Between Long Beach City College and California State University, Long Beach sits Clark and Atherton Mercantile, a resale shop run by the nonprofit Christian Outreach in Action, known locally as COA. Unlike a typical thrift store, the mercantile leans into a curated, boutique-style presentation, mixing designer clothing and accessories with jewelry, books, and music alongside home decor, housewares, and small furniture pieces such as dressers and accent tables. One detail that regularly surprises first-time visitors is the shop’s rotating stock of live succulents planted in unique repurposed containers, a small but distinctive touch that sets it apart from the used-goods stores nearby.
Every dollar spent at the register supports COA’s broader mission of providing community services to people in need across Long Beach, which makes a visit function as both a shopping trip and a direct act of local support. The nonprofit accepts donations of gently used clothing, home goods, vintage items, collectibles, jewelry, and art, though it steers clear of electronics, large appliances, and bulky furniture that would be difficult to resell through a storefront of this size. That donation policy keeps the sales floor focused on items that move quickly and photograph well, which helps explain why the shop has built a reputation as one of the better thrift and resale destinations in Long Beach, with five star customer ratings reflecting steady community goodwill.
The mercantile is staffed largely by volunteers, who commit to three-hour shifts covering customer service, sorting freshly donated merchandise, and general store upkeep. That volunteer backbone is fairly typical of small nonprofit resale operations, but it also means the sales floor benefits from people who genuinely care about presentation rather than simply moving inventory, and shoppers often comment on how organized and welcoming the space feels compared to larger secondhand chains. Anyone interested in donating time rather than goods can reach out directly to inquire about open volunteer slots.
Located at 1772 Clark Avenue in Long Beach, the store sits in a college-adjacent stretch of the city, drawing a mix of students hunting for affordable furniture and decor for a first apartment alongside neighborhood regulars who stop by regularly to see what has just come in. The shop is open daily, with hours running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, a schedule generous enough to accommodate both weekday errands and weekend browsing. Reaching the store directly by phone at 562-342-6487 is straightforward for anyone with questions about current inventory or donation drop-off.
Clark and Atherton Mercantile stands out among Long Beach thrift and resale shops for pairing genuinely well-curated secondhand goods, from designer accessories to small furniture and even living succulents, with a nonprofit mission that channels every purchase back into direct community services for the college-adjacent Long Beach neighborhood it calls home.
