If you want a unique 50's themed gift this quaint little shop in Bay View is amazing. They have Tiki themed items plus even cool fez hats. Things are reasonably priced plus the owner is fabulous. Unfortunately the shop is only open on the weekends so when you are in Bay View definitely stop there. Lots of cool shops around this place so make it an event. read more

This shop is located in a really cute area, Bay View. However, I feel it's cramped and a bit cluttered. Also, whoever was working that day was watching a movie at the counter.... This does not make for a pleasant vintage shopping environment. It was quite annoying, so I did not stay long at all. Please just put some nice music on for the customers. They did have a cool vintage collection from the quick scan I did, but the environment of the shop made me leave before I could look through everything. read more

Super cool stuff, lots to choose from! Staff is super friendly and helpful! Check them out!

Fun little vintage shop! Owner is personable, appreciative of her customers and pricing is fair.

Unique items the minute you walk into this super tiny store front. Saw things from 30+ years ago that brings back so many memories of fun events. This store is definitely a gem to the local area. Only draw back is the limited store hours so just double check them before coming. read more

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Fun little vintage shop in Bay View - Tip Top does sell some décor, but the stock appears to be mostly vintage clothing from the 50's and 60's. I saw some adorable Jackie Kennedy boucle coats and a ton of bowling shirts. Prices (especially on the vintage stuff) are quite reasonable. There isn't much in the way of furniture. but there are lots of smaller accessories like cocktail shakers, ashtrays and vintage drinkware. I'm pretty sure my grandma had most of this stuff in her house at one point. Channeling your inner Don Draper? They have a great "briefcase" that holds some liquor bottles and cocktail making supplies. Looking to style it up like Mr. Furley from Three's Company? You'll have a choice of leisure suits. In short, there's something for everyone here - including Elvis playing cards. read more

I cannot help but concur wholeheartedly with M.R.'s assessment of the Yelp reviewer from Seattle -- the one who got all pissy about the fact that he failed to find high end Mid-Century Modern pieces in a fun little Milwakee shop known for its modestly priced Fifties kitsch. I mean, there's a high dollar but extremely limited market for Herman Miller, Paul McCobb, Eero Saarinen, etc., and that's all really stuff that (if we're honest with ourselves here) most Americans didn't even live with in the middle of the last century. Like it or not, your grandmother very likely didn't have Allen Adler silver, nor did she place her wrinkled old ass down into a Norman Bel Geddes office chair whenever she wanted to take a load off. No, more than likely, she had cheap stainless flatware with starburst designs on it, and nylon frisé-upholstered armchairs in electric turquoise. (Yeah -- the ones that were made in Michigan and featured blonde wood legs and were sold in the regular old furniture store nearest her.)) This prick from Seattle? His review reminds me of the schmuck here who walked into a Tex-Mex joint and got all pissy on Yelp because (God forbid!) he couldn't find obscure regional Mexican specialties nor artisanal coffees in a goddamn Tex-Mex joint here in Oklahoma Freakin' City. I for one love a lot of high end stuff from the Mid-Century Modern period, yes, and own my own Dunbar sofas, Jean Prouvé chairs, George Jensen silver, and Issamu Noguchi coffee tables. But guess what? I also treasure my great-granny's bleedin' Melmac pieces, for f*ck's sake, and fondly remember my great-aunt Marie's silly little aluminum tumblers in rainbow hues. (Yeah, the ones that came from Frank's Five & Dime in Yukon, Oklahoma.) In other words, there's a huge market for kitsch, and that's perfectly OK. But let's not confuse two highly divergent markets and then act as though that's perfectly reasonable, let alone justifiable reason to malign a well organized little locally owned business that's thought of highly by many consumers in the Milwaukee area. Snobs who are snobs solely for the sake of snobbishness really do, to paraphrase a quip from M.R.'s review, need to bugger right off. read more

I love this shop! Excellent vintage pieces at great prices. Shop owners are the nicest people. I always make it a point to stop in when I'm in Milwaukee. read more

Ah, Tip Top, the coolest little store front in Bay View. I started out buying a few little items here and there off of their eBay store back in the day. My 5 star review is based off of the superb customer service and attention to detail I got from Jim and Lisa, the owners. They even let me pick my item up in person, rather than having it shipped to my address, even though I bought it off of eBay. I always find something here, and you might say this is a 'dangerous' kind of place for me to be in. Friendly and outgoing owners and a cool, ever-evolving rotation of stock = pure awesome. read more

Tiny little spot w/ great vintage + rockabilly inspired apparel and accessories. Purses, shoes, dresses, sweaters, jewelry, home decor... and the staff is really nice, to boot! In need of a vintage piece, a theme outfit, or if you're looking for a cute, locally-owned boutique that carries awesome stuff, check out Tip Top in Bay View! An MKE staple and a great little find on KK. As Mike P. always says... unchain and support local! read more

We recently visited this tiny mod shop while on vacation In Milwaukee. Being seasoned collectors of mid century items from the west coast we wanted to check out what this mod shop had to offer after reading about it online and driving by it on previous visits to Milwaukee. Needless to say we were unimpressed by this shop and it's offerings. This tiny shop is smaller than an average bedroom. When we entered the shop we got a luke warm response from the owners who seemed more interested in scouting local rummage listings online that helping us customers. We found the selection rather weak for quality mid century items with mostly racks of musty vintage clothes which included a few $36 bowling shirts that had visible holes in them. There was some low end kitsch on the walls and very minimal furniture in the shop. The shop is simply too small and cannot hold enough merchandise. How do they make it? Where is all the good stuff? Even Atomic's Ebay sales seem to stall in the $7-$15 range. The Eames, Paul McCobb, Herman Miller pieces? I recommend getting a much larger shop and add more quality mod items to include home furnishings, lamps, art work and studio pottery and stay off the computer when customers are in the shop. Yawn. read more

Came to this store because I saw a dress I loved on the mannequin in the store window so I came and to my surprise it was there! The guy was nice had very cute vintage dresses and paid fair amount ! Will definitely be going back to get more dresses have in mind changing room is very small! read more

Awesome clothes! Awesome stuff! If you like great 50's,/50's style gear, this is a place you should check out. Depending on how much stock is in the shop and how many customers are perusing, quarters can become a little cramped, but there's always at least one great find hiding somewhere here. I cannot stop in, without walking out with something. The owners were also incredibly helpful in aiding us in procuring some bowling shirts as promotional items for an upcoming theatre show we're producing. Kinda in love with this place. If this is your kind of thing, you'll fall in love with it too. read more

A really fun little shop with an incredibly friendly owner. I bought a vintage tiki mug to go in my collection, and we geeked out together having a conversation about vintage tiki memorabilia. He's got tons of fun stuff; if you're ever looking for an unusual gift I'm sure you'll find something here. The owner knows his stock, too; he'll help you find exactly what you want. Support your local small shops! read more

Get all your vintage needs met here - and if they don't have something you need, they know where to get it! Great prices, excellent selection, fun atmosphere, and wonderful staff. They really know what they're doing and clearly love their work. A close friend recently got married and she wanted us bridesmaids to get dresses that we would wear again; at least two of us found out dresses at Tip Top! read more

OK selection of vintage goods. It's not awe inspiring, but it's ok and there is alot of it. The vintage stuff is priced REALLY low, but the new stuff is kinda on the high side. Plus, who wears Lucky 13 anymore? I really tried to find something here that I wanted, partly because the lady behind the register kept asking people that were leaving the store empty handed "you didn't see anything that caught your eye?". I was about to say that I didn't, and then 3 atomic age glasses struck my fancy. Partly because it was the same design (but smaller size) than a glass I had at home that I bought in New Orleans. They were only $3 a piece! read more

Amazing shop, great people, and some super cool finds! The owners of the shop are very attentive and friendly, a very personable pair as well as kind. Their shop is well organized and full of some really great pieces, all true vintage. A must do for any thriftier. read more

I didn't expect to buy anything, but I came out with several things I love and even more things I regret not buying! The store is small, but it is chock full of treasures. read more

Tip Top describes itself as a Rockabilly Vintage Clothing store, which is totally dead on. The tiny store is packed with plenty of bowling shirts, sexy sundresses, and pin-up bustiers, both vintage and new. It also has lots of fun accessories like jewelry, drink sets, and Betty Page lunchboxes. read more

This is a cute little shop with very, very reasonable prices. Scored a vintage black and white plaid bolero jacket (from a MKE boutique) for 10 bucks that will look very Mad Men paired with some cropped cigarette pants, and a very Joan-style early/mid-60s dress for I think $30 (yes, ok, no points for guessing what is one of my favorite shows). Some cute tiki and pin-up stuff, old cocktail service sets, and costume jewelry. Definitely worth a look, a fun place to poke around and with a little digging you can find some great stuff. The guy from Seattle sounds like a creep, just look at some/most of his other reviews. He finds shop owners all over the country to be unfriendly and disagreeable (and what's the common denominator in that equation, hmmmm?), and doesn't seem happy with any place unless he can score something for less than 10 bucks and re-sell it for a couple hundred. It feels weird to rant about a stranger, but I have a lot of friends who collect mid-century modern out of love rather than desire to turn an obscene profit, and predatory opportunists like this guy are a scourge. Bah. I could never be a small retail owner, because I couldn't resist telling people like this to just go bugger off. read more

I just found a few cute things for my apt and I will def go back again!!! Owner was super nice & over all it's a pretty reasonably priced shop! read more

We found this treasure in Bay View while visiting from the East Coast. If you love 1950s clothes, tiki, and beautiful house decorative items, you MUST stop here. Great prices and fantastic owner named Jim! We'll be back! read more

Okay, you have to go to Atomic. Get your rockabilly shirts, your bowling shirts and more right here. Check out the walls in the dressing rooms. ThIs place will make you smile. Not a huge selection but a great selection. Real vintage and some new stuff too. All of it is right on brand. Definitely making a return visit soon. read more

Visited the store for the first time today and two things struck me the moment we walked in: 1.The awesome selection of vintage merchandise. 2. Friendly folks who were more than happy to help us find what we were looking for. We will be back often! read more

This is perhaps my favorite vintage store. They have a relatively small but thoughtful and reasonably priced selection of vintage goods primarily from the midcentury era. No matter what time of year, I always end up trying on an armful of pieces. I actually purchased a 1950s plaid driving jacket there and shortly afterwards saw the same, if not very similar, jacket being worn by Kathleen Turner in Peggy Sue Got Married. The staff are kind, informed, and helpful. It is worth a trip for anyone in the Milwaukee or Chicago area. read more

Southeastern Wisconsin's destination for everything 1950's, 1960's and 1970's! Whether you are redecorating, accessorizing, revamping a weekend wardrobe, preparing for a pageant or a costume party... You'll find what you desire and outstanding, unmatched customer service at the Tip Top Atomic Shop! Congratulations on the Thirteenth Anniversary of Business! read more

Great vintage store! Fun lamps, great kitsch, fabulous clothes! Bought some atomic dinnerware I had never seen before and the owner gave me a deal for buying it all. Really enjoyed the decor and the sense of humor of the era captured in time. Will absolutely visit again! read more

I was torn between giving them three stars and four stars, if it could have been three and a half, it would of been. Jim and Lisa (the owners) are amazingly funny and kind people and I love going to their shop. I do not like the size of the shop. It is very cramped and makes it difficult to be able to easily look around, especially if someone else is in the store. I feel like there was a lot more to offer a few years back than there is now. There were hardly any shoes the last time I looked the other day and the shirts were priced outrageously. I'd say stick to Dragonfly on Brady Street. read more

really cute lounge and tiki stuff. lots of cool shirts for guys. Got some great earrings there. Friendly staff

Jim is fantastic! I came in with SEVERAL items (an entire Honda Fit full!) and he took the time to go through the pieces even though he has a very defined rockabilly chic look. He gave me an incredibly fair price, was patient and sent me out the door happily with a piece of candy. I will go back if I have something to sell or am in the market for 40-60's style merchandise. read more