Don't waste your time coming here -- the other negative reviews are correct. This place is run by clowns.
It's mostly full of the same tired merchandise you can find at any other "antique" mall around the country. But there was one piece I did really like, perched high on a shelf, in a far corner of the store. I couldn't see a price so I asked the employee at the front desk--Doris.
Doris was nice enough during the ensuing ordeal, but her superiors are the clowns in this equation.
Doris photographed the piece and said she would get a price for me. A few minutes later, I was quoted a price of $125. I said that's fine with me, and I thought we had a deal.
When I returned from the second floor, the piece had been retrieved from the shelf. It was covered in dust and a bit more damaged than I realized at first, but I was still going to stick with the deal.
However, Doris informed me she could no longer sell me the piece for $125 because there was a gallery sticker on the reverse that said $1200. This is where the real unprofessional clownery really started.
I told her that was just an art gallery price from back when it was new and undamaged, it in no way reflects its current value. I told her I thought we had a deal and this was very unprofessional. It was then that I was informed she did not text the owner/dealer of the piece, rather the manager of the store.
The manager texted back again that the new asking price would be $800. I said that's ridiculous, we had a deal at $125, now you expect me to pay almost 6.5 times our original deal.
Doris kept pointing to the gallery sticker on the back with the $1200 price tag, as if that had any real relevance to the situation. Doris tried to frame it as if I was getting a special discount since the piece was damaged. The piece was pretty severely damaged and covered in dust--I was probably the first person to ever ask about it.
I told Doris I did still like the piece despite all the unprofessionalism exhibited by the management so far, and counter-offered $300--more than fair, considering we'd already made a deal at $125.
The manager then texted back that the piece was no longer for sale. The manager said she believed it belonged to the owner of the mall.
Now here's the best part: I was informed the owner does not like to be bothered, and they are not allowed to call him to ask about prices.
Imagine owning a business and being so indifferent and inconsiderate toward your customers -- the people that keep your business running -- that you can't even price merchandise, let alone give 60 seconds of your time for a phone call.
Now looking at other reviews, I can imagine I may get a reply to this review from the mall. They will probably try to make it sound like they were giving me a deal, like they were doing me a favor. They'd probably say something like, "Well, this is a piece that the gallery had priced at $1200, and after Googling, you can see similar pieces sell for up to $xxxx."
And to that, I say this: I did look at auction records later that night. No piece from this artist has ever sold for more than about $600--and that's in *mint* condition--while most pieces sell in the $1-$300 range. This piece was far from mint condition. Classic case of someone with access to Google, a thimble full of knowledge, and a giant ego. I think in psychological terms they call this the Dunning-Kruger effect.
So in closing, I reiterate: do not waste your time. If you want a pleasant vintage/antique shopping experience, visit Lambertville, NJ. It's a beautiful town with many antique malls, restaurants, and even hiking/biking trails. You could make a day there, or even a weekend. Only visit this mall if you're a glutton for punishment. read more
