This store is a literal gem. My daughter visited from NYC and a friend told her to go by. The owners, Van and John, are funny, knowledgeable and the nicest people ever! Van and My daughter talked and gabbed moreso about their mutual interests than clothing LOL I saw so many precious items there that I remember seeing in my grandmother's and mom's closets. Wiggle dresses, poodle skirts, letterman's sweaters-- if they don't have it, then honey child, you don't need it!! Clothing is arranged by decade and sorted then by waist size. I didn't go downstairs but there's more to see there. read more

hidden gem!! amazing vintage pieces that are amazing quality. i could spend HOURS in here. the owner is so sweet and so passionate about what she does. I can't wait to visit again! read more

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John and Janet knocked it out of the park again! The level of service and unique finds continue to leave me speechless!! I appreciate the both of you and I highly suggest anyone in the area to shop and support their collection. read more

I'd been here a few times when they were in their old location, but I've had better luck since Retro 101 moved across and down (or is it up?) the street. This is partly because the lighting is better and the walls are lighter--their bold clothes can really pop in such an environment. It's also a bit more curated, I think. Oh, they have two rooms and a basement, and they get new stuff so often that my friend and I both found more things when we went today, a mere 3-4 weeks after our last visit, which was 2 hours long. My friend buys dresses here; I favor accessories. I found a beautiful blue velvet cap from the 1920s today and scarves, a bag, a wallet, a hat, gloves, and I forget what else last time. Vintage clothes in good condition, with the as-is pieces marked thusly, and also a fair amount of "deadstock" (the vintage pieces that didn't sell back in the day and still have their tags). Great range of eras--1920s to 1980s! If you spend a mint (guilty), don't be surprised if the owner throws in the gloves you wanted or offers to get you a hatbox. He'll look at a few things you want to trade in for store credit, too, and will take what he thinks he can sell (if it's in season). read more

Super cute little shop and make sure to check out the basement! I met the owner and a few of her friends. They were all very helpful, but unfortunately it was a little more pricey they I'd prefer. For this reason we didn't buy anything, but still enjoyed out visit! read more

Retro 101 is a must-stop shop if you are visiting Cherokee Street for the day. This vintage shop boasts a large variety of vintage goods ranging from jewelry, hats, handbags, accessories, shoes, and clothing for both men and women. They also offer certain seasonal items, like vintage Valentine's Day cards most recently, which are amazing! I picked up up one to send and a couple to keep since they were so cute. The staff are always helpful and are quite knowledgeable about the many pieces in the store. Retro 101 participates in Cherokee Street's Second Saturdays, and one staffer helped get my friends and I started on our stamp card and was happy to explain how it worked. It's a really fun thing to do to explore Cherokee Street and support local businesses on a Saturday evening. Thanks, Retro 101, and I'll be back again soon! read more

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The staff were super friendly and helpful, very inviting and willing to help you find a particular piece or just chat. There were lots of unique, curated pieces here that you don't find at other "vintage" shops, so I would start here for any locals looking for a fresh statement piece. The men's section is a little lacking, mostly hawaiian shirts and polos. However, the women's section has a large variety of formal and semi-formal dresses and coats, great for standing out at an event. Jewelry selection is their selling point for me, much broader than the typical grandma costume jewelry you get from estate sales. Will definitely be stopping in again! read more

Great food and ambience. If it's warm, sit outside as it can get noisy inside. Brussel Sprouts, Mushroom sandwich and truffle/parmesan fries are fantastic. read more

Your stylish-but-eccentric grandma's attic threw up, and Retro 101 is the result. This is a fun shop on Cherokee Row that combines glamorous retro with grandma retro. There are a ton of clothing options on the first floor, and you'll find everything from velvet dresses to miu-mius to sequined mini skirts. I haven't purchased any clothes yet, but I have had great luck with their accessories. Retro 101 has cute hats and jewelry, but its their sunglasses that I keep returning for. I constantly get compliments on one particular pair of pink with white polka dots that are 50s vintage replica, and they were only $10! Down a set of creepy stairs into a dark basement, you'll find some home furnishings like ashtrays, steins and stools. I never seem to find anything that I like down here, but then again, I'm always anxious to leave because it smells like, well, basement. Plus it's the kind of place where giant imaginary spiders live. Prices are pretty reasonable for all pieces. Retro 101 is a fine stop for a day on Cherokee. Yay for cute accessories! read more

I found the cutest hat here! True, some are pretty crazy or church hats but the flapper type, 20's hats are pretty cool! Lots of neat clothes here, if I was thinner I would buy some. Hehe. Lots of knickknacks, purses, jewelery, some guy clothing. Worth checking out if you are out adventure shopping. read more

Retro 101 - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Started Christmas shopping, ended buying myself all kinds of things. I love killing time on a Saturday wandering around Cherokee and taking my time. All of the antique stores there have so much to look at and explore. Don't forget to feed the meter! read more

Lovely collection, lovely staff. I always find what I need, and many things I do not need, but buy anyway. The best of the best.

A gem of a vintage shop! The owner has an amazing eye and the selection is top tier. Women & men's apparal and accessories plus home decor. Always in style & worth visiting often. read more

Retro 101 - Ostrich feather capelette I had to have! - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

This place is wonderful to hang out if you're a big fan of anything vintage, but especially clothes. This store not only sells vintage clothes but also: vintage jewelry, purses, shoes, accessories, artworks, lamps, coaches, tables, and weird/quirky/charming artworks/paintings. I didn't buy anything during my first time here because I was just browsing, but I definitely plan to come back here again for another fun day and hopefully buy something. read more

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FABULOUS!!!!!! Top notch merchandise and very sweet owners, the best vintage shop in St. Louis

Cool store. They have mostly 70s and older clothing. I was looking for late 80s early 90s. They had one 80s rack for women. The garments were in good condition just not much to chose from for what I needed. Little pricy too. read more

Okay. THIS IS AN AMAZING PLACE. If you are a vintage clothing or jewelry lover, you MUST stop in here at least once in your life. When I walked in, I almost cried from how much there was to look at. There are endless racks of clothes and cases of jewelry. So many cool things to see and buy here! The prices aren't too bad and the woman working there is extremely nice and knows her stuff. The ambience of this place makes you feel like you've been pushed back in time. I bought some cute clothes and jewelry here. When in St. Louis or Missouri in general, you must stop by here and the rest of the stops on Cherokee Street!! read more

There are three kinds of places that sell old stuff. 1. The places that sell old stuff, know it's old, and call them antiques making it so you can't afford them. 2. The places that sell old stuff, know it's old, but also know that just because something is vintage, it doesn't mean it should be overpriced. 3. The places that sell old stuff, don't have a clue how old it is, charge almost nothing, but who people like me never go to because I don't have the patience to spend 3 hours rooting through racks of clothing to find a $2 sweater that looks aight. Retro 101 is definitely in the second category. If you like vintage clothing, this is a great place. I could walk in, close my eyes, grab a handful of dresses, and fall in love with all of them. They know what they're buying and they know what they're selling. Do people still watch Mad Men? It screams Mad Men, it screams mod, it screams whatever it is that people used to scream back in the day. Pro Tip: get your old issues of playboy here. They don't just sell clothing, they have an entire basement of weird retro decor. I keep saying retro because honestly I don't know any synonyms for retro. Funky lamps, wall art shaped like things that aren't actually shapes, neat ol' furniture, etc. It's just an all around fun place. Pro Tip #2: Bring cash, and you might be able to get away with cutting a deal. Don't tell them I said this. God I hope they don't read this. I'm just sayin, they might give you that 25$ dress for 20$ if that's all you've got in cash.... As far as price is concerned, I think they're totally reasonable. 25$ dress? Where else do you get 25$ dresses? Forever21, so you can wear it twice before it rips? Do people not realize that a lot of the older clothing is made SO MUCH BETTER than a lot of clothing today? I've got stuff from there I've worn so many times I should be embarrassed, and we're talkin dresses that are 50 years old. I'd trust them to protect me during the apocalypse more than I'd trust a bomb shelter ok! We don't have a lot of stores like this in the city, so just get off your bum and go ok! read more

Most of my favorite vintage pieces which I still wear today came from this store . They have huge selection for men women furniture jewelry and they do have a basement which I always forget to go . The owner are very nice and they don't really bother u unless u need help. This is my favorite vintage store by far and I always find something every time I visit . read more

To steal a theme from Cher in the movie Clueless, I often wonder to myself: Things can be overrated and things can be underrated, but can things just be 'rated'? After careful research and introspection, I can now conclude that yes, there are some things that can be just rated. New York style pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, laying on the beach, and riding roller coasters are all rated. And in addition to them, you can add Retro 101. In a city the size of St. Louis, with it's eclectic history, you would think that retro stores would come a dime a dozen. After all, this is a city whose heyday was over 100 years ago, and with each passing decade gets a little more behind the times. So there's got to be a bunch of kitchy little shops filled with furniture and trinkets from the 50's and 60's, right? Wrong. The king of retro shops in St. Louis is TFA, no doubt. And after that you have...well....umm....do antique malls count? Nope? Well I guess next up is Retro 101...and then a bunch of little places that open and close at random. So I guess what I'm saying is that after TFA, Retro 101 is the best of the rest. So what do they have? Well, they have a few pieces of furniture, some dinner sets, a bunch of knicknacks, a lot of jewelry, and an explosion of clothes. This place should actually be called "The place to get a cool vintage piece of clothing for your next theme party (plus a few things you might remember from childhood)", but I guess all of that wouldn't fit on the sign. They're not really consistent with their theme, unfortunately. "Retro" could mean anything from the 1920's to the 1990's, so they catch a wide berth with their selection. It's not unusual to see a 50's dinette set next to a Garfield "I hate Mondays" glass. This is both good and bad, for obvious reasons. Also, the condition of the items they stock is not nearly as nice as TFA. In fact, it almost seems like they get the castoffs from what TFA didn't deem "nice enough" to keep. So as a result you get dinnerware with the odd chip, clothing with the occasional stain, and magazines that have been read. You know, stuff that's actually been USED before. Again, this is not necessarily bad, but you can't trust everything you see, and the prices are usually reasonable. They have a basement, which is a bargain basement is pretty much the truest sense of the term. It's the stuff that isn't quite cool enough/nice enough to be on the main floor. Trashcans, velvet paintings, suitcases...stuff that is either cool yet not functional, or stuff that is just too sad to display in your house. Every once in a while you can find something worth buying down there, but you gotta dig. And that brings me to the last point. Unfortunately, Retro 101 is a sort of victim of it's own size. This place is way too small, and way too cramped to have a fantastic buying experience. You spend most of your time wiggling around the store, trying to avoid racks of clothing, narrow aisles, and random displays that block your path. I'm sure that the owners do not plan it this way, but organization is not their strong point. They have way too much stuff in their little store, and they try to organize it as well as possible, but it ends up just being a shitshow. They honestly either need to curate their inventory better or get a bigger store, because right now as I type this the only thing I can think of is how cramped it is and how much more I'd like it if it had a cleaner layout. I really want to give this place 4 stars, because after TFA and this place, I have no idea where I can buy vintage furniture and antiques from the 50's and 60's. But cmon guys, help me help you. Narrow your focus and clean up this place a little, and for the love of God throw out some of that junk downstairs. read more

Retro 101 is the bomb diggity. Am I too old to say that? Doesn't matter 'cause I like it very much... First of all, this shop always has a cool window display. They say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but I beg to differ. Sometimes what compels me to go into a shop is its window display. Retro 101 takes time and though into what they put in their window and I totally respect their efforts! Also, they do a pretty nice job of separating out their merchandise. Furniture is towards the front, women's clothes in the middle, men's clothing in the back and housewares/random "stuff" in the basement. I will say that their prom/formal dress selection is enviable! I'm always looking for an excuse to wear a costume and this is the kind of shop where I could get in some serious trouble. The staff seems attentive without bugging you. They greet you when you walk in, ask if you need help, then leave you alone. I've not yet purchased anything at Retro 101 but would be happy to for the right item of clothing or accessory. read more

OK 5/5 stars. Yes, a lot of it can be grandma-y but DAMN. I scored some sweet finds here. And best of all? Even though some if it *can* be a little pricey, the girl behind that counter was super sweet and worked with my budget. She cut me a deal on the three dresses I absolutely could not live without! So yeah...great service and tooons of stuff to look at. Seriously come here when you have a lot of time on your hands! It took me nearly 2.5 ~ 3 hours to find what I found but it was so worth it. (Also I really eat this type of crap up, so yeah. Shopping = win for me!) I got a red and white striped sailor dress from the '70s with huge awesome buttons, a pastel purple and white mod dress from the '60s, and a realllly cute floral dress which appeared to be handmade also from the '70s. So much love for this store. There were at least 4 other dresses I wanted but couldn't afford to get at present. *arnold voice* I WILL BE BACK. read more

Vintage nirvana! Go!! One of the largest collections of vintage clothing I've seen an the best in St Louis I've found! Be sure to ask the owner for assistance. He has some great items tucked away for special occasions and he has a great eye for styles! Loved it!! read more

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Retro 101 is a great store where you can find just about anything from the last century. They have furniture from the 1950's and 60's that looks like it is in perfect condition and at a good price. With this style of furniture back in style, if you were to go anywhere else and buy it new, you would be spending a fortune. Besides awesome furniture they also sell vintage clothing from the 1920's and onwards. There you can find some pretty sweet suits and all kinds of jackets of varying styles. I enjoy looking through their jackets because, well, you can never have enough jackets. read more

I found out about this shop on a friends recommendation when looking for things to do while stranded in St.Louis. (See disgruntled review of Delta Airlines) So glad I took her advice. It was easy to find and located in a cute little historic district. They have an excellent selection and wide variety of vintage clothing. I scored a great gab swing jacket for $65, a high quality 1940's dress for $80. Very reasonable pricing for quality vintage. No moth bites here. The staff was eager to help with shipping. I'd be a regular shopper if I lived in the area. I'm sure to make this a stop on my next trip. read more

Retro was one of 4 vintage stops I made last weekend on my virgin vintage shopping tour of St. Louis. Completely different than the other 3 stores, this one was fun...but a bit overwhelming as it was pretty crowded on a Saturday and the racks where crammed in tight. I did really enjoy looking at all of the 'vintage' stuff from my childhood in the basement. Seriously, that 70s stuff was ugly and boring back then...who would want it now? But I did see one piece that I could have bought for my house if I needed it, which I didn't. This one gets 3 stars because I doubt I would find much to buy here, and definitely wouldn't make a special trip to Cherokee St for it. That said, if I was there anyway,, I'd stop in again and look around. read more

We spent nearly an hour in this place searching and trying things. Staff was helpful when needed. Otherwise, they let us browse at will. We ended up with a great black & white linen dress for TH, and a vest for me. read more

I was strolling down Cherokee street last weekend, iced chai in hand, and I decided to pop into Retro 101 to do a bit of browsing. I didn't find a Catholic school girl skirt or ugly red dress that I was looking for, but they did have quite a variety of other vintage-y things in the store. I feel like this is one of those places where you have to have an idea of what you want before you step in. There are just SO many items that it sort of becomes overwhelming after a while. Everything seems organized, and the place itself is clean, so A+ on that front. read more

I love vintage clothing shops and St. Louis has had some of the best I've seen. This shop goes beyond just clothes...I really had fun stopping in here (the glass in the windows pulled me in!!) but the mustiness of the basement would hinder me bringing something home. However, if I wanted a period piece of clothing and was hunting for something specific...I'd definitely start by looking here! read more

My cousin introduced me to this shop on my annual visit to the St. Louis area. I was already excited to shop in a place, which, unlike Los Angeles, has not been picked through by every production company in Tinseltown. I love a good hunt for a special piece and I knew I could find something here. I would say the selection is great in just about every category and era. This place was so fun to explore as it offered so much. Shoes, purses, dresses, foundations, jewelry, etc, etc. And men, you are NOT left out here as you have an entire section of the store devoted to you. Other than clothing, they offer furniture, lighting fixtures, and more. They also have an entire basement filled with MORE vintage shoes, boots, coats, and fun kitschy items for your home. Don't worry, nothing creepy down there. This is a historic building with character after all, not Target. Pricing is very reasonable and if you are in the market for a fine, rare piece, they have that too. The staff is friendly and accommodating and if you need help finding a certain item, just ask them, as they are familiar with their inventory. read more

By far my favorite place in St. Louis to spend a day shopping! I have been hopelessly devoted to this shop since the days of their three-story spot down the street. I always had amazing luck at Retro 101. The staff is sweet and helpful. I always find something that I absolutely need (even though I didn't know it when I went in). It's a perfect place to treasure hunt. I can safely say I've gotten 50% of my dresses from this shop. In fact the last time I went in I found two ultimate dream dresses at one time! This black dress with a lace skirt and a dreamy turquoise velvet dress. Their price are always incredibly reasonable. They also have a more substantial men's section than a lot of vintage shops and great furniture, lamps, and other doodads. Highly recommended if you're looking for a fun, unique party dress or fancy hat! read more

Retro 101 - The dreamiest lbd. - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

First off, i was surprised when I first Yelped this shop and it had an average of 3 overall star rating. This place is awesome! Just goes to show one's individual experience won't always agree with community Yelp review ratings! So if you are ever curious about a business, go and find out for yourself! I am so glad i went to Retro 101! I'm really picky about my vintage, and i must say this is possibly my favorite Vintage shop i have ever set foot inside! Why? 1) Items are truly authentic 2) Items are priced fairly (the older pieces (pre 40s) will obviously be more expensive than the newer (post 40s) items). 3) The selection is so extensive that you could easily spend hours browsing. 4) Lots of dresses means...lots of sizes: some vintage stores are great but only carry larger items, this one has plenty of choices for petite women too! Yeih!!!! 5) your imagination will run wild wondering where these pieces come from, who might have owned them previously and how they ended up here. 6) the owners are relatively friendly and have a real passion for their garments. All items are cleaned, steamed, stitched up. 7) If an item has tares or stains, it will be priced a lot lower than a piece in mint condition. I bought an authentic 1940s dress that would have normally been $90 but because it had a small (permanent) stain and some fixable tares, they sold it to me for $35. A beautiful silk pale blue skirt with ivory deco designs on it for $10 (also because of a stain on the bottom back). There's two things that really piss me off about Vintage shops: 1) When they try to pass off a Gap dress or Payless shoes as authentic vintage, or when they cut of the tag off what is clearly a Sears reject clearance skirt that they found at the Goodwill less than a month prior and that they are trying to sell to you now as if it were from the 1950s! 2) When clothing is in terrible condition (tares, stains, rips, broken zippers, smelly, worn out, etc), but because it's old or it's made out of "silk" or "cashemere" they price it as if it were brand new! Well, I am happy to inform that Retro 101 does neither of the above! Their items are genuinely old, and their torn, stained clothes is either fixed or priced at a much cheaper price, nothing is too smelly, though the natural smell of old people prevails at most vintage shops across the board! This place is B-O-M-B! The only thing i did not like (and the reason it receives 4 stars instead of 5): 1) I wanted to buy three items and i asked for a discount, but lady would not budge, Because the 40s dress i liked was not tagged when i asked for the price, she thought about it a little too long before she threw out the number $35! Because the dress did have a permanent stain and was torn, i requested they knock off $5 and give it to me for $30, but they refused even though the dress had no price tag to begin with. This bothered me a bit, especially because i was trying to negotiate and offered to buy a third item, but owner was stubbornly unwilling to entertain my request, so i ended up only buying two items and spending $45 instead of $70! I don't think i was being unreasonable. I was requesting a $5 mark-down from what would have been an overall $70 sale (with the third item), that's less than a 10% discount!!! I believe owners can respect their products and business while still being flexible when it comes to negotiating (especially when customer is offering to buy more products and give you more business and more liquid cash!!!). Stubborn and rigid store owners tend to trip over a dollar to pick up a dime. All that said though, Retro 101 is definitely the best of the best as far as authentic vintage is concerned! They do have reasonably priced items and I will definitely shop here again when in St. Louis, MO! read more

The best vintage store in St. Louis, especially if you are looking for mid-century (50s/60s/70s) clothing or furniture. I found a really cute polyester dress here as well as a Danish modern coffee table in mint condition. They have tons of accessories (esp. purses), groovy lamps, and more. Things are well-organized and clean (although the basement is a bit dingy), and best of all, items are reasonably priced!! Incidentally, I thought this place was called Cherry Bomb - I guess it's Retro 101/Cherry Bomb - two great stores in one! read more

Fantastic vintage store. They've done a wonderful job of editing the selections and organizing the store. The clothes and accessories are arranged by type and color, making it even easier to find the perfect Bakelite bracelet or black lace cocktail dress. The prices were surprisingly reasonable for the quality of the items and the care that was clearly taken in choosing and displaying them. The woman at the desk was friendly and helpful. My friend & I both found tons of adorable things and we each had to exercise lots of restraint at the end of our little vintage adventure. I found this place thanks to the Yelp reviews - thanks for steering me in the right direction! I love stopping into vintage stores in every new city I visit. This place definitely ranks among the best! read more

I LOVE this place! I never had a clue about vintage until I started coming into the shop. The shop is made up of two people John (The Retro 101 side who sold mainly Mid Century Modern Furn.) and Janet (The Cherry Bomb Vintage side who sold mainly vintage clothing) the teamed up but kept both names. They both have wonderful knowledge of the clothing from how to wear it to how to maintain it. They will even help accessorize you if you want to really look the part. I love how the owners want to share vintage with people so they make it affordable and fun. So if you want something cool for your house or a unique one of a kind dress you need to stop here and check it out. Now they are even on Facebook, yeah!! read more

Definitely the most personable people I've ever met in vintage or antiques. Really fairly priced in comparison to other cities , tons of great vintage clothes for women & men, and funky furniture & knick-knacks'. Definitely my STL hometown favorite place for yesteryear goodies! THE BEST IN ST. LOUIS for sure! read more

I brought my out of town friends here from Tulsa. We had a blast and your staff was so friendly! We found things we didn't even know we needed. Definitely a fun and amazing place to shop and play dress up. read more

This shop is a fun place packed with all vintage clothing. It's a little pricey for being used material, i think, but there are always a couple of great finds. Last time i was in a bought a faux pearl necklace for $15, and a butter dish for $5. They have everything imaginable, dont forget to check out the basement! read more

In the market for furniture, I wasn't impressed by what I saw here. There were a couple nice pieces but they were pretty expensive being from the '50s-'70s. Keep in mind, this shop specializes in that era. I was on a furniture mission, so I did not take a look at the extensive clothing selection. read more

Retro 101 is a retro clothier located on the west of Jefferson section of Cherokee Street. They carry retro clothes for men and women, jewelry, and some furniture, decor and odds and ends. They have nice things, especially hats, purses, and dresses. It's a bit pricey, but everything is in top condition for a vintage store. read more