How to Donate to Metro Thrift Store

Donation guidelines

Donations to the store are tax deductible.Metro Thrift Store appreciates the good will and generousity of our donors but ask you to read the guidelines posted here before bringing your items. We are forced to haul items that do not sell to the dump, which is costly and wasteful, and therefore reduces funding of HIV/AIDS services and programs. A good rule of thumb when donating your used items is to ask yourself, “Would I give this to a friend or family member?”

Donation items we accept

Clothing — New or gently used clothing (Men, Women, Children), accessories and shoes are welcomed. Please – no clothing that needs to be cleaned, repaired or is stained. Clothing without size tags is especially hard to sell. It would be very helpful to put sizes on the things you donate.
Furniture — Used furniture with resale value shape, tables, computer desks, bookcases, chairs, some upholstered items (if clean and intact). Vintage or unique items are happily accepted. Please no sofa beds, furniture in need of repair, no pressboard or rickety items. Remember, if we can’t sell it, we have to throw it away and trash disposal is a very high cost for the store.
Electronics — Televisions (especially with their remotes), DVD players and VCRs less than 8 years old are great donations if they are in good working order. Some newer microwaves, boom boxes, and other every day electronics are OK but remember, we can’t repair things. We have no luck in selling them!
Collectibles — we have a good eBay business and appreciate unusual items that have a rarefied market. Examples include rare china, WWII memorabilia, rare coins and stamps, porcelain, professional electronic equipment, high end cameras, and many more.
Sheets and towels — New or nearly new and clean.
Housewares — Dishes, silverware, utensils, etc. (no chips or rusting items).
Office and art supplies — new, gently used and reusable items only please.
Small kitchen appliances — still in good working order only.
Toys — only if they are complete, in their original box and in working order. Please. Vintage toys in good shape would be very welcomed.
Books and stationery — in decent shape, no tears or ripped pages, please.
Other items include jewelry and accessories, costumes, art, mirrors, seasonal decorations, bicycles, CDs, videos, DVDs, household items, home decor and lamps, luggage and baskets, and sporting goods.

Call us if you have a special item! It’s tough to list every single item, but anything that may sell easily is an item of interest.

A word about unacceptable donations

Our space is limited. Please understand that while we appreciate that you are thinking of us, we just can’t take everything. We are forced to haul items that don’t sell to the dump, which is costly and wasteful, and takes away funds for HIV/AIDS services.

Items that are broken, damaged, dirty, odorous, stained, torn, wet, moldy, rusty or frayed do not sell.
Items that have spent numerous seasons exposed to pet hair or the elements do not sell.
Items that have survived a month of garage sales do not sell.

Tax receipt

We offer a tax receipt to donors only at the time of donation. A donor must provide a name and a list of the donated items with a fair market value. Donors are responsible to assign the fair market value of any donated item. Only one receipt will be offered per donor present. One copy goes to the donor and one copy is for our records. Please hold onto your receipts as we are unable to duplicate them if lost or misplaced.

Donation drop-offs

Please drop-off your “gently used” furniture, housewares, domestics and clothing at our store. Before dropping off your donation, please read our donation guidelines above to ensure your items are sellable. We appreciate your generosity and goodwill; however, disposal of any item we can not sell costs us money.

Metro Thrift Store
2235 Central Ave.
St. Petersburg, FL 33713
727-321-7212

Donation drop-off hours
Tuesday through Saturday
10 am — 6 pm

Donation pick-ups

Please call 727-321-7212 Tuesday through Saturday, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in advance to schedule the date and time of pick up.

Metro Thrift Store offers a pick up service of furniture on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings (typically 8 a.m. to Noon). Before we pick up your donation, check with your neighbors to see if they have unwanted items they would like to donate. The more donations to pick-up in one general neighborhood, the better!

To prepare for donations pick-up:

Please have the merchandise boxed or bagged and ready to be removed.
If arrangements are made for pick-up during your absence, please have the merchandise labeled for Metro Thrift Store.

Certain pick-up conditions apply. For example, is the resale value of the items donated greater than the cost of the pick-up? Does the item require more store space than is available? Again, we appreciate your generosity; however, we are commited to raising revenue for HIV/AIDS services and programs.

Business in-kind gifts

Metro Thrift Store welcomes alliances with furniture and other manufacturers, distributors, liquidators, retailers and other logical in-kind donors.

Do you have overstocks, returns or cosmetically damaged goods? There are great tax advantages to your business for making a gift of these to Metro Thrift Store.

For more information about your business donating merchandise as in-kind gifts, please contact Lorraine Langlois, Executive Director of Metro Wellness and Community Centers by calling 727-321-3854 extension 215 or emailing MCASKOP@aol.com.

Community donation drives

Metro Thrift Store welcomes alliances with businesses, schools, churches, service clubs and civic organizations to promote, and follow up on clothing and household goods collection drives.

The goods requested can be normal inventory needed in the store. Other goods may be requested to meet identified needs of merchandise not presently available in the store, and may be requested to be new or used, or both.

To become a community partner, please contact Daniel Lozano by calling 727-321-3854 or emailing info@metrotampabay.org.