Uniqulee

Gentrification is so real. I just walked into the store and rather than being asked politely “hi, would you mind using some hand sanitizer?” I was just sort of like motion to the hand sanitizer, which is an interesting request. Since it’s an unusual ask I naturally paused. Then the white employee spoke to me like I couldn’t speak English simply saying “sanitizer.” What an interesting choice of Customer Service.

I had the pleasure of visiting Uniqulee in Chinatown last week, and as a tourist from Germany, I was absolutely charmed by this lovely vintage shop. The selection of unique products is truly special things we rarely come across in our everyday stores. The two young ladies who assisted me were incredibly polite and welcoming, making my experience even more memorable. They took such care in beautifully packing my purchase, which I greatly appreciated. When I visit New York again, I will definitely return to this wonderful shop. Thank you for such a delightful experience!

We had a wonderful experience at this shop. We were just looking for vintage watches and stopped in. We found a vintage ysl tie and the price was a steal! Stop by if you are in the area!

Absolutely gorgeous, everything in here has a story and the people that work there are really helpful and willing to tell you what everything is!! Just to disclose, the cashier did offer to give me 10% off if I did a review (probably because my sister and me had been gawking over everything and clearly having a good time).

Beautiful little shop with a lovely selection of vintage items that have been carefully selected . Staff was very nice and will definitely be back again. . A lovely gem amongst all the overly aggressive tourist nyc shops down there in that area . This place was very refreshing and unique .

Horrible experience. Owner was so rude and passive aggressive, then openly aggressive. The salespeople/staff were perfectly nice and polite, but the owner is just a terrible personality to deal with. She gave us instructions for how to look at some items, then yelled at us for doing exactly as she said, and even tried to convince us that she didn’t mean those instructions in the first place. It’s like she just wants to pick on unsuspecting customers to bully and go on a power trip. Avoid this store at all costs if possible.

Really cute store but the people working in the shop were kind of rude. My cousin and I came here and they had a hand sanitizer policy which is totally fine. My cousin asked that since she is wearing gloves and she wasn’t going to take them off, would she need to sanitize? The person working in the shop responded “ well you don’t have to be here.” It was kind of an alarming response instead of just simply saying “ im sorry but this is store policy etc.” while we both did hand sanitize, we left the store immediately after because we were kind of shocked about the whole situation. It’s a shame because the store is super cute

lovee this store so much! I stumbled upon it randomly and bought the cutest sweetheart bracelet. the employees are so sweet and knowledgeable about everything they sell. i loved that each piece was thoughtfully curated and had a unique story behind it. i will definitely be back for some more goodies! this is a perfect place to look for unique gifts for loved ones

Stopped by this place to pick up a Mother's Day gift, they never fail me! As always, I found the perfect gift and the gift wrapping was beautiful. Every time I go in, there's something new and surprising, love it!

Super cool and pretty vintage store! Great products and cool vibe! Definitely gonna check it out everytime I stop by

Notice how a significant number of 5-star reviews for this place are from Yelpers who've written 10 or fewer reviews? Sus.... How is this place in business?! Come in here for antiques with a side of nasty attitude from the woman who (I presume) owns or manages this store. We stumbled in on a random weekend, intrigued by the cozy, intimate vibes of this little well-curated antique shop. We were immediately welcomed and asked by a nice salesperson to use hand sanitizer when we entered the store, and we were happy to oblige. We were in the store for no longer than a 2-3 minutes when I stumbled upon something I wanted to show my partner. I called his name to get his attention, and a lady from behind the sales counter barks out aggressively "Is there something I can help you with???" to which I responded, "No thanks, we're just browsing." I showed my partner the thing I wanted him to see, and she snaps at us again, "See something interesting??" And so I told her what we were looking at (some antique glass bottles). She started saying some things about the bottles, and I thought she was interested in striking up conversation, but just didn't have the best people skills. So I asked her a follow-up question, "Do you know what the bottles were for?" And she launched into an aggressive rant - "I don't know, crack??? How would I know what it held? It's like if someone gave you a glass bowl, and you asked what that glass bowl held. No one would know that! I could make it up if you want me to!" At that point, we were done. We left empty-handed. And I would recommend you all to avoid this store at all costs. I'm all for supporting mom-and-pop shops, but not at the expense of being verbally accosted just for existing in her space.

I'm kind of sad to see all the negative reviews here because I had a great time here! Inside is quite tiny and filled with unique trinkets and antiques alike. I ended up choosing a couple of vintage books for gifts and along with some pleasant conversation, the staff was able to gift wrap them in the most ornate way. It was well worth the visit alone to watch these ladies wrap. The books themselves were about $15-20 per book which honestly is not bad. But I do value others opinions as well. Even though I had a great time here, it may be worth it to read others opinions on the shop especially if you are an antiques buff (unlike myself). But for a unique gift I'm sure my friends will love, I recommend this place!

The gals are so sweet and helpful! Really fun selection. Got a couple of antique calling cards for gifting and they are precious.

Feeling so grateful I walked on Mott today. Was having a hard time finding a locket because I've been wanting one for a while and finally found my dream one!! Jade was so helpful and it was such a great environment I wish I could've looked around all day. Thank you!

I came in and I was helped by Jade. She was very knowledgable and helped me pick out some new cufflinks for my dad. They even had my last name on them so they were perfect! I totally recommend checking it out, they have a lot of awesome stuff for all different people!

To call the items antique would be a stretch. Worthless and Made in China is more like it. The only reason for a place like this to survive without providing any value or actually making a sale is if it was a money laundering establishment, which I am sure it is. There is an air of "I don't need your business because my money comes from laundering."

I had such a great experience in Chinatown when I visited Uniquelee! Not only was the staff super diverse, polite, and knowledgeable, but they helped me pick out an excellent gift for my partner! I felt welcomed, taken care of, and educated on vintage and the necessary upkeep for specific products. My partner and I have been together for 2 years now, so I wanted to get them something special that they would like. After telling the lovely salesperson a little bit about them, their taste and style, we landed on this gorgeous pin brooch. Gold is my partner's metal of choice, and they love the Rococo era of art history, so I knew this would be a good piece! I also picked up some cute prints, candles, and decorations for their dresser and desk. This place truly is a one stop shop for an anniversary gift!!!  Uniquelee is truly unique, like in it's name: eclectic, vintage, warm, nostalgic, and welcoming ! A true hidden gem in NYC. Go there for any special gifts you'd need for special people in your life. They'll take care of you :)

I was looking to find a vintage store downtown to find a gift for my host family during my study abroad. The staff quickly assisted me and made the experience so delightful. I found a beautiful vintage picture frame and a charming candle, both of which were carefully wrapped by the team. Upon receiving the gifts, my host family was thrilled and asked me to take them here as well! This store is a treasure with helpful, kind people and unique items. My host family and I are looking forward to coming back. :)

This store is a hidden gem! The shop exudes an inviting atmosphere, making browsing a delight, their collection is curated with utmost care.The prices are fair, and the owner is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful.

Selection is ok but it's not worth dealing with the condescending woman who works / is the manager there. I was just looking at some postcards and heard her loudly talking about me as I was standing right next to her. She then came up to me and insulted me for no reason and her coworker looked super embarassed for her. Honestly feel sorry for her just radiating bitterness and insecurity ‍ Absolutely flabbergasted bamboozled that that woman has a job. Super strange and insane experience.

Uniqulee is a gem not just for China Town but all of NYC. the most unique pieces and the most informed staff you will be blow away by the ever changing selection of unique vintage items jewelry and much more. amazing for gifts for your loved ones or yourself you cannot beat Uniqulee for original quality gifts.

Great selection of jewelry, postcards, cuff links, books, and much more. Highly recommend if you want to a gift for the holidays for a person who appreciates vintage and kitsch. The woman who works there is awesome and so quintessentially NY in the best way. We had a lengthy and funny conversation, and she wrapped the gifts with so much care and creativity. As for the negative comments about her, can't disagree more - she has an awesome sense of humor, and getting mildly roasted is part of the fun when you're shopping in NYC!

The absolute rudest and most unabashedly condescending woman is working in or the owner of this shop. Whoever she is, she has no business serving the public. A complete whacko. I stopped into this shop to look at the vintage rings as my wife wanted to get me another wedding ring and the woman working there was such a complete dick to me from the moment I walked in and then to my wife when I called her in to look at the rings. I walked out in disgust after being there just 2 minutes because of the horrible customer service thinking there's no way in hell this shop would get a sale from us. Good luck paying your NYC rent. She also came outside and said something to my mother after she took a picture of the store's sidewalk display. Absolutely bizarre.

So I love antiques and collect but let's just say I'm surprised this place is a business. Right off the bat I got told to use hand sanitizer that's cool I already read the sign... than I was looking at the beautiful small jewelry boxes and there's a signs that states you break it you bought lol however the one I was interested in had no price so of course I pick it up and she seemed so worried I touched something haha so strike 2... like I'm not illiterate I read your sign and you yelled at me twice. At this point I'm walking towards the register to check the items in the case and she said "this section is closed. I'm working on it" I was basically like f*** this place. You clearly don't want business. I was ready to buy a few things but rather someone else get my $$$.

whoa, if i could give zero stars i would! this place is one of those "wannabe" hipster stores that claims to have rare and vintage items, but in actuality, has cheap run-of-the-mill stuff made in china. it caters to tourist who don't know any better. however, that is not the main reason for my negative review! the customer service is appalling! they are hardcore about using hand sanitizer to the point of being rude, and barked at me because they thought i didn't follow orders. it's a tiny place, and had three employees while i was there, and at least one follows you around the store suspiciously. the overall vibe of the employees was so off-putting, and i see that similar sentiments are echoed here. avoid this place!

Wow ! Such a lovely store . Other reviews have it all correct , such poetic and wonderful reviews on this unique shop . We just happened upon it . Reading reviews , I get the collection is ever changing , more reason to stop in repeatedly. Really could of spent a bunch , so many treasures that were screaming " you want me " The cameo necklaces , we were told,all carved from shell , I don't think I ever realized that . Shop keeper , knew the history and back story on all the merchandise. Many treasures , collectibles . Really suggest this fabulous store , all the displays so lovingly arranged . Check it out !

Fantastic experience!! Staff and shop keeper are beyond helpful and kind. Not to mention all the perfect trinkets and fun objects they have. Could've spent more time and money here. Keep It Up! Hope to see you again.

I'm surprised this place has good reviews. The owner is seriously rude. I was making chitchat about how I've been going to Chinatown so often that my husband was getting tired of eating Chinese food. She said my husband needed to suck it up, that he was married to a Chinese woman and he should know that he has to support the community. Good grief, that woman has an anger management problem. It's none of her business to criticize my husband (and for the record, my husband is awesome. He even stopped going to his normal barber, so that he could support the Chinatown barbers instead). She also was not wearing a mask, even though she required all customers to wear a mask and to use hand sanitizer about entering her store. Not sure why she thinks she shouldn't have to wear a mask. Doesn't she care about her customers' safety? I also felt very discouraged from touching anything at all, even though I was trying to find something to buy! I will not be back and I won't be sorry if this place goes out of business.

Zero stars. I rarely review businesses, even if they are really bad, but I was so offended by how I was treated by this place, I have to say something. I went in today looking for a gift for a friend. This Asian woman, who I guess is the owner or manager, could not have been haughtier or ruder. She was in the middle of interviewing a potential employee when she stopped and basically shooed me away. It could not have been clearer that she didn't want me in the store. Maybe she's one of those bananas who are nice only to White people and condescend to other Asians. Another employee, a Black woman, was nice at first but then took her cue from the Asian woman and completely changed her attitude. I go to Chinatown regularly and try to support businesses there as much as I can, particularly since so many have struggled since the pandemic, but this place will never get a penny from me, and I will tell everyone I know not to ever step foot in the place.

Upon entry of this fingernail shop, the two associates (owners?) asked us to use hand sanitizer before touching anything. The shop is on the smaller side but, it had some carefully curated gems. This would be the perfect gift shop for people who like vintage items, rare items, or eccentric pieces. The prices are a bit on the higher end. The staff was very kind and knowledgeable.

This shop is wonderful, and the people working the day I visited (Angie and Faith) are absolutely amazing. If you enjoy vintage pieces and great conversation, stopping here is a must. As I wandered through Chinatown my head was down due to rain, so I almost went right on by, but as I was passing the warm light and perfect window display caught my eye and drew me in. I ended up spending quite a long time looking at all the interesting items. There is so much to see, and everything is so well presented and cared for. Vintage postcards, jewelry, toys, cameras, watches and on and on and on. Walking around the relatively small shop is a beautiful journey through time and place, as each display case contains eras of collections to enjoy. As for the staff, Angie and Faith are just the best. Both truly love history and the stories and background they shared with me about all the items made the afternoon so special. (There was a third employee who was also great, but who left shortly after I arrived and I didn't get her name!) I love this shop and will definitely return. I picked up some fun things, a couple of which are in the attached pic! To the owner: Thank you for finding such fun and interesting items and sharing them so perfectly with the rest of us. And for finding such great people to represent your shop. Angie and Faith, keep doing what you're doing - you're killing it. Thank you for a perfect afternoon! Love this shop!

Pricey but cool stuff! Super nice staff. You can spend a while looking through everything, even though the space is small. The hours aren't always accurate, we've shown up a few times and the store has been closed but when it is open it's worth a visit, especially if you're looking for something to do after getting dim sum.

That chandelier is for sale! Yes! The store offers vintage women accessories from the old era such as Saks Fifth Avenue handbags from the 50s. The store smells good too. That's because they sell candles! Is that from the old days? I'm not sure. Pins and brooches are here. Jewelries are everywhere, with different brand names. Old keys are unique items at this store because you never know which door you could open if you get one of those. Must be a lucky key! Prices are not that cheap here so bring extra money when you plan to eat in Chinatown because this is located in the heart of Chinatown. The staff are friendly and pleasant. I plan to come back next time just to look around more. It's a cute store with gorgeous vintage products and display shelves. You will see that this store stands out and very noticeable due to their interior and exterior decorations. Nice job!

I LOVED this ~unique~ shop in Chinatown! The cutest charms/ vintage jewelry! Lisa and her girls were amazing and so knowledgeable about the items they sell. A must

Amazing inventory and amazing staff. I cannot say enough about this store. The two employees, Angie and Carol, were so knowledgeable about the unique products they were selling. My daughters and I walked out with the four most beautiful pieces of jewelry at such an amazing price. Each piece had so much history behind it. We will definitely be back again next time I'm in New York.

Pros: * A purposely random and surprisingly pleasant gem hidden in the heart of Chinatown. I was taken away with the exquisite and thoughtful curation of beautiful and eclectic antiques, jewelry, and accessories that range from rock mineral bookends, sea glass bottles, to elegant white-beaded clutches. * While I loved every item in Uniqulee....I was especially drawn to the aged books, bags made out of actual vintage Swiss Army blankets, Chinatown grocery bags made out of leather and hemp, and glass piggy bank. * Staff is sweet and friendly. You can tell how the passion and taste of owner Lee Chan is reflected in the thoughtful and careful presentation of the objects she collected on her worldly travels. Because this is the kind of store that you would only expect to stumble upon in NoHo, West Village, or Williamsburg (with steep prices to go along with it), I believe that Uniqulee can stand out, attract customers, and thrive in a bubble where people mostly come for cheap eats, kitsch, and counterfeit goods.

Bought a necklace in 2017. Just thought of it as a cool vintage jewelry spot. Visited again and again just looking for necklaces/rings/earrings since then. Till the other day I discovered a whole new world in the other sections - old trade cards, poker from the 50s, old pictures, diaries from 1930s........... Owner and staff are also cool, direct, and flamboyant.

I loved the collection of antiques and jewelry. However, the best part was the customer service I received from Angie and Carol. They were very knowledgeable and patient as I tried on their collection of rings. Angie is different from the general salesperson you might run into from 'chain' jewelry stores that want to upsell. I didn't feel pressured to purchase any of the merchandise and learned a lot about the various items in the store. My wife found the perfect ring and we left satisfied with our purchase!

Angie is absolutely delightful. She is knowledgeable and helpful and kind. This is the only place I would ever select a gift for anyone I wanted to impress. All the inventory is high-end, unique, comes with a story and packaged in the most creative and impressive manner. This place is beautiful!

A vintage treasure shop in the middle of Chinatown...real old school NYC vibe with an amazing selection of vintage gifts for women and men... very cool and helpful staff... shoutout to Angie who helped me find the perfect gift for my wife... and then soup dumplings down the block!

Super cute shop with incredibly nice and incredibly well informed staff. Definitely would recommend if you're looking for a really unique vintage piece!

Omg! This is the cutest antique store I have ever seen in Chinatown! It's too bad I didn't have time to go in to explore! - Will return to see what I can find in there next time!

Happened upon this little shop randomly when I was looking for a restaurant in Chinatown, it's the cutest little vintage shop. I was really wow'd by all the unique pieces, I've never being in a vintage shop that focused on jewelry. I love that you can feel the very history in the pieces and Annette knew so much about the individual pieces and was so charming, it made me devastated I didn't have the money to buy more. I'll 100% have to come back on pay day.

There were vintage postcards displayed outside the shop - no notice/warning to use hand sanitizer - a male worker came by and asked us to do so, understandably, we did, it was cool - as my sanitizer has just dried up & as I were about to look through the postcards again, the lady owner came out with what seems like a yell + long lecture on telling us to sanitize again - she stood by the door while watching us like a watch-dog waiting for us to do so - we were shocked of her attitude & being treated the way we did, we couldn't say a word to her & immediately left - I felt humiliated - super rude! Is that how you treat your customers? If you don't want customers to touch your items please put A HUGE WARNING or at least be aware of your customers who have already had their first warning - For all you know, you are the one who has COVID - i super don't wish you well with your business & looking forward for your business to close down soon. I don't deserve to be lectured or yell again after just sanitizing my hand just a second ago as per instructed by your own worker. Thanks for making my birthday sucks!

Lovely antique place and very nice staff and attitude. Welcoming and willing to talk to the customers. Lovely locks and photographs. A bit pricey but totally worth it.

Most beautiful antique store we stumbled upon on our way to get dumplings, ended up spending almost an hour looking through all the gorgeous trinkets and talking about the history of the one of a kind items with the very knowledgable and sweet employee Faith! Loved this store we will surely be making the trip back whenever in NYC! Can't recommend enough, truly a one of a kind retail experience, this store doesn't sell you products, it gifts you with the story and emotional journey behind each beautiful trinket!

This store deserves no stars. I thought it might have cute stuff in it - a nice change from all the touristy shops in Chinatown. Unfortunately, I could barely get in the store to look at things. Every time I tried to advance a foot, there was a salesgirl there blocking me. I kept having to say, "Excuse me, I'm trying to look at that case." And they kept asking irritating questions - "How long have you liked antiques?" (30 years?), "Where are you from?" (NY) Then they were just being irritating with their comments - "Watch your pocketbook, some of these objects are hundreds of years old." (Not) The store is small, no room to really walk, and I turn around and I'm blocked by 2 salesgirls, one on each side. It's friggin claustrophobic!!! I'm like You gotta move...I'm hot....excuse me, no air...and the b*tches don't move because now they think I stole something and I'm trying to run out of there! The manager comes over, starts feeding me bullshit and then gives me the excuse that they had just gotten robbed the day before.....well, it wasn't me, so ugh! I couldn't wait to get out of there. Probably adorable stuff, way overpriced, but the clerks are CREEPY and psycho...

I'm almost hesitant to write this review for fear more people will discover this special gem and start taking more of the incredible things they have in this place!! This place is a trove of treasures. Every time, a new piece of jewelry to be discovered, amazed by, and to drool over. I make it a point to visit this place after every facial, which I have nearby, particularly to look at their vintage pieces. Faith and her colleagues have a special passion for the jewelry they have in stock, always making me feel comfortable by allowing me to take as much time as I'd like to browse and try on the pieces. I never feel rushed, and I never feel like it's a sales environment; they truly want people to walk out with pieces that are special to that person, without pushing simply to push. Their knowledge, too, is something I find rare in today's jewelry market, yet desire and need when buying a piece - they always know the history of their pieces, so they are trustworthy to boot. In fact, I thought this place was amazing enough, and then find it is owned by several city museum curators! The surprises never end (I met one of the curators Lisa the other night who was very kind). Thanks for keeping knowledge-sharing and vintage Art Deco alive!

An amazing Chinatown Hidden gem. Angie and Carol, the two associates there, were angels. Beautifully curated assortment of antique jewelry. While I didnt purchase anything my first round here I can't wait to go back

The Asian woman (I'm guessing the owner) is extremely rude. Upon walking in she thanked us for wearing masks but wasn't wearing one herself and it felt patronizing because she wouldn't put one on after that even though her workers were wearing theirs, like she had some kind of power complex. My boyfriend asked if he could put down his book bag somewhere because the store is small and didn't want to damage or break anything and she said "he looked dodgey". Everything that I touched she had a comment on which was annoying and showed no interest to what my bf was looking at. She asked one of her employees to train her new employee but then yelled both at them for not helping me even though she was technically helping me since she had a comment on everything I touched and was being so pushy about getting 2 instead of the ONE I wanted. It was so uncomfortable that I left, I feel bad for those employees. Everything there is overpriced.. a vintage skirt with no label for $300. The woman has no clue about the origin of her "antique clothing". OVERPRICED

The most precious store I've ever had the pleasure to shop in. I've lived in NYC for nearly 20 years and this is hands down my favorite. The unique treasures run the gamut from the 1930's to new beautifully crafted jewelry handmade in Brooklyn. The store is so unique that you don't know what treasures you will find on a given visit. Their knowledge is amazing when talking about vintage jewelry and the history of it. I learned so much and am just enamored with my new beautiful Cameo ring. God I love this place! Also, shout out to Lisa who is simply amazing.

This store is very cute! They have a lot of one of a kind looking items of jewelry and some other knick knacks. It just doesn't really seem to make sense at its current location, which is the heart of Chinatown on Mott Street. I usually end up walking around in here when I'm waiting for my friends to show up so we can go to the Duck House close by. It would make a lot more sense to have this storefront about a half mile up, where there is more of a merging between chinatown and more hipster/ urban type shops. It's also very expensive, which makes it stand out as well from the other Chinatown knock off type of establishments.

Love everything about this store! They have the most beautiful selection of jewelry and oddities, all carefully curated. The reason I can't leave five stars is because of the sales tactic every time I go in there. They constantly try to point out things to look at and make conversation which is then steered towards what items they have for sale. It makes it very difficult for me to focus on anything and eventually end up leaving before I can look around at everything I'd like to. This place would be perfect if I was able to shop without feeling the pressure to buy!

Stumbled into this lovely vintage store while strolling aimlessly in Chinatown. I'm not big on jewelry nor vintage items but ended up with a one of a kind 1900 lavaliere from Paris! Somehow I was charmed by the historical atmosphere, the beautiful jewelry pieces, and the kindness/knowledge of the lovely sales girls whom were so knowledgeable and passionate about every piece of item. Highly recommend this little gem!

My new favorite boutique. A Treasure trove of vintage items with so much history waiting to be told. When I first walked in Faith was so welcoming and knowledgeable about the items I didn't want to leave. Not only was she easy and fun to talk to she captured my attention to all the little details that I would have missed. Everything in the boutique; to the layout, the different collections to the storefront gives off such a calm, classy, and exciting feel. You might not know what they will have next, but you know it's quality with a rich history waiting to be told. Will always be stoping by if I'm in the area. Great place!!!

Came here with a friend after lunch. We passed it by and wondered what this pretty shop on Mott Street was about. The flowers and glints of metal by the storefront caught our eye so we went in. All the items were really cool. Definitely scratched my itch for vintage pieces. There was a smell of old books, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Just felt good to see all these old items, worn out and used for years until they were finally let go of, intersected here in one place. Everything was neatly organized. I myself ended up purchasing two books. Faith showed us a few of her favorite items around the store. We got to read a few pages, look at some cool personal pieces, etc. She was very helpful and offered to help us take out items from the plastic bags so we could get a closer look. Lisa rang us up and she was great, very personable. Wrapped up my books neatly and was fun to talk to. Everyone was great. I'd definitely come back again!

Great service, came in looking at vintage cards and ended up falling in love with a piece of mourning jewelry- beautiful cut and lovely detail. Would recommend this store, the ladies have a lot of expertise. Lots of great food in this area as well, a great day excursion.