This unique Fresno thrift store rarely takes donations. Here’s why

Most thrift stores rely on donations from locals to keep their shelves stocked. That isn’t the case with The Thrift Vault on Cedar Avenue at the corner of E Fir Ave.

Former real estate professional Brandon Bottoms opened the store in April. It features an array of wall art, accessories and clothing as well as harder-to-come-buy items including a surfboard in the display window and a Chanel purse in the back.

Bottoms began buying and selling items as a small child, trading baseball cards, hats and snacks for a few dollars. Even while working his day job in real estate as an adult, Bottoms enjoyed curating pre-loved items to sell to interested customers. He opened The Thrift Vault after leaving his 20-plus year career due to burnout, turning a lifelong hobby into his full-time job.

While Bottoms will occasionally accept items that other people bring to the store, he does not rely on donations to stock The Thrift Vault, instead sourcing and buying pre-loved inventory on his own.

Other secondhand stores are typically less selective about the items they accept. Bottoms’ philosophy is that less is more if he can maintain quality and distinctiveness.

“It’s very one-off,” he says of his inventory. “So when somebody comes in, it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s pretty cool.’ And once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

If he happens to be sourcing items at a yard sale, Bottoms goes for unique items that other buyers may not see as anything special at first.

“You’re going, you’re looking, and there’s just, like, a bunch of clothes, and all of a sudden, there’s just something that just has, a ton of color on it. I’ll grab that before I pick up anything ... I want to know what that is,” he said.

When people call the store and ask if they can bring donations, Bottoms clarifies to them that he prefers the word “contribution” to “donation.”

“You’re contributing to what I’m doing. You’re not donating your junk or your trash. You’re contributing to what I got going on, and it completely changes their mindset of what they bring,” Bottoms said. He believes that this leads people to drop off higher-quality items than they would otherwise.

The Thrift Vault presents itself as a showroom rather than a typical thrift store.

“Every item is hand-picked and every visit is a treasure hunt,” Bottoms said.