This whimsy little shop sits happily on Jay Street in downtown Schenectady, and its vintage vibes…read moredefinitely take you back to the days of Mad Men and Mrs. Maisel. I picked up the cutest vintage baby sweater/bonnet set for my niece as a Christmas gift! I first spotted the pair on Instagram, as the shop keeps a colorful, lively feed (@downtowndesignsonjay) and I thought it could be the perfect gift for my 5-month old niece. The sweater set is from the 1930s, and while it was in pristine condition, Richard, the shop's charming proprietor, offered to replace the ribbon on the bonnet to freshen up the garment, and it was an easy offer to accept. I purchased it on a Sunday afternoon, and it was ready for pickup Friday afternoon, complete with a beautiful wrap job; what an incredibly nice touch! Especially during the holidays, one less gift to wrap a present in itself! I strongly encourage anyone with taste in vintage threads to give this little shop a follow on social, and stop in one of these days! It's finds are definitely tailored more for the fancier vintage crowd vs. those looking for Levi's or more casual pieces from end of the 20th century, but it's wonderfully curated, and I appreciate the TLC and attention to detail the owner gives this shop. I currently have a small obsession with finding certain vintage brands, and after chatting Richard up about my vintage Pendleton dreams, he promised to keep an eye out for any finds when he and his team do some hauls, so fingers crossed I can add to my collection!

Downtown Designs is one of the finest shops on Schenectady's Jay Street. Richard has excellent…read moretaste and curates a collection of classic vintage clothes, accessories and jewelry. You can find a variety of vintage styles whether you prefer the psychedelic look, mod fashions or Hollywood glamour. There is truly something for everyone here. Everything is nearly organized and displayed, and the shop is pleasant to peruse. The prices are very reasonable, especially because the clothes are in such mint condition. Richard is very knowledgeable and reasonable regarding vintage clothing, and always a pleasure to speak with. I would highly recommend Downtown Designs to anyone interested in vintage clothing or accessories, and anyone looking to learn more about vintage and see some beautiful garments.

Beautiful thrift store. So many high-quality items. The clothes are clean, ironed, And well…read moreorganized. Staff is very friendly. I happen to hit their end of summer sale. Everything was priced at two dollars Banana Republic, Talbots, Ralph Lauren. Some were even new with tags... All their merch looked new.

This boutique is well laid out, and the displays are attractive and outstanding. I felt like the…read moreclothes I was donating would be treated we'll and put to good use.

I brought 12 items to consign that no longer bring me "joy" including an original watercolor and…read morea collectible NY Yankee Don Mattingly figurine. My family was not interested in any of the items. Mary, one of the owners, reviewed the items and accepted them all to put on sale in the shop. 50 percent of selling price goes to the consigner. Mary and her partner Jennifer are knowledgeable about the secondary market, marketing, and customer service. They run a great shop and a well organized website. They have a new larger location on Charlton Road across the street from Charlton Tavern. Check out their website for hours. Best wishes for continued success in their new location! Consign and Recycle!

Nice place to browse although they didn't seem to have too many items. Watch yourself as you walk…read morearound as the floors are old, crack and one spot seemed like it was going to take my foot. Very helpful and friendly staff. Make sure you go to their brew location, I don't think Yelp map is up to date yet with their new location.

If you're a person of color you're most likely not wanted here…read more I collect a lot of trinkets so I am always very excited to find a store like this, however every time I find myself coming to the owners store i'm always given dirty looks or watched vigilantly as if i'd steal. It's kind of hurtful. It's happened multiple times, inside and outside of the store. I recall going to the farmers market and him being inside the store until I came around, he immediately came outside and followed me around :/ It's a big shame as I want to like the store but just can't

Very random and dense collection of vinyl, but it's not "curated" - the selections look for the…read moremost part like they're just culled from garage sales in the area. That said, the Re-Collector has picked up a few gems so if you're a hard core collector, you'll likely spend a little time flipping through the bins. There's some CDs, DVDs, cassettes, and even a shelf of 8-tracks, and then a bunch of completely randomized tschotschkes. While I'm a sucker for this sort of thing usually we haven't found anything interesting on repeated visits. The music and vibe can be interesting or annoying, which goes double for the Re-Collector himself; he seems to be a bit moody. The store's pretty cramped, too, so go in with your claustrophobia under control and I recommend not taking any bags in, either. Worth a buzz-by if you like random odd used stuff stores, but not a can't miss one-of-those-things IMHO.

Great consignment shop with wide array of items. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. From household to…read morebric a crac, jewelry to coats!

This is my 2nd review of this store, mainly because there's a new owner since my last review & the…read morestore is even better than it was before. Paula, the current owner is so friendly, she is a pleasure to deal with. She has a very discerning eye, so everything is in great condition or new or like new. I love shopping consignment because there are so many one-of-a-kind items. She carries women's & Mens (!) clothes, jewelry, shoes, handbags, accessories, & some housewares, art & books. She recently revamped the store so it's easy to find the areas you are interested in. I love that the men have their own cozy room. Everyone in there, from the staff to the customers are so friendly, I sometimes feel like it's like a neighborhood pub, without the drinks. (Although, being near Halloween, there is some candy for you at the counter) I highly recommend visiting here. *Just want to mention here that the 3 star reviews below seem to be about a different store. 1 is a review of a place in an outlet mall that only sells women's vintage & the other mentions labels cut out, which this store doesn't do.

This is such a gem! This was a must visit for my wife and I on our second visit to St Andrew's…read more Pros: - great quality and attractive goods like sweaters and shirts and hats - close to the old course - friendly staff Cons: - not many but watch the hours like any other shop in a small town especially off season Tips: - Tiger wore one of their sweatshirts. Really nice - no Amex- visa/MC just fine

Friendly staff who get to know the customers. Constant rotation of inventory. Facebook page showing…read morenew items. Great value. Open Tuesdays 10-3 and Saturdays 10-2. Also open the 3rd Thursday of each month from September to June 4.30-6.30pm during St Andrew's Love Thy Neighborhood free community dinners!

The store has no price tags. I was interested in a necklace and asked for the price. It was…read moreoutrageous. My husband went back a week later asked the same question and was quoted 2/3 lower price. So he bought it for me. Ladies send your hubbies in for a decent price. It's ls also super cowered and difficult to move around. She does have some cool things, but you'll pay too much.

In our world that often rushes past beauty, Metropilis Vintage stands as a quiet archive of style,…read morememory, and story. It's a gem in Albany's vintage scene. Whenever I come to the store, I always see not only beautiful vintage clothes, but pieces that carry history, character, and charm. I guess because the owner knows how to select rare garments and accessories and likes to keep the spirit of timeless style alive in Albany. I know that running a vintage store is no small feat. It requires patience, vision, and a deep love for the past. To my mind the store is a part of our local tapestry. I love leather clothes, and the store always has a great collection. And the owner's approach is thoughtful, never harsh, and rooted in a deep love for the clothing you curate. She always helps each visitor find something that truly suits them. Rosanne created a space where style meets story, and where every piece has a past--and a future. I just hope that my daughter who resides in NYC will be able to attend her show in the city. And I look forward to many more visits. Olga S.

I always go by here when I'm in Albany for work and loved it. Bought a bunch of stuff. But the…read moreowner's Facebook post...um..no.

Disappointing... mostly the owner. I have check it out and asked the owner for a specific item that…read moreI noticed he does have for sale but wanted to know if he got more of them, he said "Yeah we got some more" Great!...so I had a plan, so I need leave but will come back later to test/check out the items as I told him. I came back two days later, saw the items... and then he said "oh no... I don't sell them".. I was confused, he seem like he didn't want to talk with me, the another employee seem wasn't sure to answer me but kept saying we don't sell them. I'm not up for this and his attitude if he keeps changing his mind either to sell or not to sell, I don't have time for people like him who keep changing their mind and etc if you get to know him more... but people, don't waste your time going there, its his storage room... not an business. Good luck!

When I wanted to donate a sofa and matching loveseat that were in very good condition, I contacted…read moreHabitat and left an email message. I received an email back in a reasonable amount of time considering how busy they must be. The person in charge of donations asked me to send a photo (which is totally understandable) before pick up was approved. Shortly after, an appointment time was set for pick up. I had the furniture placed in the garage as requested. The truck came within the designated time, and furniture was taken to the truck efficiently. I would say it was "professional operation." When it was picked up, one of the two men said, "This furniture is in great condition. Thank you for your kind donation and for thinking of us." I was happy to donate to a good cause and will continue to do so. Three years ago we donated oak kitchen cabinets when our kitchen was remodeled. I saw that they were sold for $550. I was pleased to help an organization with such an outstanding mission.

This review is for ReStore, the store front for used furniture and recycled fixtures and appliances…read morethat Habitat for Humanity runs in downtown Schenectady. Habitat itself is an outstanding organization and does great work. The H for H offices are located on Pearl, so this should be recategorized in Yelp as Home Furnishings / Retail Furniture, not Contractor Services. First off, hours: Thursday 10-6, Friday and Saturday 10-3. Tip: if you come early on Thursday, you'll have your best chance of getting pick of the new stock for the week, since they're closed the other days but continue to collect donations. So this is basically a thrift store specializing in furniture. It's everything you'd expect from a place that runs on donations. The stock is not by any means new or in style, but they do a good job in filtering out items so you don't have any dirty or unusually smelly items. Some of the items I looked at were broken or had significant flaws, but they for the most part seem to have filtered out truly unusable stuff. They do have a little bit of everything, and the repurposed fixtures (including doors and windows) are probably the cheapest you'll find anywhere. I had a little difficulty at first getting appropriate help - there were many volunteers but they had to find the chief guy in charge to do pricing for me, and they kept asking me the same questions about the items I picked out (as to whether they belonged in a set or not, like that matters for very used furniture) - but it's hard to quibble with volunteers on the basis of the service. They tried, even if they weren't as organized about things as they could be. Be patient with this sort of thing if you go in. If Design on a Dime ever does a Schenectady show, they'll love it here. I have a lot of fun speculating about previous owners of many of these items. (I really got a hoot about the five-piece living room set I saw on my most recent visit, where there was a built-in Stereophonic Console in the corner table unit. 1966, here we come!!) I also urge you if you do go, round up on your purchases and throw the extra money into the donation kitty. This group builds houses for people, and does it in a way that brings the people who will live in the house and own it into the building process. It may be unfortunate that this is needed, but it is, and doing a little shopping here can help this effort while helping yourself. One caveat: from the blank expressions I got when I asked if they check for bed bugs on the furniture upholstery, I'm going to guess that they do not do their own screening here. So given the reality of bed bugs and older pieces of furniture, I urge you to check for yourself. This is true for any used furniture these days. Update: adding a fourth star after multiple visits - the stock really does zing in and out (well, some of it) and Thursday mornings are definitely your best bet. The second floor, which I neglected earlier, has miscellaneous small fixtures, lamps, plumbing stuff, and so forth.

Pretty decent Goodwill. No discernible thrift store odor and all items are nicely organized by type…read moreof clothing (dresses, pants, skirts, tops) and then by color. Note nothing is organized by size so it can be discouraging to find a real score but then realize it's not your size. Oh well, all part of the process. As for brands I spotted some nice items from: LL Bean, EMS, Talbots, Loft, Tahari, J Jill and some Macy's brands like Inc. Lots of Old Navy, Torrid and Kohls and Walmart brands though too, so be prepared to look through a lot of stuff. Home section is small here. Very limited selection of books. Come here for the clothes. Convenient location near 155. Thought it was odd they kept advertising stuff in NYC and Jersey over the audio system, but ok. I got a nice long sleeve for 5.99.

Only reviewing the donation portion: Drop off was easy,…read morequick, friendly, and I was promptly given my receipt before driving off! There were two other cars behind me as I was leaving. Busy donation center, which is an absolutely great thing!! Parking lot is spacious turning into and out of it from the road is a bit of a pain with all the traffic but that's the only thing to be ready for! Everything else is a breeze :)