On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Real People. Real Reviews.®
Category: Used, Vintage & Consignment [Edit]
Neighborhoods: UC Campus Area, Telegraph AveMon-Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Loading...
Stopped in here earlier today and realized, they have pretty much everything. better than any other vintage spot on telegraph.
lumberjack plaid lined levi's jean jackets
member's only of all colors
colorful sweaters
trousers
one of the only spots to have skinny ties
go. now.
Everyone hates Hipsters. Okay, that's great but what does that ever have to do with the clothing… Read more »
Over the weekend I got together with some of my closest gal pals and we had decided on going on a vintage shopping adventure. Our plan was to stop in at Mars and other vintage spots on Telegraph, for our Viva Las Vegas trip coming in April (which by the way is a 4 trip day of carshow, billy music, burlesque competitions and well you know the rest "what happens in vegas stays in vegas :-) ).
I had been to Mars a few times before and remember it having crappy staff and decent pricing so I have to say this time it was the other way around. Their staff seemed friendly, and were very well costumer oriented but I think their pricing for some items were ridiculous. It's prevalent that the economy has event hit thrift shops. Blah.
I didn't find anything for Viva but, I did find a really cool piece of clothing for a new burlesque act.
This is your prototypical Telegraph Ave vintage clothing store. Prime real estate location with the street vendors outside a-plenty. When I shop here, the salespeople are extra nice to me because I dont' look like the usual patron. I am conservatively dressed in my plain jeans, nondescript tee, Minnetonkas, and small-Asian-girl demeanor. I am not the skinny-jeaned edgy-hairstyled Gilman-street punk-meets-hipster like everyone else browsing the store. No, I am just a poor soul that wants a $10 used sweatshirt.
So, I come here on a mission: $4 vintage scarves. $10 hoodies. One-of-a-kind tees. I skip over everything else that would look silly on me, personally: poncho sweaters; technicolor nylon jackets; kitschy tweed blazers; jumpsuits and short-suits; polyester God-knows-what; crochet peasant tops; grandma boots. I'm just not that ... hip.
Some items could have washed a bit better so the musky smell isn't so rampant, but overall I've been happy with my purchases. The store is pretty claustrophobic so be warned. Overall it's my go-to local place for unique garb at moderately low prices and decent quality.
Pro: Great selection of vintage clothing.
Con: Hipster hell.
Pro: Organization of merchandise is virtually flawless.
Con: Too-cool employees can be a crap shoot when it comes to customer service skills.
Pro: Decently private fitting rooms.
Con: Inflated pricing of some merchandise.
Pro: Close to the Telegraph/Durant parking garage.
Con: Consistently abysmal climate control - it is always 95 effing degrees inside this place.
I rarely am in the mood to deal with the whole Telegraph Avenue scene, so my visits to Mars (which in my mind will always be Wasteland) are few and far between - but they remain solid for vintage clothing options.
Love this place! I always make a point to stop here when I'm visiting Berkeley. They sell pretty much everything here: dresses, shirts, pants, skirts shoes, bags, and accesories. I always make a beeline for the vintage dresses, which are helpfully arranged by era and/or style. There is a pretty awesome collection of what they have labled "80s soap opera dresses,"so if you are a fan of DYNASTY you need to go here! I don't like it when people say this about vintage stores, but it is also a good place to go if you are looking to put together your halloween costume.
Oh my goodness...the employees here rock!
What a great team of cool people.
My family truly enjoys Berkeley visits.
We bopped into this place once and that's all
it took to get hooked.
The place is filled with vintage clothing and
do-dads...
fun and funky stuff.
Want leather pants? You can them here!
Polyester leisure suits...check!
Jazzy hats...yup, they have those too!
Price points were all over the board. I felt
some clothing items were a bit high.
My family had a heck-of-a-time browsing
the funky stuff.
As we were leaving, we passed a glass
display/counter.
Some sparkly do-dads caught my eye and
I asked a cool sales gal for a closer look.
The large sparkly do-dad wasn't priced, so
she offered it for a teensy-weensy $4...
a fabulous deal.
Yes, such a deal that I bought two of those
sparkly do-dads.
A conversation with two employees was
sparked regarding the cool sparkly stuff and
we all had a great chat and many laughs.
Those great employees are gems with
sparkly attitudes.
Secretly, I want to be a hipster girl with a rad haircut and funky clothes. The kind that carries a moleskin and writes poetry, and strums a guitar, and runs with a pack of long legged, skinny floppy haired boys and gals like gazelle down the streets of Berkeley.
My transformation would start in Mars' racks where the jackets hold the faint smell of mothballs and someone else and the denim has earned a sheen that never washes off. It's easy to get lost in there: sections by era and type, it's a game of luck as the only tip-offs are the corners of fabric that stick out of line.
If you need a little guidance, peep the glass case by the register for sharp accessories. 80s heels pick up an outfit faster than BMW scouting for a hooker. They also have a great selection of retro boots and purses, so you don't have to feel badly about buying leather.
I've always found the staff to be on point. They offer up informed advice, and if I'm feeling indecisive, sweeten the deal when necessary keeping me on the glorious road to hipsterdom!
omg! Did you all look at some insane handbook on how to look like the ultimate hipster douchebag stereotype (Vice Magazine?), follow it to the letter, and then get a job at Mars?
WESTERN SHIRTS...
This was the sole reason I went in here. (No, it wasn't for the multitude of keffiyehs or a Halloween costume.) They got 'em! Nice selection with mother-of-pearl snaps. For around $14. Score.
The dude in the ironic camp tanktop for preteens and ironic tie-dye short shorts with the scraggly ironic wanna-be stache was nice enough and discussed (vegan) donuts.
The vintage here is soooooo on the spot. Upstairs, they organized the dresses and things by the years 60s, 70s, 80s. I loved it. The tiedye selection was kinda overpriced but really cute. I would go here to do a whole create-your-own-Halloween-costume thing.
-1 since the stuff is kinda overpriced, but hey, you havta give Mars credit for finding all that funky vintage stuff.
I'm a huge fan of consignment/vintage stores. That's kind of my schtick. Vintage dresses, button down shirts with blue jeans, cardigans with beading on them, I wear them all.
Mars is a good sized vintage store with some funky Berkeley flavor thrown in. I wandered upstairs and found the most amazing, spectacular vintage find I think I have ever made. Vintage, grey Frye boots, already broken in and just sitting there, waiting for me to come find them.
I almost broke down in tears they were so beautiful. But I didn't, I just swept them up and bought them as quickly as possible. Then I took off my shoes and put on my old boots. I wore those boots to the Mission District that night and walked all over town. I looked damn fine doing it too. And I didn't care that my feet started to hurt after four blocks. I wore those shoes and embraced the pain.
Thank goodness for Mars.
I loved Mars in the past, and for all their weird stuff I was able to ignore the poor organization, the rude staff, their no-exchanges policy. They always had a great selection and though they could have used more really clothes (not so many costumes) I did enjoy going there from time to time for blazers and purses.
But BEWARE! The lighting is EXTREMELY yellow, meaning you purchase clothes and they turn out to be a completely different color when you get home. This coupled with the no-returns policy is not pleasant. It's happened to be twice and I should know by now not to trust the lighting at the store.
But this makes me quite upset because the wonderful rust red blazer I bought this afternoon for $20 is actually purple (making my Sarah Palin Halloween costume fall flat on its face). Plus, I'm a hell of a lot less likely to wear a purple blazer than a red one for everyday use.
Bring a flashlight or something if you go. Just check the colors very carefully.
Their clothes don't stink.
They play swing + bebop
Their merchandiser's eye = notch.
The employees dance to swing and bebop. read: awesome.
The no brand clothes are labeled (by hand) "Awesome $8" or "Adorable $12" and "Absolute Must have $24"
They rule.
That is all.
I love coming to Berkeley for 4 reasons, and 4 reasons only. 1.)Berkeley Bowl 2.) Cheese Board 3.) Gregoire's 4.) MARS!!!!
This place always has amazing t-shirts, jeans, vests, cardigans, whatever! The buyers really know what they're doing. i bought 4 t-shirts for 24$$$. Do you know what that would have cost me at Jet Rag in LA....!??!??
This place is not your typical 1.50$ goodwill store, but ill be happy to pay 4$-6$ a t-shirt when most all of the t-shirts are beautifully worn in all the right places and are and are inundated with classic thrift store kitch. Plus some of the staff are super cute and very helpful.
I give this place and A+. Love it and makes me love Berkeley even more.
If you are really looking for clothes that look like they came from a specific period of time this is a great store for you. If you are looking for clothes to wear to a costume party this is also a great store for you.
If you are just looking for interesting clothes you could wear any time you really have to dig and if you are looking for vintage Dior at a good price, this isn't the place for you.
So long as you understand that you will do fine in this store.
This store has some nice merchandise but the customer service is really lacking; mostly friendly, but out to lunch. The staff just doesn't seem to know much about what they are selling. The guy helping me dropped one of the items I bought on the floor instead of putting it in my bag and I had to go back to the store later that day and pick it up.
The staff seemed like a bunch of stoners. I called and told them my shirt wasn't in my bag when I got home and it had to be the at the store the guy responded "You can come in and pick out another one". I was just thinking, what? Its vintage, you can't pick out another one, that's why I picked out that one." I had to talk to a several different people on the phone about my missing shirt until someone finally said "Oh, the blue shirt with lace?" yea, I found that on the floor behind the counter."
Fuck duh you'd think they'd be smart enough to put what you paid for in the bag! AND THEY WERE TRYING TO SAY THEY DIDN'T CHARGE ME FOR IT, but I had my receipt and they totally did.
Anyway, I am done complaining.
So besides the staff being stoned, its a generally pleasant atmosphere.
The prices are a little inflated, but its touristy telegraph so its expected.
Also all of their shoes are like a size 7! Which sucked because they have darling boots.
Anyway, I got a rad ring, scarf, leather jacket and a cute shirt. They have some nice slips, but if your thin you might need to take them in.
I'd hit this store maybe once a month or less.
This picture, http://static.px.yelp...., would have been 93% less cool if it weren't for Mars Mercantile. Seeing as I purchased both dress and sunglasses there, there's a good chance that said picture would not exist at all. Instead, there would just be your standard drunk Yelp elite event picture (see: http://www.flickr.com/...), except I'd probably be captured as significantly less spirited due to lack of super fabulous 70's costume.
And for that, Mars Mercantile, I thank you. And thank you for the adorably adorable light brown prairie dress with lace that I would totally wear every day if it wouldn't make me look like a crazy person (like in the Seinfeld episode with the girl who wore the same black and white dress all the time). I have a thing for vintage dresses, ok? SO SUE ME.
Ahem. So yeah, shop at Mars, they have super awesome cool stuff there. Then call me and we'll take pictures together in our super awesome cool old-but-new-to-us duds. Word.
You can find some amazing things here, but the price makes you think twice.
Clothes are conveniently labeled by decade.
Workers are as friendly as super hipped out hipsters can be.
Go with friends, have some fun, find a great unique piece that no one else has. Just make sure your bank account can take it.
This store supports violence against women. Check out their Halloween display for various stages of torture, dismemberment, and sexually-charged violence.
Now I'm not a major fan of thrift stores or anything of this sort but I do like to keep an open mind. Sometimes I cannot find a piece that I really like at the mall but I can find it at a thrift store. I'm definitely all for those kind of moments. Yet, generally, I must admit that they are slim to none. You just can't beat away my love for The Gap, H&M, J. Crew, Martin + Osa, or any of that.
However, I did decide to give Mars a shot after not really liking Buffalo Exchange. One thing I did notice was that I did enjoy how everything was so well organized. I am a fiend for organization and so I love when things around me are organized too. Plus, when I'm looking for stuff in a store, it really helps all the more! I mean, how can you complain? The only thing that I hated about the stuff here was that everything had this smell to it. I don't know if it's Mars or all of the clothes themselves but I've noticed this strange smell coming from the clothes and so have my friends. I've also noticed that my nose acts up when I'm in the store (it's really sensitive) and I can't help but try to scratch or rub my nose when I'm looking at clothes (even passing by or just casually going through the racks). Throw in the rude employees and sometimes the customers that think they are just the hippest things ever and take themselves way too seriously and I just cannot shop here or even stay in the store for more than five minutes, which is definitely not long enough for me to stay in a store when I'm shopping for clothes!
Ditch it if you can. If you must thrift, go to Buffalo Exchange; it has less clothes but at least they're not gross (smelly or hosting allergens).
I came in here with my boyfriend and he bought $200 worth of stuff. The employees are super friendly and they even cut a deal on a vest that was kinda stained (but only because we bought so much!)
They even let us look through a barrel of shoes that weren't priced yet! MM EXCLUSIVE haha
I give them 5 stars even though I didn't find as many cool stuff for moi.
I bought a pair of vintage burgundy pants here that had perfect length for my long-ass legs, for $5. They were also the genesis for this talk thread: http://www.yelp.com/to...
Long story short, I did it. They looked hot. Thanks Mars.
Too bad you can't give negative stars...
This place is what my grandma's attic looked like... AFTER I went through it and took all the cool shit out.
The selection isn't even the least impressive part.
As someone else below mentioned, the service is bitchy, apathetic, elitist, and unbearable annoying. I've been coming here on and off for about 10 years, and its gotten exponentially worse with the years. Its may be a blind hipster-junky's dream-come-true... but for the rest of us, its pretty puke-worthy.
PS: For the record: I've only given happy reviews to businesses on Yelp. This one's so bad I have to go outta my way to note it.
i am so glad i always park in the garage around the corner from this shop!
i was a bit hesitant to walk in, but then, i had an itch that i might score on some great finds
SCORE, indeed, i did!
i found a great pair of mustard kitten wedges, in mint condition! yesss
i really gotta hand it to this store..everything is well organized! and im glad because some thrift shops can get a little out of hand..
above all, the service was great.. the guy and the lovely lady at the register were super nice and sweet..very funny too! i had a few laughs while purchasing my items!
amazing shoe selections at this vintage shop! boots and heels galore..
they had some really cute tops…
Read more »
Meh.
The shirts, pants and shoes aren't that exciting.
The clothes on the racks usually don't seem like amazing quality for being used (and the def. of good vintage, right?)
but the window displays!!
Oh the window displays...
they always draw me in!!
Why can't I pull off a hot pink wig, tutu, leggings and basic tee with ankle boots the way those mannequins can?
No seriously--
I would love to rock that!
The only things I like to look at here are the dresses.
I bought one of my favorite dresses here for about $26.
I'm a bit unsure if it really is vintage in the 50s sense.
or in the followed a 50s pattern in the 90s sense.
Either way it's unique and I love it, so I'll let my suspicion of authenticity slide. :)
I likes this Mars place. Sure, they have slightly disturbing mannequins doing naughty things in the window...but I means really...who doesn't?
I've bought Halloween costumes here, knee socks and a few shirts. I would love to buy more things...it's just...ya know...I need to eat.
I always enjoy browsing around in here, they've got lots of great stuff. 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's.. you'll find it here. Some of the prices make sense to me, a lot of them don't. I have a hard time wanting to spend $20+ on a 20 year old t-shirt. And sometimes the music is just crazy loud, which I find obnoxious. But the clothes don't smell like a thrift store, and they've done a really good job with the layout. Everything is organized really well, they keep things nice and clean in here. All in all, this place is pretty cool.. just usually a tad bit more than I'm willing to spend.
Mens clothing section is disorganized and small. There are a few gems, but you have to search for a long freakin' time to find them. How hard is it to organize things by size?
The prices are actually fairly reasonable, but the staff is stuck up and has a terrible attitude. I doubt I'll ever be back. Why bother with this when the highly superior Buffalo Exchange is just down the street?
Great, well-organized selection of vintage clothes at good prices. Visiting Berkely after living on the East Coast for a year, I now realize this store is one of the things I like best about Telegraph.
What cool retro clothes *can't* you find here? Hats, shoes, vests, jackets, full suits, jeans, dress shirts, ties... and oh my god, what a great collection of skinny ties they have here. Dozens and dozens of skinny ties, silk and leather and synthetic and in all different colors and patterns, for $5 each or 4 for $15. I lost the better part of my Tuesday afternoon here.
I was only looking at the men's sections, but they seem to have an equally wide selection of women's clothing. This is my current all-time favorite vintage clothing store.
I bought two really cool shirts here. I don't really know what else to say. I had to sort through tons of terrible clothes in order to find these two shirts though but I guess thats how thrift / vintage shoping goes. As far as rating it though I have to give them 3 stars for having all of that other crap that I had to sort through in their store.
Its not over priced at all which is kind of nice to find in a vintage store.
I was alright. Not one of the best vintage places in the area, but it's worth checking out. Cute dresses, scarves and shoes, but i wish they had a bigger selection of sweaters and purses. Prices were reasonable. Some stuff was a bit overpriced but that's usually the case wherever you go. Oh well. the staff was alright, kind of blank. they weren't exactly friendly or helpful at all. Oh welllllll.
~One of my friends got a really nice pair of shoes that remind me of Native American moccasins...except not. They're strappy sandals that are made of the leathery material used for moccasins. It was a really good find and I'm jealous :P
~I love browsing through their selection of dresses; you can find clapper dresses to retro prom gowns here. They always have cool things.
~If you want to buy stuff, though, it can get a bit pricey and you never know if what you buy is going to break after a couple of times of using it.
~I'm giving this a four star not because of quality or quantity, but because my eyes like their stuff. No doubt I'd buy something here if I really like it though.
The selection of items was very well edited and organized. They had a lot of Golden-Girls-looking sweaters and sequined tops, but for the most part the pieces could work today. Sizes are totally hit or miss and the staff is spaced-out, but it's a good shop to hit.
One of the best places to find costumes in the Bay. Make sure you have enough time to try stuff on, because sizing has changed over the years.
Yes, I am a girl! No, I am not a lesbian? But damn the girls that work here make me question my sexuality.... so cute!!! Ground zero for vintage fashion..... I looooove their selection of vintage dresses.....and their price tags say the cutest little things.... I could literally spend hours here.... I have found some great pieces here for my shop vintagebythebay on etsy....
This is a fun place to spend an afternoon, maybe get a couple of good finds if you're willing to spend the time looking. I agree with Stephanie W. that the lighting is poor, which makes the no-returns policy hard to abide. Some things are, in my opinion, very much overpriced. The window displays are really cool, though!
I love Mars. Last time I came in i found some really great stuff. Theres pletny of space to shop and the selection is great. If you don't find at least one thing then you just aren't looking hard enough. I like it best of all the Retro City stores because it is so open. Everything is nicely organized and it's great.
Wide selection of costumey/not-so-costumey vintage stuff. If you're shopping for a period-piece costume, this would be a pretty good place to hit up. I love coming in here and digging (and you will have to dig) for unique day-to-day pieces, and I usually come out with something pretty decent. However, a good chunk of their merch is a bit over-priced for what it is (found a t-shirt with a rip [albeit a small one which wasn't super-noticeable, but still, it's a rip] in it that should have been $2 for $12 today) - but ,on the other hand, some of it's pretty cheap for what it is (found an really, really cute ladies' hat in awesome shape for $12!) . I've never had any problems with rude staff (they've always been pretty nice when I've shopped here) and they always play kick-ass music. Will definitely be back to forage through the racks again as soon as I can afford to...
Huge selection of vintage pieces most at pretty good prices. Sometimes its a bit pricey on some items and I just can't get myself to pay that much. I always find some great things in here, they are always playing good music, and always have super good deals on scarves. They have vintage goodies from many eras I would say from the 40's and up. Sometimes the kids who work here think they are a little too cool for their own good, but what do you expect all of these stores are like this. Forsure one of the best vintage stores in this area. Thats my two cents.
Ehhhhh, Mars is slightly a step up from Sharks. But not really to be honest. The employees seem friendly, and are willing to help you out whenever you need it. But alas, they are also your typical strange smelling over priced crappy goods vintage store. The only thing I think I've ever bought there was a plastic ring. Thats about it. Oh yes, and a pair of wings for a Halloween costume. But yeah, they are a very interesting store, can't completely hate on them cause I've never had a bad experience here. Pretty much Mars is fun to look at, but a bit pricey if you're a hardcore vintage person. But generally vintage isn't cheap, so I guess it just depends on what you're looking for.
My best description for Mars' merchandise is goodwill unwanted, donated clothing with a higher price tag. I never find anything that I would take for free, let alone pay for. The condition for much of the merchandise is extremely poor. The owner or buyer who buys the inventory seem to just take whatever they can get and not actually select the pieces.
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Berkeley, CA
Berkeley, CA
Berkeley, CA
A short list of Bay Area vintage and second hand…
recycle: experience the difference between…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Places on and around the famous and infamous area…
I lived in Berkeley for 10 months, and I still…
heres where i go when im trying to stretch that…
I was asked to do a list of the Consignment stores…
The best places in the coolest cities to find…
