best they could given the space.
I really like this place! Im not a huge thrift store person, but when I do go its really nice to find a good one! They have a huge selection of clothes that I didnt get a chance to look at (one of the people I was with was in a hurry). There are housewares, knick knacks, games, records, CDs, DVDs, and so natme books! They had some comics and magazines there, too.I spent all of my time there in the media section. It toot me quite a while to dig through the LPs, and comics. Im planning on going back soon to check out the rest of the place.
Loved this store . I visited the thrift shop next door and decided to stop here . Found lots of craft items extreemly cheap. Christmas decor for unbeatable prices . There is some of everything here . They also do the % off based off color tags at the thrift store. I snagged this slime set for $3.50 and %50 off
Its a great store if you like to go to find treasures. I love the variety of crafts finders. The personel is really nice all the time. Also you can set up visits to got your kids and play with some reclycled materials. Love this place! Its sad that is far from home so I can only 3 to 4 times a year.
This place is a treasure trove. If you need something its usually a good place to check first. You can usually find what youre looking for at a really low price. Its also just a fun place to wander through and see what they have.
All kinds of stuff for all kinds of needs. Go and you will know
I love this thrift store just as much as many others in the reviews do. I bought my favorite chess for $175.00 when it went on sale here -solid wood pieces. The selection seems to fit any and every type of shopper and before the corona came my family, girlfriend and I would come by every day to shop and speak to Lin before leaving(for those who knew her). That is the only reason I am giving an extra star. The self proclaimed manager (I am not 100% sure she is a real manager but for this reviews sake I will refer to her as Boss Karen) in charge of the stores has an extreme attitude problem and if you have any medical condition that does not let you have PART of your face uncovered YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. Everyone can agree that we are not living in normal times but good customer service should never change. If an employee has an issue with a customer it should be handled professionally and discreetly as to not TRY to humiliate and demean the customer. I was practically yelled at by Boss Karen while standing at the checkout line to purchase my items after spending 30+ mins walking around the store talking and greeting other customers/employees. NOONE seemed to mind until Boss Karen caused a scene. Boss Karen would speak over me anytime I would try to explain that I was covering as much as I could, but as the saying goes, give them an inch and they will take a mile. There was no talking to Boss Karen so I decided to leave. My girlfriend was still in the store and told Boss Karen after I left that the way she handled it was very rude and unprofessional and that is when things seemed to have gone from bad to worse. I was the one who had upset Boss Karen but she took her anger out on someone else (who had her face fully covered since that is what determines if one should be treated like a human) and others in the store joined into the conversation practically ganging up on a person for defending another they care about. With much regret and sadness I will take Boss Karens offer and not shop at this thrift store anymore since there are many GCF stores and Trosa thrift stores that will gladly accept my money and treat me and anyone else with a sense of decency and respect.
This is not the place for me. Felt like it was mostly junk I’m not used items. Check out was a disaster. Was overcharged twice. They have two stores in the same plaza which was confusing when I first got there. Was very overwhelmed my entire experience.
Meant to put 5 stars for my favorite place in durham. I wish I could put 11.
Amazing place, great prices, great finds, things you cant get anywhere else, environmentally friendly, friendly people, beautiful art, anything you could ask for in a store like this. 11/10 love it!!
Lots of great stuff, super cheap! Well organized, pretty clean, and interesting. Wonderful for crafts, odds and ends, greeting cards, fabric, paper, school supplies. Fun place to take kids.
Spent wat to much money, but well worth it. Very friendly and helpful.
It is so much fun to visit the Scrap Exchange. It tickles the imagination just to walk through and see all the things available! I wish I had time to play with them all! From a practical standpoint, they have an excellent supply of office supplies that are rock bottom prices.
If you are a crafter of any sort this place is a must-do. ABSOLUTELY MUST! Imagine if every crafty person in the world cleaned out their stashes, but instead of having 10 million tiny yard sales they all sold everything in one place, but at the same low prices. And its good stuff too, some new some used, but no junk. Theres also finished pieces from local artists too. If you need inspiration you cant fail to find it here. And dont forget the people: staff and other shoppers tend to be creative types too, so if the stuff cant inspire you the people probably can.
Great place to find very unique items for creative projects. Metal, wood, glass, paper, cloth, and so much random stuff that always seems to be different each time I return. The scrap Exchange is loosely organized into areas that breeds ingenuity and creativity that has expanded my projects from cool to awesome.
The Scrap Exchange is unique and fascinating. If you are creative, curious, or have high-functioning hoarder tendencies, you should visit. There is a conventional thrift store (a quite good one with home goods, books, clothes, and furniture), but next door there is a whole building FILLED with low costs scrap materials. Mostly of the materials are art and creative supplies (paints, scrap wood, sewing materials, fabric scraps, leather, metal, etc) but also overstock medical supplies, garden and office equipment, and anything else that has been donated. Most items ar $0.25 - $2.00 or sold by the pound, but the occasional item can be $10 - $50
Neat place if you are into art and scrap booking or crafty.
Mane some great bargains, withe outstanding ideas, so pleased.
Take your time and look around! Lots of neat finds. First trip! Friendly staff.
Best place to get some good junk for arts and stuff. Great prices and the people are great.
Found what I was looking for. It has been a while since I was last there. Theyve kept sorting, labeling and organizing.
Such an amazing place! Friendly knowledgeable staff that make you feel welcome
This is the greatest place on Earth. You can find any assortment of art supplies and office supplies. There are all sorts of fun artistic classes that take place there. They get so much China that they sell for quarters. Every Black Friday you can go there and buy little things to smash on the cordoned off back porch.
Crafters dream! Making use of things that would ordinarily end up in the landfill. Great prices and huge selection. Plan to spent a few hours.
Everyone needs to come here at least once! You can find anything you’ll ever need. If you can’t find it here, try the thrift portion of The Scrap Exchange. Satisfy any needs you may have and certainly your curiosity by coming here. If you’re real cool, you’ll bring something to donate every time you visit. Keep Durham unique!
This place is a unique blend of thrift store, art project, sewing mecca. They recently opened a new wing with nothing but thrift items and they take donations. Plenty of parking! Go and spend a few hours just perusing and getting used to the place, its a fun place to go and find a hidden treasure! Great for odd and artsy folks to inspire their creative side.
Wow! Its good, its a nice maze, full of surprises. Odds and ends galore. Be surprised every 10 steps, wait, no. Every three steps! Loved the experience. Yes, one of the floorings is made of actual maps of the world! Enjoy your imagination.
Love this place. Always new stuff. The possibilities are endless here. Stuff you dont even know what it is but it will help with this project or another.
Had to drop from 5 to 2 stars. Hopefully things improve. I used to go once a week with my daughter. Over the last year, maybe two, it seems like a completely different place. I would not recommend it to friends now even though I used to praise it before.
What an awesome place , it was fun to go through and see what deals can be found. Great people and fair price. You need to go see for yourself
This is a great place for those of us who hoard craft supplies! Its also a great place for those of us who like funky garden structures. Or perhaps you like to collect test tubes and Bunsen burners. Collages made out of old photographs other people have thrown away? There is something here for everyone, I assure you. A great place to spend a morning or an afternoon. Spend a little money! Create something interesting!
Fun place!
This is a great place to go on a regular basis. There are always surprises.One building houses a scrap department that always has a wide variety of fabrics, leather scraps, yarn, string, thread, and so on. There are also wood scraps, containers of various kinds, paper, envelopes, nails, screws, tiles, bottles, bottle caps, three ring binders, laboratory glassware, and much much more. Today I got four large three-ring binders, never-before-used as far as I can tell, and payed $1 for all four.There is also another building that is a resale shop that has clothes, dishes knickknacks, books, kitchen tools, all the stuff you usually find in such places.They accept donations so it is also a good place to take stuff you need to get rid of, but which is not really trash.
The Scrap Exchange is a great resource for arts and crafts and an excellent venue for recycling unused and antique gadgets and knickknacks. Their do-it-yourself workshops are wonderful for stimulating the imagination of kids, and undervalued as occupational therapy.Stop by just ONCE, and youll see why. Bring your imagination, nostalgia and creativity!
Anything you can think of, theyve got it second hand. Ultimate in upcycling, they are an amazing source of materials for the creation of diverse projects. Nice folx, too. Excellent prices.
The store is magnificent! I could have spent the whole day shopping. Theh have sales based on the color tags on the merchandise. I bought fabric, buttons, lace, doilies, vintage ephemera, sheet music, post cards etc.. the people are very helpful. The store is well organized and everything is labeled. I will return and bring my friends.
This is the most amazing place in Durham. Especially for artists, creators, home projects, kids with school projects.You can find almost anything you want here. The staff are kickass and will help you find things and offer suggestions for your project if wanted.
An amazing place. Every city should have a Scrap Exchange. As a set designer, costume designer, Halloween costume-maker, and all-around thrift queen, the scrap exchange has blessed me with its treasures countless times.
Great place. Theres 2 building and the smaller building has tons of crafty items. I just got into beading and found have some awesome items for creating bracelets and necklaces for kids and adults. The entire bead section was redone so now its even easier to find stuff. As much as I want to keep these items a secret for myself, I believe in the good of thrift stores and the services they provide for the community. So, heres the punchline: Ive found GOLD here!!! Love this place.
The best thriftstore within a 2 hour radius. We travel 90 minutes to search through craft material, books, DVDs, records and more!
Great place to go for that unusual something that you didnt know you needed. Now divided into 2 stores side by side...one a thrift shop with assorted household gadgets and thingamabobs, the other full of various scrap items that stir the imagination. Need a knitting needle or2.?.they have it.need a gently used soccertrophy, ? Yep, that too...Need a glass dome with radiation warning symbol on it? By golly they had that too , on a recent foray. Remember, with an open mind, anything is possible!!
Clean, variety of products, organized with no clutter. Of course great prices.
Everyone in my family loves the scrap exchange. From cheap fabrics to random manufacturing waste material. We always love to go in and just see what’s there. We almost always find something interesting to purchase. They’ve also got the thrift store across the parking lot now, which has clothing, home goods, and other typical thrift store items and great prices. And all the proceeds go to their great local artists projects.
As a visitor to Durham my daughter took me to both the scrap exchange resale and the next door art supply. What a treat, the resale had a lot of nice finds and we didnt see it all due to closing time. The art supply was completely overwhelming. I dont think theres a word in the English language to accurately describe it. If a former scientist became a scrapper, never threw out anything, and had a eye for neat used stuff this would be his paradise.
Aaaaaand HEAVEN! Its truly a place where if you think about it, you can bring it about. Theres so much to see...and as one room was being used as a party room, we didnt even see some of the store!! I cant WAIT to go back!!!❤
Very well organized and they have everything you could need at affordable prices
This place is like no other. Its part thrift store, part art supply store, part miscellaneous things you didnt know you needed store. I go here every few months to get supplies for various art projects I am doing - they have a great second hand fabric section and lots of scrapbooking supplies. They also have scientific beakers, particle board, wood scraps, yarn, kids craft supplies, and so on. You can walk out with two bags of stuff for less than $10 and it contains enough to keep you busy for days! In addition, they have an actual thrift store next door that has clothes, books, furniture, and other household items.
So much interesting stuff to look at. I found many items that were great prices. Staff was very helpful.
This place is an artist’s dream. But also a mom’s dream as kids love to play with anything and everything. It’s good to go with a project in mind because you’ll be overwhelmed otherwise, there’s quite literally a little bit of everything. Fabric scraps, stickers, foam, hats and luggage, awards, coffee bean sacks, buttons, patterns, I could go on forever. Great place to start dabbling in art since everything is so cheap!
For crafters on any level, I think this is a great place. We had our first experience today. Sure, its overwhelming. Theres lots to choose from and lots to find. Its a great place that you can spend hours in looking at all the nostalgic items and then some. The employees are ace. One employee took the time to give us a full tour and the skinny as to how things work, because it is not intuitive for newbies. We did encounter some rude customers in the make it yourself area, so we left quickly. We were told there were no groups, so we decided to sit at a table only to have a group of older women scold us and ask for items back. Because its not intuitive and we were told we could grab anything in that area, we did just that. Perhaps the employees can make things more clear for newbies to eliminate these sorts of situations? At least, newbies beware that this CAN happen. Other than that, this is a great place to be!
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