I finally got the opportunity to check out this cute place. I was very excited to find so many different and cool items. There was necklaces, rings, commemorative spoons, stones, key chains, and even lighters. Definitely going back to find more fun trinkets. The pace is tiny and parking is pretty decent. read more

Ruth, Enrique, Ros H. And Juliana's 1 star reviews from 2022 and 2023 say it all. Don't be swayed by flattering social media posts. The owner may yell or bar you from service for things you did not do. Outside the shop there is a two tiered cart with postcards and gift cards. The bottom shelf had a messy pile of a mixture of the two when I arrived (this cart was not labeled at all except the price saying each card was 3 dollars). The top shelf, I later found out, was a very messy loose pile of postcards and photos with one side having a semblance of rows. After looking through the bottom of the cart for about ten minutes, the old owner came out and told me I was not putting things back in the right place (again, not labeled or put in boxes or dividers or anything) and to never return to the store. I was so confused at the aggressive interaction and blame for a mess I did not know to avoid and did not cause. At least not on my own. I even put back cards I didn't touch after he yelled at me just to leave it a little better than I found it. It was such an odd, bizarre interaction and I'm okay never returning after that. You should check out all the one star reviews on Yelp and Google about this sad, immature man and how his responses are essentially "nuh uh!" I have no problem with the cashier who was very nice and I would be more than happy to keep a retail space as-is and not be causing extra trouble, but there was no organization to be had to start with. I left more confused than anything. read more

TikTok blew up this place. Everything is cute and fairly priced. You need a lot of time and patience to look through their items. I was interested in the Italian charms to make my own bracelet, very nostalgic and at $1/piece it was basically a steal! Such a good price! However it was mostly letters and not much designs. And this station is located right by the door with high foot traffic so I couldn't really peacefully look through. Definitely best to go when there's no crowd (but idk when their least busiest hour is) since the place is tiny! No space to walk through. I went at 5pm on a Saturday evening and it was packed. All the jewelry and accessories were inside and photos, stickers, stationery items were outside. Patches and spoons (my fav part. Wish I knew how to turn them into rings because they had really unique designs) were located at the back of the store. Overall, got some turquoise rings and a bangle for $15 total. Not bad. They had a good range of sizes. My ring finger size is 8 and they had that size as well as bigger sizes of 9-10. Pretty cool it wasn't just small sizes. read more

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Such a cute and dainty shop! A bunch of vintage items such as authentic postcards (with real letters written on them), as well as jewelry and other accessories! A few downsides to this place is the size... if busy, you will have to be almost shoulder to shoulder w others. As I mentioned, it is for sure DAINTY dainty. Another downside is that there are not many ring sizes to accommodate those who have bigger fingers. A variety of adjustable rings would have been greatly appreciated! My friend felt a little discouraged that none of the rings she liked fit her.. overall, a very cute shop to visit and definitely a beautiful array of different kinds of jewelry however just a more versatile range of ring sizes would make this place perfectttt. read more

Curiosity Shop - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Berkeley, California

A whole lot of random in one place. You didn't know you needed anything here until you got here. Rings, pins, pendants, old family photos, dream catchers, candy from the 80's, patches, used postcards,... This isn't even scratching the surface. It's cramped, I mean you will make friends. Bring $10 and you can walk out with a haul. The service was friendly and helpful. Just go look around. You'll figure it out. read more

I wanted to love this shop when I heard about it after moving to Berkeley. It's def a Knick knack type of shop and you need a lot of patience to peruse through all of their wares. It gave me a similar vibe to a store I used to love in SF when I was in high school (Piedmont Boutiques) but more chaotic and packed to the gills. The store felt like it catered to a younger clientele so if you're looking for some good quality sterling silver jewelry, etc., I would maybe try a different store. Nonetheless, it's a staple in the neighborhood and you definitely need to be curious enough to survive a trip to this shop. read more

Very eclectic shop. It had sooooo many little trinkets and jewlery. We tried to spend more time here but it's so small it was hard to squeeze by another person. I felt like a giant in there. But cool spot to explore. read more

Curiosity Shop - Inside - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Small cute place. The first thing is finding somewhere to park. Once you find somewhere to park, you are able to stop by and check this place out. Lots of good unique and off-the-wall stuff. read more

This spot is great to stop by with friends or on your own! There are many items such as rings, charms, stickers, and other random little things that you can gift to others or yourself. read more

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Super unique shop you should definitely check out! Lots of cool items of all different kinds. I loved looking at the jewelry and crystals. This is definitely a great spot to shop for a one-of-a-kind gift or gather some inspiration if you're artsy. I thought the prices were really good, and staff were nice. read more

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My 4-year old had a blast here. Got a little bag of treasures. Such a quirky little Berkeley place.

Cute store front, but when I went inside it immediately felt like a hoarders house and felt claustrophobic. A lot of random knick knacks - jewelry hanging from the ceiling, retro candy (think those gummy hamburgers ), vintage stamps, magic cards, etc. Might be interesting for some folks, but it was a miss for me. read more

Curiosity Shop - Magic cards - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Berkeley, California

My biggest turn off about this place is how the music is BLARING throughout the store it hurt my ears, it made it more uncomfortable to shop as the place is very tight and claustrophobia-inducing, and there's a lot to look at everywhere lol. On top of that, there's a sticker that says "if the music is too loud you're just too old" (something corny along those lines) but that's honestly really inconsiderate of people with different abilities or body capacities. Some people just have sensitive hearing! A lot of other people mention discomfort caused by the obnoxiously loud music playing. And if anything that sticker isn't very inclusive to old folks who might want to shop here lol. There is truly a bunch of random stuff here and it's kind of dusty, but as someone who thrifts a lot it's kind of expensive for what it's worth. You'd be better off going to the berkeley flea on Ashby on the weekends to get a better deal on random dusty stuff. read more

Fun little spot to get lost in. Found out about this place on TikTok and decided to check it out with friends. TONSSSSS of jewelry and trinkets to check out with very reasonable prices. Laid back staff is there is help if you have any questions but also perfectly curates the vibes with their music selection. A fun place to shop or just hang out and look around. read more

Curiosity Shop - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Berkeley, California

Such a cool place! This was my first time going and I loved everything in the shop! I was able to get charms to make an Italian Charm Bracelet and it was great! read more

Curiosity Shop - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I went there in the beginning and it was so full so we went back after 25 minutes. Still extremely full. Initially we went because we wanted to make Italian charm brackets but were disappointed that all the charms were old and rusty. Most of them didn't even have designs. The store had an unpleasant smell and you are literally shoulder to shoulder with the people around you. read more

This is like... The quality of mass-produced Alibaba quarter vending machine trinkets. Like the ones you see outside of 99 ranch and produce mood necklaces that break within a week. Yes, there are unique finds and vintage pieces here and there, but I'd wager that 99% of this is total junk. Items range from jewelry, to candies, to tumbled stones, to polaroids of strangers, to tiny porcelain figurines-- other than organizing by type, there's no particular rhyme or reason here. Everything is so intensely cluttered together, packed into every conceivable corner, you're left claustrophobic and suffocating. And feels... Grimy... (how does he clean when it inevitably gets dusty?) It's a shame that the place is so shoddy and the owner mistreats customers, b/c the actual story behind Curiosity Shop is so intriguing: https://www.berkeleyside.org/2022/01/05/berkeley-curiosity-shop-bryce-kalousek-maritano Can y'all believe this 1900s historic building survived into the 2020's, only to be repurchased and painted this neon turquoise to sell actual garbage? Oh, the times... read more

Great shop but very messy and bins are dirty so bring gloves if you plan to dig! Found many good finds.

I love this place so much I go almost every week... so many cool things to look at in every part of the store and for great prices I come here to get my jewlery almost all of the time as well as the huge salt water taffy wall they have service is awesome as well! read more

Very cute little spot. It is very small so it was hard to get around. They have plenty of jewelry, pins, old photographs, postcards. read more

Curiosity Shop - Outside of The Curiosity Shop. - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Berkeley, California

Well organized but don't go in if you're claustrophobic. Or care about your ears. Music is so loud it's distorted. I get playing music loud. But get a decent stereo at least. I was once trying to ask the owner about something and he clearly can't hear me but doesn't bother to turn down his music (which, not only distorted, wasn't that great...) It's the Curious(if they want customers to come in) Shoppe. read more

First time visiting the curiosity shop. I found it through TikTok and found lots of good finds. Ended up buying some rings and it was a good price too. read more

Curiosity Shop - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Berkeley, California

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After passing this small storefront, I knew I had to make time to stop by! It's obscure, eclectic, organized chaos, and a bit of an adventure (think treasure hunt on a small scale!) You'll be able to find all sorts of collector's items (stamps, coins, keys, gems) plus a huge amount of jewelry ... all pretty inexpensively. Such a fun find! read more

Curiosity Shop - Such a cute store! - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Berkeley, California

such a cute and fun little "chatskis" store. We found a few cute jewelry items and got a great deal on them all! I also found some post cards and stickers i can use for scrapbooking! read more

A treasure trove of things that will make your heart squeal (if you're the thrift store / antiquing type who loves squealing about a good find). Within the shop's four walls you'll find everything from handmade jewelry to postcards, photos and "nickel store candy". When you are ready to check out all your findings go in a little velvet-lined tray to be tallied by the sweet cashier. Thank you for being weird and interesting, Berkeley. I like you (a lot). If you're a pin collector, you'll definitely walk out with some gems! read more

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Super cute little store with thousands of things you don't need, but want if you like weird, little, tiny things. I have a dollhouse so I got a tiny pencil, a tiny key, some Glass Animals and some wood animals that are all tiny. There was lots of costume and vintage jewelry. Antique postcards, greeting cards, and photographs. Dolls, patches, wall decor, sunglasses, and herbs and incense. Super fun shop. read more

As an avid thrifter and someone who adores unique finds I was really excited to pop my head in and see all the unique curiosities. But to my disappointment I got a completely inaccessible fire hazard and probably a health code violation. Baskets of old rusty pins with no backs and used barbells (think tata and nose rings) and just a ton of costume jewelry. There was a basket of crystals and a rack of post cards that were pretty cool. I think it has potential for the right person fs but all in all, unless you need some costume jewelry, and if you're anything other than petite and able bodied, I wouldn't bother. Just felt like a hoarders house. read more

Got some awesome patches. This place is pretty cool. I brought some relatives and they enjoyed the search

I had been intrigued by the name and the photos and wanted to check out this curiousity shop, so I did one day in summer 2022. As one reviewer pointed out, there wasn't really many "curious" items; it was more the experience of being surrounded by so MANY little items, displayed very nicely, and in a rather artsy way in the back (like some items arranged in a dollhouse.) It was a fun experience. (Think of it like spending a little time in a small museum.) Also, they played good oldies to listen to while shopping, and the woman in the front even politely turned it down for me when I complained that it was too loud. You may find something you want to buy if you are in the market for costume jewelry, old buttons (political and otherwise), old postcards, and miscellaneous other small items. I did find 5 old buttons that I thought would delight various friends, and I bought those along with a nice pair of earrings at a good price. Having read the reviews, I did not try to engage the owner in conversation, other than a brief "Hello," which he (predictably) did not return. But on thinking about it today, it occurred to me that we should not all be so surprised that a man who spent his life collecting all this various stuff he didn't need (as the creative store title implies) and never getting rid of any of it ("pack-rat"? hoarder?) until he finally opens up a store in which to sell it, might possibly have some mental health issues, as has become apparent in his treatment of his customers. So with a little tolerance (and the forewarning you have read here), if you just do not try to talk with the owner, you could have an enjoyable experience checking out this unusual shop. read more

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING. it is filled to the brim with loads of trinkets and cool vintage jewelry and the hip music creates a welcoming atmosphere. though it can be a little overwhelming since there is so much stuff, its such a fun little shop where one loses track of time while sifting through the endless treasure trove. totally would go back to down town berkeley just for this place !!! read more

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I've been looking forward to visiting this place for the last 2 years. Every time I drive by I think it looks so cute and cool, I just haven't had the time. Altogether the place feels very dirty, there's tubs of just junk - broken jewelry tangled in baseball to basketball sized knots - I couldn't even make it to most parts of the store, it's completely inaccessible. So unfortunate, :( it's such a cool concept but seems to be mostly dirty junk someone has accumulated. read more

cool shit fr love this place they have the charm bracelet thingys which are so cute. cant wait to go again!

I love this spot! So many fun things to search through, very cheap and the shop owner is very kind and helpful. I've been multiple times, and always leave with treasures! There's usually fun music playing, and it's just a beautiful lil place. Stickers, jewelry of all kinds, pins, toys, candy, coins, sunglasses, postcards, old photos, -- you name it. read more

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have to update the hours the store is open, online it says open but in person the shop is closed

Absolutely lovely place, all kinds of really really interesting things. Jewelry, old keys, patches, old pins, newer pins, rocks and gems, vintage jewelry, old photos, sunglasses, just incredible selection. The staff will typically give a really good bargain, the selection of things changes out pretty quickly which is really neat. Every once in a while the selection of stuff is a little low so if you go and it's not as much stuff, just wait a month or so and come back. One of my favorite places to stop by anytime I'm going through. read more

I've been to this shop before and everything was normal (music is always loud though) . Today however, I was trying to buy a few patches, but an old man in a beard and hat refused my money. I could tell he got upset over where I found the patches but instead of talking like an adult he immediately refused to sell them to me and would only say "ok, bye" as I asked to buy them. The only interaction I had was telling him what the price sign read and where the patches were. He obviously didn't like that one of the patches was moved (and not by me, I'll honestly say). It's upsetting that this couldn't be handled maturely because I understand that merchandise can be moved, but to immediately be accused of lying and refused a purchase felt so off-putting that it left me speechless. I'm never coming here again and will definitely let others know what I experienced. read more

my first ever visit, and i now know i will be back often! the prices are amazing--lots of earrings for $1-5, rings for $3-10, and little worry dolls for 50¢! and when i went up the pay, the owner ended up giving me everything for $5! i went in and was almost overwhelmed with how many options there were, and i cannot be happier with my little purchases :))) read more

Curiosity Shop - earrings, rings, and worry dolls! - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place has a little of everything and a lot of jewelry. You could spend hours here. Pace yourself. The owners has necklaces, rings, charms, beads, candy, postcards, vintage photos, art, etc. Basically everything you would expect to find at a roadside attraction on Route 66. But it's here in a long green building in Berkeley. read more

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This shop really did keep my curiosity peaked! The space is densely packed with costume jewelry and historical jewelry and accessories of all sorts. It's a bit overwhelming but in a way that had me like a kid in a candy shop. I had a great experience with the owner in Jan 2022. I asked him to help me find damascene jewelry and after he pointed out that they were basically under my nose (which I laughed off), he taught me about the history of the style, the different styles from different places, and how to identify the maker and the age of the pieces. He even offered some customization services to help me create a piece I was looking for that he didn't have. Not sure if this is a normal service, but he was very open with me and I felt very cared for. I found the owner to be incredibly informed and engaging and I was very happy with the information and the pieces I got from him. read more

As a place to look around, it's super cool. The setup is really unique, and you feel like you're walking into a bird's nest with shiny things galore. For just that, it's definitely worth checking out and taking a few pictures. In terms of actual quality, I think the items there are overpriced for what they are. In theory, getting a single item for $1 isn't that expensive, until you realize that the items are tiny, so you can pretty easily get sucked into spending a lot of money because it seems like you're getting a good deal. Other reviews talk about the claustrophobic atmosphere of the place, and I agree. I also went on a warm day and it was relatively busy, so I definitely felt choked out trying to navigate the other customers and ducking through all the items. Music is also played pretty loud, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on who you ask. Overall, definitely worth checking out. It's a unique local place, and if you're not trying to spend money, you can easily convince yourself that it's a museum or sightseeing opportunity. But as a shop, you're definitely getting the short end of the stick. read more