I would be genuinely surprised if you told me that you couldn't find a vintage thing you were looking for in this space. That's because Sweet Lorain has everything and more. It's such a nostalgic loire with mid-century modern treasures between 1920 and 1980. I've now visited a few times and really loved my time here. It also has been recognized for being one of the best thrift shops in Ohio. I can see why! AMBIANCE/MERCH: The store occupies 10,000 square feet space on Lorain. It's a neighborhood well known for thrift to the extent that you can have your own crawl. Sweet Lorain has the main space, back space, and furniture room. The main space mostly contains old newspapers, vinyls, jewelry, and home decor. The furniture room has furniture and nostalgic toys. The back room is the treasure chest. You'll find global treasures, Ohio decor, Christmas decor, furs, clothing, luggage, hats, and never ending inventory of whatever you brain may dream up. Some inventory even indicates the era. The inventory pricing widely varies from a few cents to the thousands. Be ready to go on an archeological dig, there is an overwhelming amount of inventory and unique finds. I am a very picky thrifter, and even I can find things to light up about. I love the assortment of furs at Sweet Lorain. There are so many racks of fur coats, boxes upon boxes of muftas, stoles, and hats. There is a fabulous collection of feathered hats (let's bring this fashion back)!There are also a million other things to love. SERVICE: The service is pretty friendly, the owner and the employee always ask if you want help. I most impressed that the owner knows absolutely everything he carries in his enormous inventory. Just ask, and he'll tell you. PARKING: Small, gated parking lot is available onsite. You can also find plenty of street parking. SELL: This place allows you to sell your treasures. Make an appointment in advance. I plan to be back very soon to dig for formal accessories - shoes and clutches. If you have a formal occasion, venture out here. You'll find so many shoes, clutches, formal dresses, and everything in between. It's perfect destination for holiday outfit shopping and everything in between. read more

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Me and my girlfriend enjoyed our experience at Sweet Lorain. Sure, when you walk in here - it can be cramped with piles of things. The owners mind their own business but are very sweet. I loved how the items were categorized based on the decade they were made and you can find a lot of really cool vintage decor and trinkets at reasonable prices. Definitely a local spot to support. read more

Sweet Lorain - Figurines Galore ! - Antiques Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Stopped in here with a friend on a recent weekend getaway, expecting to find some unique treasures, but ended up leaving with nothing. I love a shit show, and there is a TON of merchandise to browse & choose from... but this store was off the charts. We could barely fit through the aisles of overpriced clothing & accessories that were packed into the racks like sardines. I'm sorry, but $95 for a vintage dress I can find at my local Salvation Army for $10 is ridiculous. Also, a lot of the items have clearly not been cleaned or even looked over, so you'll find dust, mold and grime on everything. They clearly don't sell much because of how expensive everything is, which has lead to an overcrowded store that people cannot easily navigate their way through. The amount of merchandise they have SHOWS YOU that they are too expensive, as mentioned in other people's reviews. This place feels more like a retro museum than a store trying to make money selling collectibles, funky decor, and eclectic souvenirs from Cleveland. I hate taking stars away, but honestly, Sweet Lorain was not what we expected. WAY too expensive, WAY too much stuff, and the employees were not super friendly nor accommodating (they literally told us there was NO bathroom, not even for themselves. Seriously????) I will not come back here if I'm ever in the Cleveland area again... Better (less expensive) treasures can be found elsewhere! Don't waste your time. read more

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First impression walking in the door is 'Magic Jewelry Box Filled with Treasures' and it is that and more. If you love vintage this is a must visit destination. I'm a Flight Attendant and stop into vintage shops all around the country. This is perhaps the most amazing vintage shopping experience I have had. The price are incredibly reasonable for this quality and selection of vintage (this can be a one stop shop for most, if not all your vintage needs). I ended up visiting two days in a row for hours both times and can't wait to return. The first day the ladies working were so wonderful. I was given a tour of the space, so I could get the lay of the land (this place is massive). They were so knowledgeable and helpful. I left with a mint condition 1940s novelty print dress in a volup size as well as earrings. Day two, I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Redwin. He was so personable and knowledgeable. His passion for vintage along with his genuine interest in his customers was so lovely. I decided to focus my hunt in the hat section along with accessories and came away with six colorful Whimsies, a 1940s Navy Crocheted Purse with matching Change Purse, and some porcelain earrings. read more

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Very nice place and nice cool things to see and look at but the owner is not very nice. I will not be back ever. read more

I absolutely loved visiting Sweet Lorain when I was a kid, and having moved back to the area I was excited to come back and do some actual shopping for the first time. As others have noted, the selection here is HUGE. Years of amazing pieces pulled together, which can make for hours of deep browsing. That itself is a big part of the appeal of visiting - looking through all the nooks and crannies to admire the housewares, clothing, jewelry, pop culture relics, and more. That said, many thrifters may be disappointed to discover that items are generally priced to reflect their (high) value rather than to encourage sales. This is completely fair, just makes it much harder to justify impulse purchases, and you may walk away empty-handed. If you are an independently wealthy vintage lover, please go do some damage here for me! You will love it! On the other hand, I may continue to treat it more like a museum than a regular shopping destination. read more

Sweet Lorain - Antiques Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Shopper beware! At any given aisle, there's fragile overpriced shit everywhere. I bumped into a shelf so lightly. A ceramic poodle no more than 5" tall fell and broke. I was told I owed them $50!!! Won't ever go back. You shouldn't be allowed to display in such a hazardous way and blame your customers. Shame on you. read more

Amazing place, I loved every minute of it. I could spend hours in this place. The workers were so nice.

Lordy Lordy! Sweet Loraine has been the highlight of my year. Millions of vintage pieces for you to look through, women's vintage jeans, the sheer number of women's dresses is insane. Dressers, buffets, dishes, Knick knacks. Just wow. The dopamine high I got from being here was enough to set me straight for the year. The staff was kind, helpful, and excited for me with my finds. If you're in the area have a go and I might venture to say - depending on your vintage collection and if you're a vintage lifestyle type... It might be worth the cost of a plane ticket and a weekend stay to pop in. I bought a cuff vintage native bracelet - $60, 2 pair of vintage jeans - $35 & $40, and 2 necklaces/chains - $12/$20. It's a bit overpriced, You can't have everything you want here (you'll go broke) but it is a speciality shop after all and the prices reflect worth on most of the items. (Not Goodwill or Flea market prices.) read more

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So I had a friend tell me about this place on my most recent visit home to the Cleveland area. I really started getting into MCM anything in the last year or so and decided to check out a few stores, this being one of them. Wow. This place has so much stuff! I got there an hour before closing and wish I had allotted more time because there was just so much to see. From what I have found online, prices seemed fair. I made a couple small purchases and loved that the items came in an old may company bag. Like a bonus item, lol! Next time I'm home I'm going to go a little earlier and explore a little more. read more

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Great selection of vintage collections at reasonable pricing. Staff was busy organizing, but addressed the customers often to offer assistance. read more

Very cool things from the past but the prices are very high and the owner seems to always be mad.

Great Pl., Redmond really has it packed to the gills, but most prices are much higher than they should be in my opinion. With as much stuff that is packed in here, I'm sure he sells some items but over the years I have seen the same pieces sit there for 567 even eight years, probably due to pricing. Don't ask him to make a deal or come down in price as he won't do and gets very defensive. read more

I LOVE it in here. So many amazing things. All decades. I need to immediately lose 80 lbs so that I can fit into every item. So amazing. read more

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This is an unbelievable collection of antique items with a variety from soup to nuts The owner, Redwin, is a very personable, pleasant human being. I highly recommend his store. read more

I've been going to this antique shop for many years now on our trips to Ohio from Maryland. Yesterday we went in greeted by owner as usual. Walked around checking out the goodies and then the owner comes and yells at a customer for hanging items while she looks at other items. Not even a "hey ma'am are these yours, would you like me to take them to the counter and have them ready" she got a "I DON'T KNOW WHY CUSTOMERS JUST HANG THINGS EVERYWHERE" The young lady replied those are mine and I'm buying them. To which he responded "Well you still can't do that" I was surprised the lady didn't say keep it and walk out. Last when we was on our way out my husbands grandmother went over to explain to the young lady working that she didn't want the earrings she had asked them to hold. She pulled her mask out a hair (which we all know by now that's a no no but she did) to tell the young lady she didn't want the earrings and the owner yelled "MASK UP" Which was not needed. A simple please keep mask up would have been sufficient. Very dissatisfied with his actions of the man and for now on our 4 hour road trip will no longer add this location to one of the stops. I think the owner needs to take a course in customer service. read more

This store is like heaven. Plan to spend some time. The employees were polite and the store wasn't the wreck other reviews made it sound like. I will for sure go back next time I'm in Cleveland. read more

So we visited this store this weekend, and we were followed and were reluctantly at times served. We purchased several items that were overpriced but cute. The store is packed wall to wall with awesome items, but the mold mildew is a little much. You couldn't purchase much because it will smell. So, for this reason, the prices should lean more to thrift than vintage reclaim. Our items were packaged in a pickle paper bag and mistaken for trash for the price that we paid. A nice bag would have been great. read more

MAJOR LACK OF COWBOY ITEMS, A LOT OF UP DOG THOUGH. LOVED IT! It says my post needs 85 characters... So anyways, I've been training for a half marathon lately but it's now Saturday and I haven't ran since last Sunday :( does that make me a failure? I try to tell myself that THE BODY NEEDS REST!! But at what point is that just an excuse you know? I feel great, so I think it's just an excuse. My hips hurt like hell though dude, maybe I'm getting too old for this... I realized I'm turning 26 soon which is horrifying. Pray for me. I wish I could be immature and leave yelp reviews for the rest of my life but I'm a growing boy and sometimes things have to change and that's okay. At least at the end of the day, there's beautiful antique and vintage stores for me to explore to forget about life every once in a while... Hope everyone checks this place out, it's great!!! Xoxo read more

Best Vintage store ever!!‍ It had so many vintage items to vinyls, jewelry, home decorations, shoes, clothing, and so much more. I could of spent the whole day in there!! read more

This place is a total riot and is a must-do for anyone visiting Cleveland. A tipsy time capsule with a clever arrangement - bric a brac sorted by mushrooms, owls, Christmas decor, and so much more. Everything imaginable is uniquely arranged into a department store feel, however, part of its charm is the inordinate quantity of inventory. Saying Sweet Lorain is visual overload is an understatement - your first visit will be overwhelming and be sure to give yourself an entire afternoon - not just a couple of hours - if you are a true vintage lover. The selection of women's vintage clothing is absolutely insane, with incredibly unique, high-quality pieces. The curation rivals that of NYC and LA. However, the unfortunate part is the fact that you need to WORK to browse, because the racks are so jam-packed. I do not mean to be pejorative, but if you do not have an athletic body frame, there will be difficulty navigating the racks - they require very tight squeezes. The only other downside is the fact that the building can be hot during warmer temperatures. This place is a hippie's paradise! read more

Out of sheer curiosity the boyfriend and I just had to stop by Sweet Lorain when we were hopping around the antique shops on Lorain. Yikes. And this is coming from two people who scour the most random, dirty, weirdo thrift stores for treasures--this place is borderline unshoppable. First of all, it looks like at one point in time someone tried to care about this place. Now it appears its inventory has been neglected for a long, long time. Dusty, thrown upon each other... It was too difficult to look through. Certain parts were still semi organized into "shops", but it looks like that concept has been long thrown to the wind and now things are just everywhere. You can't even walk up to stuff to look at it closely. I haven't even been to a thrift store this unorganized. Second, the price tags I did see where way too large. I get it. Your inventory is retro and fun. But just because you call yourself a vintage store does not mean you can forget that your merchandise is still used. Meaning: not new. It's unique, but not worth what you're pricing it. The worst part was that the guy at the counter (who knows who he was) was deciding the cost of things right in front of customers and pointing out the most silly reasons to up the prices. I guess from all the stories I heard about this place in the past being amazing made me pretty shocked to see it in its current state. I certainly hope this place eventually falls into the hands of someone who will actually care about it again. This different ownerships just isn't working out. Sigh... the memories of the previous "Suite Lorain" must live on only in our memories. Sweet Lorain just isn't living up to that standard. read more

Sweet Lorain - Antiques Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Manager's name is Redwin Lewis, which I learned when I introduced myself this past weekend. I bought two 1970s shirts (average $25/piece), and found a fitting leisure suit jacket I liked, which, alas, lacked a price tag. I learned that the mind-bogglingly large inventory is owned by several dealers and that neither the price of the garment nor its owner could be ascertained. I offered $25 with the idea they would agree and ship it to me (my expense). I have far too many sport coats to offer more than that. He very straightforwardly told me that the owner (whomever that is) would not accept $25.00. A 1970s club just opened up and someone else will pay considerably more. read more

I've been visiting Sweet Lorain off and on since 2009. I believe it was called Suite Lorain back then. Anyway, this place is so cool. If you want to step into the past and find some unique pieces, this is your spot. Each time I go, I find something I have to have, whether it be a ring or a pair of midcentury modern lamps. My favorite part though is the living room mockups laid throughout the store. It feels like walking through others' homes in the 60s. In short, Sweet Lorain is sweet. read more

Dirty, dusty, crusty as hell and rude. I was looking for a jewelry box. I found a small section of jewelry boxes, but they were not accessible due to the piles and piles of hangers in back of the jewelry section. The folks that did little to welcome me in at the door did even less to help me out in the store. I used to really like this place. read more

WOW! I've driven by this place for years now and never stopped in to see what they had. A lot of times I've found that in Ohio, "Antiques" can be the equivalent of someone's basement or barn being cleaned out. Lately, I've been looking online for Mid Century items and instead of paying for shipping and potentially having to return items I said surely there's someplace local that has this item, right? So on impulse I stopped into Sweet Lorain and let me tell you... it was something of a religious experience. Every corner I turned I saw this, and that, and this, and that all of which made me giddy with delight. Pretty much **everything in the store is from say late 30s to early 80s with LOTS of MCM** Is it crowded in places? Yes. A reviewer mentioned it was like an episode of hoarders. It kind of is, only good, good, good hoarding if that's possible. Could it use an "inventory sale" as another reviewer suggested? I can say that my wallet can only hope and pray they do that! Are there "piles" of stuff? Yes. Does it in some places look like it could stand better organization and order? Yes. Should they hire me to do that? Maybe. The prices - well, I'm not an expert. I've been looking for MCM tables on Ebay so I can say Sweet Lorain was comparable if possibly a little higher BUT... you can see and feel what you're getting right there and not be disappointed when your item arrives and have to resell or return it. When I think prices on Ebay plus shipping vs. Sweet Lorain and no shipping, they're comparable in my opinion. Let's remember another point: You're supporting a local business. Personally, I intend to support them every chance I get and as much as I can on my very limited finances. For me, it was like a kid in a candy store and then some. Go. See. Take your time. Enjoy! read more

Too much stuff.. Lot of it looks like it's been on the shelves awhile... A good old inventory sale would be an interesting, beneficial idea..make some room. read more

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Fun little shop filled with vintage treasures. When you walk inside you almost feel like you are in an episode of hoarders. Where did all of these similarly placed objects come from? It's almost surreal. From clothes to holiday, they have all the vintage you could ever possibly want all placed/grouped perfectly. read more

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This place is heaven on Earth. Packed to the gills w/ all things vintage, so much to look at and swoon over. I could have spent an entire day in here but unfortunately was traveling from out of state so my time was short. Prices are high but reasonable for the age/condition of items. Highly recommend to ANYONE in the area, i can't imagine a person that wouldn't enjoy this place. The people who worked there were friendly as well! I hope to find myself in Cleveland again just so i can come back. read more

Sweet Lorain - Perfect for a tchotchke freak - Antiques Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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This place is awesome and so much fun. Tons and tons of old stuff so be prepared to walk around and look for hours. Super cool place and has anything that you could possibly be looking for. So much stuff read more

Sweet Lorain - Antiques Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Horrible experience!!!!!! I buy high end antiques and was told to mask up even though covid is done for the most part. I was half way thru the store of junk when owner hassled me about the mask not being over my nose so i told him off. He was soooooo RUDE!!!!!! I spend alot of $$$ so it's his loss although it seemed like he had just CRAP for sale. He needs some manners as covid is over and have never been treated like that before!! I hope he goes under for his bad business practices!!!! read more

If you're into costume jewelry they have an amazing selection, just don't anticipate feeling like you got a good deal when you buy.

Bigger than some of the places I find on my travels. Wide selection of clothing, jewelry, accessories and kitchenware. There was also Tchotchkes galore which is what hunt for. Everything is appropriately priced (in my opinion). I got what I was looking for and saw plenty of other things I could see myself owning as well. read more

I want to like this store. They have TONS of merchandise and that's exactly my issue. Stuff is just piled on top of stuff and there is so much clothing you can hardly walk, let alone browse the racks. If you want to spend a couple of hours here trying to find something the. Have fun, but for the casual browser it's a nightmare. read more

I loved this place! They had so many great items it was hard to know where to begin looking! Also, the folks who work here were so friendly and helpful, they even gave us recommendations for places to explore in the area. read more

FANTABULOUS!!!!!! We were on a hunt... Not just any hunt but a hunt for the perfect Halloween costume! I haven't been to Sweet Lorain since it was Suite Lorain and that was a few years ago and at that time it just seemed unorganized and disheveled. Also I really didn't see anything that remotely caught my attention so I left empty handed... Fast forward... HOLLY CRAP!!! Thiis place is now JAMMED with kitschy nicknacks and bric-a-brac that seems to go on forever!!! The woman that was helping us was engaging and very helpful even though she was up to her elbows in new arrivals! I made a mental note on what I saw so that when I start getting all crazy cat lady on my house I know where to start!!!! read more

A decade ago, when this store was under previous ownership, it was a really magical place and I furnished my apartment with things from the store. Now it feels like entering a hoarder's home without the curating of a good vintage store. The owner is rude and no wonder since he spent time in jail for embezzling from Big Fun years ago. It's hard for me to see that people still support him. I was willing to give it another chance recently, and realized why I said a few years ago that I would never go back. He reminded me why that was my impression back then. Overpriced and dirty. I'd rather spend my time at garage sales. read more

"The Vintage Department Store" If you lived as a kid (not counting toddlerhood) in the decades from 1940 through 1990) this is the place to find the bric-a-brac of that decade, not to mention the racks of vintage clothes, shoes and hats as well as furniture, glassware, albums, Life magazines and even old "Playgirl" magazines. There are sections for Christmas and Halloween items. It's easy to move through and doesn't feel too cluttered at all. The outside signage is Art Deco; the parking lot, clean. I'm a beginner Fiestaware collector, and Sweet Lorain had a decent amount available. I will be back. read more

great little store and the guy behind the counter was great! he was very helpful on different places to go. the store itself was filled with all kinds of pretty and interesting antiques at great prices. we will definitely go back. read more

This place changed owership between my last two visits and it was really felt hard... the new owner seems to be driven by angst instead of wonder and the prices went through the roof. They took something magical and pooped on it. I will never go back. P.S. - This note is from late summer, 2010 - the old name was "Suite Lorain" and my 4-star review remains on that listing to honor the establishment it once was. read more