Tome Traders

Scored a lot of cool shit here at a great price today.
Never been «antiquing» before, but the lady working here was super friendly and willing to bargain on everything, even after the entire place was already 50% off.
Will deff be back!

I love this place! Always fun to visit, and it is close to where I live. I’ve bought a few furniture pieces from them, and sold some too. I love to look through their vinyl records and trinkets. They have clothes and jewelry too. The couple is always very friendly to me, and I always go to them first, because the prices cannot be beat. Yes, the store is cluttered, but that’s part of the adventure.

Short and sweet:
Messy, and overpriced. Wants for customer service skills training.
Annecdotally:
Touring an «aisle» (really «space large enough for a house cat»), I tripped over one of the many, many, many things dangling little bits in my way. (I had already stepped over this particular bit, but apparently my pants didn’t realize it. Bad pants!)
I fell, but caught myself. No big deal, right? Accept, apparently one of the people working here saw too, because they yelled across the store: «HEY– You break it, you bought it! I’d be a little more careful with our items if I were you!!»
Yeah! I should really watch out for your «items». I’m thanking my stars that I didn’t impale my self on the leg of that upside down table two feet in front of me, because paying for that from an ambulance would not have been easy!

Yes it’s two people– I have no problem with that. I’m a big thrift and antique store junkie, so I don’t mind it being a small operation or waiting for service.
I DID mind that I felt like the two questions I asked about various items were such a bother, and that the place was essentially trashed. Yes I expect a good deal of clutter, however I was told that to see a teapot I should just climb over furniture and then wiggle in between a couple of dressers.
This could be considered charming I suppose, except for the snark I got from the woman that I asked about a couple craigslist items.
I found that most of what I was interested in was not in great shape and over-​priced for what it was.

I love thrift shops, swap meets, garage sales, ect, but this place seemed like a trash show. Coming from me that means a lot!
I went because of their posts on craigslist. My guess is they post the good stuff, because when I got there it was just a building stuffed to the gills with trash.

My experience with Tome Traders is the same as it was with Tinder; nope, nope, nope, and the couple time’s I’ve found something to like, I regretted it shortly thereafter.
I’ve been here several times; the inventory does change over, but the pricing is all over the board. Some things are amazingly cheap, others, the price is more than ambitious, often 2−3x than what similar items would be asking for on our local Craigslist. Some items are top dollar, equal to the highest recent sale price on eBay.
Now, I’m no dummy when it comes to value; I attend all the major antique shows in the Northeast during the summer, and I used to manage a successful boutique thrift store in NYC’s East Village. Honestly, unless a friend insists we go to Tome Traders, I try to stay away, I find shopping here difficult and the truly amazing pieces are few and far between. Also, I feel that the store needs serious help with merchandising. With the huge price inconsistencies, the top dollar items should be displayed in a way that really makes customers want to buy them, or appreciate the value. When the $ 800 antique it is sitting next to some $ 5 detritus, I’m not going to consider blowing my paycheck on it.

Dirty and the lighting is bad. No return policy. I made some purchases (totalling about 30 dollars) and after cleaning a ceramic item (only $ 1.99 thank God), it was cracked and unusable. On a previous visits I spent 70.00 and about 20.00.
I went back to purchase other items that I found interesting during my last visit and found a prescription bottle that I brought up to the owner who asked me if I found it in a box. I said, «Yes» and then she began berating me that customers were not supposed to go through the boxes. The stores is FULL of boxes on the shelves and on the isles. I spoke to the other owner about this, and the owner I first spoke with came over and we had words. I made it quite clear that I found the prescription bottle in the shopping isle and I told her she should have thanked me and I guess she didn’t want my business. She said she didn’t and threw me out of the store! Never a thank you for bringing it to her or an apology for accusing me of going through boxes not yet ready to be shelved which I didn’t do! Just excuses and said the bottle contained nails or such. As a person who loves thrift stores and spends a fair amount of time and money
thrifting, this one is definitely off my list and I’m off theirs too!

Holy cow! My visits to Tome Traders post my first review have been fantastic! Still hell on earth for those that suffer allergies, but good gracious, the treasures I have found!
For instance: I had been searching for an antique mirror to be placed above an old Singer Sewing machine based table. It was going in my foyer and would be the first thing visitors would see. It had be spectacular. Found it! And only for $ 40. (To give you a price reference, the Christmas Tree Shops (which I adore!) sells similarly sized one for the same price, and of much inferior quality.
Christine, of the owners, has been continuously friendly at each visit.
It cracks me up that they have everything: even CDs. This keeps my husband occupied as I drool over a piece of vintage jewelry and ponder the practicality of a three foot long purple plastic beaded necklace.
If you are looking for quality vintage pieces, and aren’t afraid of a little TLC, I definitely recommend a visit.
On the fun side, saw the guy from the Record Archives commercial in there at my last visit. I had to bite my tongue not to start singing the jingle aloud.

I found a SWEET chair on Craigslist that listed them as the sellers. Immediately went to their website to see what else they had, and damn near everything is listed as sold. I’m sure the inventory turns over quickly, but I was sooooo frustrated, and even more frustrated knowing that they may or may not be there during business hours. I want to go find cool furniture, but I wish the first impression had been that of a professional business and not 2 people who collect cool furniture and maaaybe they’ll sell it to you if they’re around.

This place is almost a mess but in such a large building it keeps to just a tad too cluttered. Overwhelming at times with selection and randomness, there seems to be at least the semblance of order categorically grouping lampshades with lamps, near or on top of side tables which are next to dressers giving way to dining sets and a giant wood bar. Not a very large cylinder of wood, but a bar as in drinking establishment, or more specifically the counter on which a bartender serves drinks. They really need to distinguish things better when naming them. Most things needed sanding and staining, but not everything was falling apart and if it was, they priced it accordingly.
So, if you find yourself in need of a slightly dinged up 1970’s school desk or perhaps your interests involve wooden crates? This is the place for you. Some days. Other days, you’re out of luck. Be sure to call ahead, we tried visiting a few weeks ago and they weren’t there (out in the world searching for more treasures or something like that). When someone is in the shop they are wonderfully nice, and let you explore in peace.