Mongo

My wife purchased an expensive hat from Mongo. After remaining in her closet and then some limited use within a year, the hat started to break apart. Mongo would not take the hat back, exchange it for another, or a store credit. Nothing.
BUYER BEWARE HERE

I shopped many times in this brilliant store, and even while away for… years…I never forgot the fabulous clothes, jewelry, and throws. Back now, and discovered in a drawer a store credit from Mongo for a return of a quilt. This credit was hand-​written before the shop was computerized! A less personable and neighborly shopkeeper perhaps would not have honored this credit, but it was legit. Puzzled, Mongo’s fab proprietor dug deep into a drawer and actually found the stub for my receipt. Hooray for dead tree biz records! I promised to come to Mongo more frequently, and I will do so! The clothes are to be found nowhere else, and a gift for anybody can be found in the collections there. Thank you, and cheers! Best, Kassie

Tom the owner is very personable and knowledgeable about all the products in his store. This is a great place for antique glassware, jewelry, Indian Kantha quilts, lovely Turkish towels, and many other textiles. His wife designs jackets and shirts out of ethnic fabrics. Prices are fair for the quality of work that has gone into each piece. If you buy in bulk he may give you a discount!

My wife and I found this place on a trip around Brooklyn. It is a great shop with a mixture of old and new. I found a leather card case that was the perfect find. It looked like something out of a shop in Italy. The owners couldn’t be nicer and the prices were amazing! Great place for gifts or for the home!

Love Love Love their stuff here. Bought some of Victor’s artwork (Victor’s Junk!) and a photo frame made of distressed wood. If you are into the vintage/​distressed/​recycled scene, if you like the Anthropologie/​Urban Outfitters vibe, then you’ll dig this place.

I love this place. The staff makes you feel at home and aren’t pushy to sell. The shop features lots of interesting and eclectic things. If you ask I’m sure each product has a story. I bought a paper dress from there last year it’s unique.
This is the perfect place for something a little different.

This little shop is a mix of the owner’s own vintage finds and new products. The owner is lovely to talk to and is a helpful salesperson without being pushy. It’s the place to go for unique house warming, birthday, or even wedding gifts.
I took a set of 4 vintage Pyrex mixing bowls off the owner’s hands. They were priced a little high but said owner and I came to an agreement and I got wound up with $ 15 off the sticker. While we were in there, my mom found a tote bag made of brightly colored «re-​purposed» seat belt straps. It was durable enough to hold the day’s shopping but also festive enough for trips to the beach. She LOVES it.
In conclusion, the shop is a bit of a mish-​mosh but it works… I highly recommend stopping by if you are out and about on Smith Street.

I spend all my money on food, booze, and a place to sleep when I am not consuming food and booze.
However, when I do have a little extra cash to buy presents for the lovely people who put up with my crap, I think I will spend some here. There is a nice gentleman who appears to run the place, and I overheard him say that their stock varies on what he finds. I don’t know where he’s looking, but this little store is FULL of all sorts of awesome blankets, t-​shirts, plates, teapots, wallets, mirrors rimmed with records, jewelry, glasses and more.
You should come take a look, I’m sure you can find something you like. Hands off the Ritz Cracker lightswitch cover though. That thing is mine.

I am still a regular shopper at Mongo. And Tom and his staff continue to deliver. I’ve now bought everything from light switch plates, to a paper kit sculpture of an ancient bird, to a sweater, to a new pair of shoes (they carry great CYDWOQ men’s and women’s shoes.) A must-​visit for gifts for anyone, or even for yourself.

Why doesn’t this place have more reviews???
I have been in Mongo three times now and that is a ton for me, considering I don’t love to shop (I just love to get bargains and get on with it!)
First time in, I just kind of browsed and spoke to the owner. I then went back and got their vegan (yes, VEGAN) vanilla lip balm. Good stuff — not as thick applying as those non-​vegan lip balms, but definitely good to know no animal products used.
Then I got a chance to speak to both owners, Tom and the woman (I forget her name, again) and really learned about the different artists’ works on consignment and I am going to go back in and get a large ceramic art piece (not going to tell you how inexpensive it is until I own it!) and also a bag and another item.
I also spoke to Tom about art/​work spaces in Brooklyn and he is going to put me in touch with his friend about an art/​work space in Red Hook. I can only hope to have my art up for sale in Mongo sometime :)

I took my mom shopping on Smith St. when she was in town a few months ago, and we both loved this place. Everything is recycled. She ended up buying an adorable ring made from vintage cufflinks. A few weeks later, I came back and bought my mother-​in-​law a pair of gorgeous bronze earrings for her birthday. This is the perfect, one-​of-​a-​kind gift shop.

Looking for that unique gift for that unique friend? Mongo is probably going to have just what you’re looking for. Careful though, you might find something for yourself along the way. I stopped in here on my leisurely stroll through Brooklyn and really enjoyed all the things they had in stock. The sales girl was super friendly, telling me about the shop, some of it’s items, where they came from and how her Uncle (the owner) personally picks out everything. I settled on some recycled glasses made from old Boylan soda bottles as a gift for my step mom, from NY and with the same last name. It was just perfect for her. They were originally being sold as a set of four, but they allowed me to buy only 2. I toiled around a bit, convincing myself that I didn’t need anything for myself but really loving a lot of the jewelry and hand made items. I love when places sell things that are recycled and hand made! It’s a great spot with perfect gifts for any occasion.