Jean C.
Yelp
I grew up in the resale business and I know a good shop when I see one. This is a Good Shop, even a great one, tucked into a corner of a tiny strip mall on Harlem Ave. You couldn't imagine the sheer amount of stuff jammed into the place, and even if you could, you couldn't imagine that it would all be clean and neat and really well organized. Frankly, I'm in awe of the women who own this place because they must work around the clock to keep it looking the way it does.
I went originally because it was said they had the best collection of costume jewelry in the city, and I'm guessing that's the truth. It is, as I indicated, extremely well organized so it's pretty simple to find exactly the sort of stuff you're looking for, and yet, there's so darn much of it, you still get the thrill of the hunt. I spent quite a while over the drawers filled with pins, earrings and bracelets and only began to scratch the surface. I only had time to glance around at the vintage and antique clothing, housewares, toys and god-only-knows-what that fills this place from floor to ceiling. The aisles are narrow and the place was filled with people, so there was a lot of waiting patiently, shifting and excusing ourselves as we crept about.
I had hoped to find a resource for cheap mismatched and broken jewelry, and they do have jars filled with this invaluable resource, but I found them a little over-priced based on what I've paid in the past. Still, I got two large jars for $18 each ($18 seems to be the seekrit price of most everything in the store.) and once I got them home I found that the owners had made a real effort to balance the crap with some good pieces. I was not disappointed even if I'd have preferred to pay less.
In general I'd say that their prices are about a third higher than I might ask under the same circumstances, but again I think that the prices reflect not just the merchandise but the work that's gone into cleaning and displaying it. As someone who has sorted through more than her share of boxes filled with what-not, I can tell you that while it's often a lot of fun, it's also a lot of work.
Any store that has a store pet is also okay by me, so when I met Harpo, a handsome, thoughtful looking fellow who was a whole lot more sedate than his name suggested, and who wore a jaunty bow tie and patrolled the aisles patiently, it made the experience all that much better.
So why only four stars? No reflection on the owners who are lovely, or on Harpo, who is as good an ambassador of vintage goodness as you can ask for. Rather I'd say it's the uncomfortable smallness of the space, the awful location with its difficult parking, and difficult exit from the lot during busy times, and yeah, the prices. Perhaps having come from a resale background this is a bigger deal to me than it is to most people, so take that objection for what it's worth. And I'll be honest, it didn't stop me from buying a bag filled with stuff. I just wish it'd been a bigger bag for what I spent. That said, I can also say that I'd go back there in a flash if I had the chance.
Nice place, nice people, nice stuff.
