Like other second-hand stores, you must be patient and be willing to fish through everything. You may not find you size right away but if you take the time to really look though things, you can have great finds!

Don't expect the sales personnel to do everything for you as they can't memorize an inventory that changes all the time.

I love to buy jeans there because they are worn and that's how I like it. I have also found funky 70's style coats.

I recommend the Wasteland for two kinds of people 1. those who like the "boho chic" sort of like the Olsen twins and will mix vintage with couture and 2. grunge/rock star styles.

Don't forget that when you buy sizes too big, they can still be taken in!...but keep this in mind when considering the budget.

This store is a must for every trip to Melrose!

The vintage items are better than the new things they try to sell (which are way overpriced and not as appealing). Great place to find cute boots (as you're own discretion of course).

Found a really high end designer bag for $35, and is definitely real. Bought it 2 years ago and it's still my favorite bag to use. Totally a diamond in the rough. Probably my best find.

It's really pure luck in what you find. Just be patient and don't expect to find what others have told you they've found. It IS a thrift store. GOOD LUCK!

It's a super good store and i always find amazing things but their methods of tagging items are careless. I bought two items that were in perfect condition (or so it seemed) until i got home and took the tags off. in the shirt their is a large hole in the back because for some reason they put 3 to 4 plastic things in the tag to connect it to the shirt. i worked in retail and one is more than enough. my shoes also had the snake skin pulled back and ruined in one spot because they did the same thing to them. it's a super bummer because these items came in in pristine condition. they don't even have a website to let them know that they are ruining wonderful vintage with their odd procedures. again, such a bummer, come on.

Always adding more items so the selection is great if you can get past the smell, location is good too...

I do believe that customer service is a big deal in the retail world, it helps with the overall shopping experience. Wasteland's (Melrose) customer service is terrible, for example, while waiting for a dressing room (by the way ALL the dressing rooms were empty and ready for customers) I was tortured to stand and wait through two employees conversation about how drunk they were the night before. I was completely ignored. Other unappealing aspects about shopping at Wasteland (Melrose) includes:

-Buyers who are not familiar with brands, $22 for a BCBG dress which retailed at $300?
$18 for Zanotti sandals that retailed at almost $400?

and everything was in great condition and from recent Spring and Summer seasons (I myself used to be a buyer for Buffalo Exchange, therefore I would NEVER sell anything in bad condition).

-Employees at this particular location are snobby and unapproachable. The Santa Monica location has a much better staff!

-The racks had very few items on them - - I understand it makes it more "shopabble", but less selection.

I will continue to shop at the Santa Monica Location.