Mother of Junk

I absolutely love this place and stop in weekly to see what’s new. Some absolutely thrilling finds. Every interaction I’ve had with the folks who work there has been wonderful. Tom is especially great and always plays killer music!

This place has a lot interesting, old, unique, used items. But price is very high though. And workers there very rude, unbelievable low level of customer service.

Would give -10 stars if I could. Mother of Junk is a plague on Williamsburg and Brooklyn as a whole. Went in there with my friend on a Sunday afternoon and while we are the kinds of people who speak loudly and laugh a lot, we were completely respectful the whole time. Making sure we didn't bump into anything, put everything back where we found it, genuinely found interest in the items we were looking at. We even made friends with a couple walking around and joked around with them as we bumped into each other throughout our visit. As we neared the front of the store and was about to check out, (items in hand!) the RUDEST, CRANKEST, clearly LONLIEST woman ever behind the counter told us we needed to be quiet as we were distrubing others. I turned around and apologized as I didn't even realize and I know I have a tendancy to let my volume rise. Before I could even fully turn back around, she told us we were still being too loud and had to leave. When my friend questioned it, she told us we "needed to come back when we were a bit more sober". I literally had work after this and had not had even a smidge of any sort of substance. She claimed we "reaked of alcohol" and she could smell it as soon as we walked in. When we tried to explain and told her it was rude to make these assumptions, she told us she had received multiple complaints from other customers and that we had to leave. Clearly this was a lie as not a single person had purchased anything since the prices are ridiculous and arbitrary and from these other reviews, she clearly doesn't treat other customers very nicely either. After a small back and forth due to confusion on our end, we decided to leave anyway, putting back anything we were ready to buy. And since we such "drunken degenerates" we also held the door open for a beautiful family walking in as we left. Safe to say I will not be coming back, sober or not.

This place has a fantastic assortment of antique odds and ends, at a great price and a really nice welcoming staff! It’s also right by the L train so very easy to access. I’ve been going here for years and yea still awesome. Thank you mother of junk!

Zero stars. Calling this the worst customer service experience of my entire life isn't hyperbole—it's a factual statement. The woman running this store is genuinely one of the most vile, disgusting human beings I have ever encountered. She'll stay in business because she has inventory people need, but make no mistake: every dollar you spend here supports someone who should be ashamed to show her face in public. I left physically shaking from how she treated me. A full day later, I'm still disturbed that someone this cruel and nasty exists. Do not give this woman your money. She doesn't deserve to be in business. And here's the real kicker: she's a thief. She deliberately overcharges customers, and if you dare question her, she'll refuse to sell to you at the correct price out of pure spite. She stole $30 from me—I only caught it after I'd already left. This isn't just bad service, it's fraud. Someone needs to report her to the police because she's literally robbing people.

Have you ever lost a scrabble piece? Instead of buying a whole new board game, come here for 25 cent scrabble pieces. They also have some really cool pieces of furniture, kitchenware. Yeah the lady in the front might not be the nicest but if you were working here, you probably would go a little bit cray.

What a find! We were lucky enough to stumble upon this antique/thrift store while on our way to dinner. We were just in town for a visit but man, what a find this store is for someone looking to for charming furniture and unique pieces to add to their home. They had out some Christmas decor so we snagged this little Santa as a souvenir and will cherish him during the holidays for years to come. Great prices and a good selection. Definitely worth a visit.

This store has a great selection of items, but the staff is extremely rude. I was looking at a clothing rack and asked for the price. The woman at the front desk told me to put it down on the floor, which confused me because I was still deciding. She then said to my face, “Why do you look confused? Do you have a hard time understanding people?” The interaction was unnecessarily disrespectful and really soured the shopping experience.

I am unfortunately glad to see after reading a few reviews that I am not the only one that has faced the wrath of the woman at this store. I would give this place 1 star, but i do love this store and have found some really great pieces. However, she treats customers like they're all shttng up and down the aisles. Even the time I went to the counter with a huge bag of items totally over $100 she was still rolling her eyes at me and insisted on checking my pockets. After she found absolutely nothing, she yelled across the whole store about stealing and made it look like she "caught" me. Not that I care what other people think but wtf ..... Anyways i still recommend attempting to take a stroll on a weekday, just beware of the witch!

My experience here was so profoundly negative that I felt I had to warn others. While in the store, I took out my film camera to take a picture. Before I took any shot, an employee - a partially bald, older looking guy - very loudly expressed he did not want to be in any photos and asked me to delete any photos I had taken. OK, that's all fine and good. I put the camera away immediately since the last thing I want to do is violate any workplace policies or make employees feel uncomfortable. No harm, no foul - right? Well, apparently not. Even after I had put the camera away, the same employee kept on ranting about how people "like me" were always "ruining the experience" for other people. He repeated variations of the same statement very loudly (the entire store could hear) and with profanity for the next few minutes until the environment felt actively hostile; at that point I felt it was best to cut my visit short and leave immediately. Over the many trips I've taken to NYC, my customer service interaction with whichever employee was working the night of Sunday, May 26th stands out as the worst by leaps and bounds, maybe the worst in my entire life. Fellow shoppers, do yourself a favor and avoid this storefront at all costs. You can find other places where the employees will treat you with the respect you deserve. Instead of patronizing this business, I'd recommend checking out Yesterday's News (also in Brooklyn off the G Subway line). To the owner/whichever employee was working and felt the need to take out their pent-up anger on me: I understand I may have missed signage about taking photos, and by no means had any intention of violating that policy. Giving me a reminder about the rule was fine and good, but being so rude about it to the point you drive customers like me to A) leave your store altogether instead of purchasing anything & B) warn others about your horrid customer service etiquette online, is probably not a good long-term business strategy. I understand feeling frustrated, but maybe enroll in an anger management class instead of lashing out at customers? Just a thought. I sincerely hope you do better by your customers in the future. I would give zero stars if that was possible.

This store has the rudest staff I have ever experienced in Williamsburg - they called me a c*nt for bringing a stroller in and basically told us to "go home tourist" because we have New Zealand accents. I would strongly advise any parent , tourist, person not originally from New York, person from New York, person of color to not give this store your custom. Dave (12 years living in NY)

Horrible people in there. Lots of yelling at customers. Old woman behind the counter seemed like she wanted to pick a fight with anyone. Can't believe how rude they are. Saw 3 incidents of the owners yelling at customers or being extremely rude within 10 minutes of being in the store. Left after. Don't support them, they really don't deserve it.

Mama Fratelli from the Goonies got out of jail, moved to Williamsburg with one of her sons, and opened Mother of Junk. I was looking at something in one of the cabinets here and the owner lady came up to me and rudely said "stop blocking the aisles!" Lady, the entire store is aisles, where should I even be standing? I'm reminded of the vintage store in Haight Ashbury SF called Decades of Fashion, which also has a nasty woman guarding all of her junk and a People Hater like Mother. Both places are museums full of junk that are closely guarded as if everything's gold. I feel like they'd either be best friends or mortal enemies. Half the store is piles of nothing and has a dusty handwritten note that says "DO NOT TOUCH!!!" on it. Also there's very strange, foreboding, and sinister collage art around the store. A lot of it mentions killing and violence. A very dark sided experience here for sure.

After reading all the comments, I realize I am not the only victim. My friend and I went to the counter to pay for a painting, the two price tags on the frame said one price and the woman owner insisted a higher price and said we can't read and are stupid. She yelled at us and literally said "get out!" Ruined our day :(

The owner yelled at my boyfriend for taking a picture. Everything is overpriced and literally junk.

Niche collections of beautiful silverware, frames, candelabras, mirrors, b&w photos, China, rugs & more! I've come here to find pairs of drawer handles & vintage glass bottles for aftershaves. Small spaces to walk around but that's to be expected with all the great stuff they've been able to find. Some of the customers are super rude & I've seen the workers handle it with so much patience come here all the time. Great prices.

Yea you really have to want something here. The owner kills the whole experience for you. I wanted a piece of art that was originally from Art.com mind you. Not old. Not valuable. But I liked it. The back said the original owners paid $70. When she told me $50 I was taken aback because there are older/ nicer pieces for $50. So clearly your pricing is off. Also the frame was beat to tell. I mentioned that the original price was only $70... so clearly shouldn't be $50 at 'Mother of Junk' and she gawks through her angry jowls, 'do you want to pay $70?! My fiancé had about $1500 worth of buys that we put down. She's nasty and not worth buying experience.

Visited Brooklyn Junk yesterday with my neice, who was frankly scared to talk to the woman behind the checkout table. Tons of junk to shift through, cheap prices if you're looking for some old dishes, but nothing special at all. But if you want to actually touch anything, you WILL get yelled at. And don't dare take a photo of anything, not even that $2.99 chinet plate you're thinking about buying. You'll get in trouble. You'll do much better at your local Good Will or Savers, and you won't suffer the wrath of the people who work here.

Just got some great records in here. Customer service I received from a gentleman was also great. Had a brief convo on some of the artists and their records I purchased. Always appreciate a good sample/ origin convo. Thank you for the good vibes

Way too overpriced for really dirty/unkept items. Worst part are the employees. Waited in line for 20 minutes, only to be told I couldn't buy the items I selected because someone changed the price tags? I said "I guess I'll just go then" and the woman scoffed "Good idea." As if I had something to do with the price, even though I said I'd pay whatever they were. Not sure if this was racially motivated, but I've heard other stories of her being racist. Overall really rude, and day-ruining. This place shouldn't be open. Also, the man who worked there was arguing with a woman about how gay men (him) can't be misogynistic because I believe she was accusing him of misogyny? Idk, just the worst energy in there. Don't support this business please.

the woman owner enjoys yelling at customers (like actually I think she gets off on it) or it's her sole purpose in life to make people feel a slight glimpse of how miserable she is. don't even give her the satisfaction of trying to purchase something because she will make up a BS price and then yank it from your hands. she does this to everyone so don't feel too bad when it happens to you :)

I love this place. It's filled with treasures. You need time and patience to look through everything. The owner is a bit abrasive but who cares. That's all part of the experience!

Stumbled upon this place by accident and found so many cool things! I would've bought a lot more if I wasn't catching a train and had a better way to transport everything. I noticed all the one star reviews are talking about a mean old lady that works there- luckily she wasn't there when I had gone so I don't want to invalidate those reviews. Hopefully they fired her or shipped her to a nursing home or something. I'd love to come back eventually with more time. The two men working there were very nice.

Would give zero stars if I could. Received absolutely appalling treatment here. Male shopkeeper actually shouted at me, so mean and nasty. Like he legit tried to intimidate/scare me. Female shoppers don't come here alone it is not safe

Tdlr: very overpriced and not worth being insulted for existing. The owner could use some liberal amounts of common sense, decency and manners. I heard her insulting customers in general the entire time I was perusing the store. Then told me to "get out the way so people can work".... cause I had paused in front of some items i was told werent priced yet. I had stood there like 3 seconds maybe and she also had the gall to be like you can move or be difficult elsewhere....after i had already moved? I asserted the worker didnt actually say i was even in his way and shes like isnt it implied when he said "they werent priced".... no? I thought he meant they werent for sale? And yeah her tone was ruuudddeee af Go a browse then buy on ebay or other nicer people

I will never come back here. The selection was fine, way overpriced. But the final straw? A cashier who was the grumpiest and most disrespectful employee. She yelled at us for unloading the 10 plates we tried to buy, and as we were waiting for them to be wrapped was loudly mocking us for our purchases to people who came later in line. Saying "that old bitch picking her items" and making fun of the choices made. The man who did the wrapping was lovely, positive, upbeat and incredibly helpful, we would hire him in a heartbeat at any retail location, but the woman ruined this entire experience. Won't give our patronage again because of it.

The old lady who works at the counter genuinely has anger management issues and LOVES yelling at people for no reason. I accidentally missed the crumpled piece of paper with a "do not touch" sign and picked up a lemonade pitcher, and the lady yelled, "Are there enough do not touch signs out for you?" I was the second person she yelled at within just the 5 minutes I was in the store. She's giving wicked witch for sure lol

Best place ever. So much junk. Such great and unique finds. 10/10. Such fun trinkets and old magazines and thousands of gorgeous framed artworks and rugs and chairs etc!!

Yo. There is no reason to be this rude. The prices are outrageous, and the owner is downright nasty. I went in looking for an item and got an eye roll and a curt response. There are some seriously cool items in here but in short condition and those prices! Find it on eBay and even with shipping it will be less expensive. It is inconceivable that this place exists. Williamsburg is home to a lot of hipsters with inflated sense of importance but this woman is beyond the pale. Will not go back.

I shop here often. I know the rules. Never touch anything in the boxes that have a makeshift sign that says "no" written on it. The old lady that owns it (that use to be in the Yelp review picture for this business that was flipping off the camera) ripped something out of my hands once and said "don't touch that it's not for sale" even though I got it from an area that wasn't roped off. Today I went in bought a couple things and saw a statue, knowing it wasn't for sale just asked if she could turn it around and she said "no, it's not for sale". I told her I just wanted to see if it was like the one we had growing up, she responded saying,"probably they made a million of them". I went on to buy something else and was about to give her exact change and she snapped at me saying she already brought out the change. I know what to expect when I shop there, but I'll be dammed if I don't feel dirty or bad about myself letting this person talk to me like that. I know she's set in her ways, so that's why I never waste my time snapping back at her, but it takes me a few stops on the subway to shake it off. I think the fact I work in customer service makes it sting more. The rest of the staff is perfectly nice though.

If you shop here, check your receipt before leaving! I like shopping here for vintage plates and pictures but I'm disappointed today when I saw on my receipt after purchasing that she charged me for more items than I purchased. I got 4 bowls and she charged me for 6 and I got 6 buttons and she charged me for 10. The last time I was there, I caught her trying to charge me for extra items but I assumed it was a mistake. Given the amount of bad reviews, I know she will be bitter if I go back to say anything and it won't be resolved. Cutting my losses this time but just warning people that if you shop at Junk, make sure to check your receipt and the items you purchase.

The owner is a disgusting woman. She accused me of changing the price on an item because there were two price tags One that she could read and one she couldn't. But they were the same price. So she's an idiot. And told me not to come back.

The place to go to get things you didn't know you needed. 100% would go back! I got a bunch if old film strips.

I'm just astonished that the owner hasn't changed her deeply grumpy tune after 10 years. Tbh I can't believe the place is still open after 10 years. At least she's stopped responding to Yelp reviews.

This place truly deserves its 1.5 star review and possibly less. Not only is the owner cruel and unusual but the staff matches her tone to incredible degree. It was -6 degrees outside and I felt more warmly received on the street by total strangers than in the store. Speaking of the staff, the only thing more truly detestable than this worker's utterly disgusting crusty gel filled hair, is his atrocious attitude. This man acts like he has legos in his shoes and is constantly stomping on them. STAY AWAY.

Maaaybe the owner is actually a raging hoarder and the reason she downright hates her customers because she doesn't want anyone to take away any of her junk? Seriously I was totally shocked by her rudeness, with no provocation at all. I feel better after reading other's comments here, knowing she didn't direct all that venomous vitriol at me alone. I don't think I will be back to Mother of Junk, even though I love this kind of shop: full to bursting and you must do some digging but can find some real treasures. Is it worth it though if the shop owner is so rude she nearly ruins your day?

Walked in around 10 past when the shop opened and said hello to the clerk behind the cash register and wished her a happy friday. Came in looking for something specific and so I asked a couple questions and she was nothing but snappy and rude accusing me to putting things in my bag. I explained what I was looking for an she's continued to give me attitude after I kindly offered to show her to contents of my bag. Can't blame her though, i'd be mad too if I was as ancient as her and still couldn't figure out how to properly groom my beard. #Tamethatmane

She followed us around the store and yelled at us for just setting down a picture for a minute to look at something else. Yelled at a man for taking a photo of a basket and said "no photos". What did we do wrong lol

Ok I'm screaming!!!! XD I witnessed a kind of upsetting experience at this establishment today. It didn't involve me tho so I was mindin my own business. *sips tea* It was involving the white, female store owner (?) and a black man. He was TEARING into her calling her racist and all other sorts of things. Childdd I didn't hear what happened before that but she was screaming back at him, calling him expletives, tried to say HE was racist (lol), called the cops (smh) after he had left, and then complained that they weren't there quick enough. By the time they did show up, she began tearily explaining to them what had happened (she didn't even say anything to him apparently...............). All of this IN FRONT OF CUSTOMERS. God bless the guy that worked there with her. He sure tried to deescalate but she was on one. I was uncomfortable. AND THEN WHAT IS THE FIRST THING I SEE WHEN I COME HERE TO LEAVE MY REVIEW? A picture of her flipping off a customer????? Ma'am. This is not a place for professionals okay. Overall, the selection is cool but I wouldn't say "nice". It's very expensive for a bunch of literal junk.

I'm a big fan of Salvage places, Thrift Stores- even Salvation Army. And places like these have so much to offer, it was freaking unbelievable. Junk is right up there too- with lots of it!!! But that's my personal excitement. While the footprint here is massive, aisles are super narrow. We didn't even know where to start because at Junk, you don't know how to and everything is tightly stacked. But from what I noticed, Junk's layout is by category: they have random wooden boxes (which we got a few) of all sizes in one nook, or you find an odd assortment of Skeleton Keys in a bin...the list goes on Since we remodeled our Bath at the time, wanted a vintagey wall clock (yes...I do have a wall clock in my Bath- doesn't anybody?)- but ended using it in my Living Room instead. I thought I might try my luck and haggle but that's a no-go here. At any rate, my old and super greasy (we were told it came from a restaurant) wall clock came at $10 and a keeper. Got some Goo Gone at home and cleaned that sucker real good. Reviews mention "the rude lady"- and honestly, we didn't come across that. In fact the guy who helped me with my clock, climbed and squeezed his skinny self to get it. So Thank You! Or the guy at the register who said they don't haggle- I took it in, thanked him, paid and kept it moving. But I agree... prices for the crap here is a bit much- but they're also unique. And of course- stuff here, is dusty- but that's all part of the game (sometimes?). If this is your shit, you wouldn't even mind the fact that you need to walk sideways to get from point A to point B, or that you probably have to hover a bit if you wanna see something that may not be in your direct view. Place is seriously huge with tons of treasures and you'll definitely come out of here with something.

Not sure why this place has such poor reviews. It's basically a giant warehouse filled with "junk". Or just used stuff from the ages. Not a very experienced thrifter myself or anything but I think it's worth it to sort of just head out to Williamsburg and spend some time sifting through all of the junk that is available here. I think it can be a little bit intimidating if you're not ready but definitely helpful for inspiration, a bit of nostalgia and if you just want to experience a different "energy"

Honestly I love digging through old stuff, dusty stuff, rusty stuff. This place is prime for that - I get lost in here every time I visit, but I always leave with one thing I'll hold value on for years to come. Last time it was a plate. If you're looking for picture frames and paintings/pictures, look no further because the top floor of this place probably has over 4 tons of photos and paintings (probably...it feels neverending). This place has a grungy out of the way feel that feels foreign in NYC. It's harder and harder to find secret spaces and back alleys to enjoy. While the shopkeeper is a little judgemental, I thoroughly expect to be reprimanded as part of the "ye olde thrifting owner" personality. Enjoy it and don't be intimidated - if you find someones junk as your treasure, even better. It's been about a year since I last visited but every time I go, I'm glad I did. I feel like this place would be great for props for movies/TV shows - maybe it has been used for that already but just a thought.

The workers are so rude to you in here it's almost appalling and doesn't make some of their treasures even worth searching for!

Don't go anywhere near this store unless you like abuse. You can barely walk in this place and the lady started screaming at us to move as they brought in furniture. It is so packed with crap that there was no place to move. She was hateful, disrespectful and downright abusive. There's no reason to treat customers like this. Don't spend your money here. They don't deserve your business. Terrible humans.

Not worth it at all. Finds are minimal and staff is insane. If you're reading through these bad reviews thinking "oh who cares about a psychotic owner, I'm going to go for the stuff", save yourself the trouble. I'm not saying it's impossible to hit a gold mine here but other places in the area have a much better selection.

While this store has a great variety of junk, knickknacks, and dish ware, the female older woman working there is horrible, rude, and not pleasant. I was shouted at, insulted, and treated like dirt. Asking her a question is offensive in her eyes, as she snapped back at not only me but my friend too. She ruined my experience. I won't come back all because of her. Shame on you. If you want more business, hire new staff

Shattered glass everywhere, terribly rude staff, definitely a fire hazard, way over priced. A guy working there was standing in the doorway, made firm eye contact with me as I left, and farted loudly at that moment. Gross.

I thought everyone was exaggerating about the owner however she is APPALLING. Screaming at customers for just existing and it was so off putting we ended up just leaving.

Ugh, I love this store and have had such great experiences in here in the past with the funny middle aged guy who works here. But I just got literally berated by the older woman at the counter for touching something on a shelf. She accused me of "doing this on purpose" and then told me to leave. It honestly caught me so off guard I didn't even know how to react. I'm still shaken from the experience of being repeatedly yelled at in a store for no reason. I can only conclude that that woman must be mentally unwell or have something else going on in her life that's taking a toll on her stress levels and perception of others. The level of vitriol, aggression and antagonism just does not make sense otherwise. Really really sad and upsetting.

Some cool things. Ya gotta dig, but definitely worth the effort. I was focused on getting a small painting or print to add to a gallery wall. Lots of horrible water stained garbage (not "junk"). That said, I found a wonderful little vintage picture for $20. The guy working there was stressed out and extremely nasty, snapping I had to get out of the way so he could set up the outside and snapping at my husband to move out of the way etc et

Owner asks employee to bring her a gun!! I went here because I heard they had a great selection of picture frames and they do, they have hundreds of frames which is great! What's not great is the woman who checks you out. She was older, like maybe in her 60's. I asked if they negotiate prices because their frames are like $40 and that's a bit steep for old frames that need work. She said no and I asked even if I bought in bulk would you negotiate and on this request she got very agitated and told me she wasn't dealing with this shit today and started to put my frames I had collected back as if she wasn't going to sell to me. I told her I understood and asked if she really wasn't going to sell to me and she said I don't want to but I will. I spoke no other words to her as she was calculating the total. A guy who was also working there asked her if she needed anything during my checkout process and she responded with "A GUN". Needless to say, stay away!

Horrible owner accused us of trying to change a price tag. She was rude and quick to make assumptions about her customers just because we were talking in Spanish. Don't even bother with this store!!

Cool stuff but I am Never shopping here again. The owner is so rude it is unbelievable! Even if you glance at her she gives you a dirty look! I was buying something (store wasn't busy) and i wanted to pay with cash, i was counting the money to give to her and she barks "can't you use a card?"!!!!! Before that I kindly asked hi, which vase do you like better"? Her- I Don't care. Nasty business owner. Beyond nasty. Everyone should boycott this store.

RACIST owner. I was talking on the phone to my father and she kept giving me dirty looks. EXCUSE ME if I want to buy my non-English-speaking Dad a housewarming gift.

do not come here. repeat, do not come here. no direct experience with the lady owner but the guy that works here with the with the buzz cut that looks like Irene from Me, Myself and Irene literally follows people around and watches them just to yell at them. screaming from the clear other side of the store, "no photos!" he asked if i could go "look somewhere else" because he was "moving things." not my fault this store is a mess and unorganized. preserve your sanity and go somewhere else!

Like many other reviews have mentioned, the woman who runs the register was shockingly nasty and belittling to my friend when he was trying to put an item back. Based on many other reviews, it seems this is a pattern of behavior - don't shop here!!!!!!

Always enjoy the fun find here! I could spend hours digging around. I've always been helped by the staff if I need my items wrapped or even carried to the door.

I wish I could give this less than one star. I have never been so rudely spoken to in my life by the owner, Ellen. She told me and my partner to "get the fuck out" after grabbing an item out of my hands. My partner was showing me a tiny plastic chair-- she grabbed it out of my hand, told me to not touch anything on the table. It was an honest mistake! I said "oh ok, I'm sorry, I didn't know!" And she responded with a condescending tone, "well now you know" with a shit eating grin on her face. My partner came to my defense saying "well that was a great way to handle that" and then she told us, "there's the door" and to "get the fuck out"!!! Lol like what!!! I hope no one ever goes to this store and never has to deal with this horrible miserable cruel woman who went from 0 to 100 for virtually no reason??? Ellen if you're reading this, i will make it my gospel to tell everyone to stay the fuck away from you. Have a terrible life! :)