Stray Cat Vintage & Costumes

My sister and I went here today and had a great experience. She was looking for a 50’s dress for a New Year’s Eve party. She found several to choose from (at least 8) and the prices ranged from about $ 26 – 99. She found one she really liked and asked the sales girl if they would be able to put it on hold for the day, as we wanted to check out a couple more shops first. The sales girl was super friendly and said it was no problem. I really liked this store and am surprised by all of the negative reviews saying how rude the staff was. I couldn’t disagree more. My only recommendation to the owner would be to maybe separate clothes by era to make it a little easier to find what you’re looking for. I would definitely recommend this shop to someone looking for a fun vintage outfit.

This place is overpriced, has terrible customer service, and claims things are vintage when they are not. I recently bought a costume there for my wife and not only did they tell me the costume was one of a kind, but they said I could exchange it if it did not fit my wife. The costume ended up being too small for my wife and when I came in to exchange it for a different costume they told me that all sales are final even though they told me differently the day before. That was very frustrating but to add insult to injury I was shocked to find that the so called one of a kind vintage outfit was being sold brand new on eBay for less than half the price brand new. If you value your money and do not like being lied to don’t shop here.

So ive never written a Unilocal but i was so bothered i thought i should.
I go here a lot for the records and my friend is having a rocky horror birthday party so i went looking for a maid costume, i saw one i fell in love with in the window that said the price, super pricey but i wanted it.
I went in to ask the lady working to get it so i can try it on and she just looks at me and comments how small i am and she needs to look at the size since im just so skinny. She looked at the paper with the size and didnt say anything to me. Then asks in the most sassy way if im really serious about buying the costume since its SOOO hard to get out of the window. I feel really uncomfortable and say yes im serious and she tells me to wait while she helps someone else.
I stood there for a second and was so annoyed with how she treated me i told her nevermind and i left, got a cheaper costume a few doors down and was treated nicely.

Shops like this always attract me. Music, vintage, costumes, stuff and things… I’m there! I love looking around to see the various items. If I fall deeply in love with something I see, then I’m quick to buy it.
Some items were overpriced, but their rent is probably high and they have to make rent EVERY single month. So, I don’t mind paying a few dollars extra for that unique item. At least the money is spent locally. I bought a band tee and felt good about where I spent my money.

This place is interesting, to say the least. The guy at the front didn’t greet us or even acknowledge us. We looked through some records. They have a huge selection of old and new ones. They range from fifteen to thirty dollars on average. I ended up buying a sweater for fourteen dollars. They’ve got abundant used clothes. They sell bandanas and rings and costumes. If you have the time to look around, I’m sure you’ll find something cool. I was greeted by another female employee. Then rung out by the moody dude in the front who just walked away after handing me my change. Awkward …

My husband came in looking for a specific kind of hat. We didn’t see them on the shelves so he asked the woman working the counter. She immediately replied «you know those are expensive right»
At that point I was done. That was completely rude. Yes, we know they are expensive. And no, now you won’t get our business because you’re a judgemental witch.

I read some of the reviews on here and some were stating Stray Cat Vintage was overpriced.
But after taking a look for myself, I found that the prices reflected the condition of the clothes, and there was nothing I would consider over priced.
I saw a pink repro skirt for only $ 16. $ 16 is definitely not overpriced! There was also a very adorable blue coat for $ 45.
Jen and Chris were so helpful today.
I went in looking for an elegant vintage dress, and they were able to help me!!!
They even had a velvet gown that would have been perfect, if it was only my size!
There are so many clothes to choose from, you could easily spend an hour or more going through just the racks on the floor. (They have a bunch of clothes hanging from the ceiling, and more in the back)
They have a ton of accessories, and plenty of vintage hats.
If I had enough money I’d definitely wipe out their inventory.

Lots of merchandise crammed into a small/​dark space. The smell of incense was strong. too strong. I didn’t find what I was looking for but customer service was on point. I felt that the employees there were attentive, and that’s a plus.
Additionally, their prices are unreasonable on most items. Like a VHS «it’s a Bug’s life» for $ 5. Haha, you can get that for a buck elsewhere.

This place had tons of stuff!
You could definitely get something cool in here, but there are some serious prices at these downtown shops…
This place has vintage, costumes, records, lots of stuff!

Huge selection. Wow. Vinyl for days and the people that work here are awesome. Really nice and cool. Great stories

I’ve been here quite a few times and although I have found some really cool shirts and clothing it’s defiantly over priced and makes even buying something relatively cheaper remind you that nothing is worth the price; cool stuff not worth 50 $+
The staff usually girls in the vintage clothing side of the shop are talkative and not so friendly but the guy on the record shop is a cool guy bought an over priced sweatshirt from him but he gave me a ton of stickers
I’d rather get everything they sell there for way cheaper in a nice antique shop run by sweet grandmas any day

Haiku Review:
Great variety
An extensive collection
Horrible service
Having grown up in Fullerton, I’ve been to Stray Cat many times over the past few decades. During the last few visits I have been struck by the absolute lack of customer service. Attempts to ask staff questions were met with curt, unhelpful replies. The staff, particularly at that back of the store where you need assistance to access the merchandise, have been downright rude. During my most recent visit, two ladies working in the back were looking at photos on an cell phone and scowled at my interruption (even though I did excuse myself). My question was met with «We don’t have that,» and they went back to their socializing without even offering alternative choices or to help me find something else. This used to be a wonderful place to buy vintage and costume pieces, but now I feel so unwelcome in this store, that I will not be back. I’d rather drive the extra miles to go to retro/​vintage stores in the Orange Circle.

Be careful that you follow the signs that say NO REFUNDS, however upon check out the lady employee at the store did say, «but yes you can exchange it.» I went home to find out that the button up shirt I purchased was missing a button. It’s value was around $ 35. When I came back the next day to ask for an exchange (with receipt) the manager, said no. I claimed that one of her employees told me I could exchange but the employer stated, «yes she made an error but you cannot exchange.»
Keep in mind that I was trying to exchange the shirt for a $ 20 prop bullwhip for an Indiana Jones costume which was less of the value than the shirt. I tried explaining this point to the employer as well that I did NOT want a price adjustment. Just let me have the whip and I will give you back the shirt for reselling but she STILL said no.
Never have I encountered such a stubborn employer before that wouldn’t allow for an EXCHANGE after an employee communicated that with me. Since then I never came back to this store. Sorry Stray Cat, but refusing to compensate for employee error AND refusing profit advantage from an exchange, I will be looking elsewhere.

I just love this store, such fun vintage stuff. Ok prices, very cluttered but because they have soooooo much adorable stuff. The employees there are all dressed up in cute clothing and the location is delightful! i just adore this place!

The place is wall-​to-​wall costume, vintage and subculture fashion!
The front half of the store is a mini record store with lots of vinyl records (mostly punk, rock, and alternative). This portion of the store also sells mini postcards, band buttons, patches, and stickers.
The back half of the store has plenty of costume and vintage clothes, bags and accessories to choose from. I bought a lovely blue 40s/​50s-​style dress with white trimming and it was in good condition. The fabric is light and great for the warm weather. The lady who works in the back of the store was friendly and asked if the dress worked out for me (and it did). The gentlemen who works in the front cash register was pleasant and helpful.
Most of the clothes are costume-​quality, so this would be a good place for shopping for theatrical pieces. Be prepared to thoroughly peruse through the clothes racks if there is a particular clothing item you are looking for. The clothes are organized in no particular size and style.

Yep not a time we’ve come we don’t see anything we don’t like, totally takes you back to the greaser days, love it! Lucy, Bettyboop, ribbons & bows galore, polka dots, shiny metallic or sequins, creepers, leopard print, it just doesn’t stop… yea pricey, that is what usually keeps us limited on buying a lot, but love to go in there anyways & yea gotta love the record section w/​the cool stickers, buttons & patches, the dude that runs that was pretty cool, reminded me a little of Rodney Bingenheimer & Andy Warhol, Gotta love it!

Vintage Store in Downtown Fullerton
a lot, really a lot of clothes and accessories, vintage, costume, and new

So I’ve been vintage shopping for years and I originally checked this place out based on reviews I had read. Although it has its pros, for me the cons vastly outweighed them.
Pros: Vast selection of theatrical grade costumes and accessories
Very helpful staff, I do have to say they have great customer service
Cons: Overpriced, anything worth having is double what you pay elsewhere
Most of the clothes are only costume quality, very little actual vintage
Highly disorganized, you really have to dig to find any treasures

The bottom line here is, if you’re in the market to buy costumes for your upcoming theatrical performance, this is the place for you. On the other hand if your looking for hip retro styles or your shopping on an average budget, I suggest looking elsewhere.

Went into Stray Cat after my desperate search for a Halloween Costume was going nowhere. Somehow before I knew it I was walking out with something that looked nothing like what I wanted and I receipt for $ 120 that said no returns on it. What just happened? Oh and it wasn’t the right size.
Went back the next day and was luckily able to exchange it for the right size, even though I would have rather returned it. My husband has bought records here a few times, reporting he’d somehow spent double what they were worth as well.
Be careful with your money here, it seems like you walk into a black hole of spending.

Stepping foot inside this place reminded me of the first time I walked around Times Square. Not because it’s so impressive, or magnificent or anything… but that sheer sense of sensory overload which invaded my mind. It’s literally crammed to the rafters with lots and lots and lots of stuff. I didn’t spend much time in the back, where all the clothes and costumes are, because it looked like a giant laundry hamper, and I didn’t have a need to peruse those goods.
I did spend a great deal of time poring over the bootleg records, CDs, shirts, stickers, DVDs and every other knick knack this place had to offer. Now, one thing anyone will notice is that this store has a serious Morrissey fetish. Big time. I’m not much of a Moz lover, but those who are probably already know about this place, or they really need to. But I am a HUGE fan of all things Glenn Danzig, and they have a very impressive selection of merchandise related to The Misfits. Bootleg CDs, records, posters, stickers, shirts, flags… It’s a treasure trove.
My biggest complaint: the pricing. I know some of this stuff is hard-​to-​find, but many of the records and CDs were priced well above $ 30. Sorry, but in this digital age I’d rather just download a bootleg live album instead of paying $ 50 for it. But if the prices were a bit lower I’d be happy to support this store. Old-​school brick-​and-​mortar record/​specialty shops like this are becoming a rarity these days, and it’s a goddamn shame. I plan on coming back to really see what goodies I can find. It’s no overstatement to say that digging through the mountains of merch here is an overwhelming task.