Somerville Center Antiques Uptown

This is a great store staffed by caring and knowledgeable people. It fun to look through the various booths. They have everything. It’s like being on a treasure hunt. Dig deep for the best treasures. Don’t miss it. My favorite place in Main St Somerville.

Had to write a review after seeing all the negative ones on here. I’ve been going to this store almost weekly for the past two years. It is my favorite place to shop in Somerville. It’s huge and the merchandise has a pretty decent turnover, so I see different items each time I go.
Overall, I’d say the items here have more of a vintage or campy vibe. In general, the furniture is not refurbished, which I’m happy about because the prices are very affordable. I’d probably compare the place to a nice estate sale.
Elysium down the street has high quality pieces, but the prices are definitely marked up there. I don’t get the same feeling at Somerville Antiques.
We’ve bought several pieces of furniture and decorations here and been very happy. I also have never had an issue with rude staff. I’ve even had luck negotiating on pieces when their 20% sale wasn’t going on.

I was looking for a Cameo for my Mom and was able to find 2 here that I really liked — and purchased. Are they antique… I have no idea, but I really liked them, the prices were good and I was happy. As another person noted, if you pay cash you do get a discount. As I walked through the store, which I remember going in when it was Woolworths!, I found lots of neat things that reminded me of my childhood. Lots of cool glass items and some really neat pins. When I went, there were 2 men working who were both very nice to me, unlike some reviewers who stated they were treated poorly. If that was the case, I hope you called the store and spoke to the manager because those rude people should not be working there — it’s impacting their rating. So for me, I would definitely go back.

In addition to the vast collection of what I would characterize as «mostly junk», there were a lot of items that were not correctly identified, and much of what I saw was just ridiculously overpriced.
Vinyl collectors may do okay on the lower level (there are two levels) but I can’t comment on those prices as I already own all the LPs I’ll ever need.
It’s rare for me to walk out of ANY antique store without at least thinking I’d like to own one or more of the items on display, but despite my best efforts here, I found nothing at all here that piqued my interest.
(A much better bet is the antque shop across the street from this one, Elysium Antiques. Here at least they have some nice quality merchandise. Prices are on the high side but at least the stuff isn’t junk.)
Somerville Center Antiques Uptown, we were not at all impressed.

Neat place. The people working here were very helpful, as this is the 1^st time to we visited the town. They were very helpful, in terms of giving us a lay of the land for restaurants, shops and a little history. The other people’s reviews of SCAU are very negative, so I’m thinking which is strange, because they were very out going and helpful. Maybe the people giving reviews should check their attitudes at the door. We had a blast traveling back in time and enjoying our childhood.

This place is huge, so if you dig you will find AMAZING items. I have spent thousands of dollars here over the years. And yet still, I am treated like I am an inconvenience every time I go in. The staff is made up of a bunch of rude idiots, with one or two decent employees thrown in. The staff knows nothing about antiques, so be sure you know what you are looking for.
Most recently, I was yelled at because I tried to exchange an item that was put in my bag instead of what I paid for. He told me that it was my mistake and that fixing it was against store policy. When I asked to speak to the owner, he quickly cleared this up.
Because I have such a love for antiques and vintage, I will still come back for the great finds, but if I had any dignity, I would never return.
Merchandise: ⁴⁄₅ Staff: ¹⁄₅

The stuff in this Antique mall are mostly junk and way overpriced. The cashier was rude and took forever to add up a few records I brought up to purchase. He even tried to blame me for his mistakes… because I was in there for too long? Whut? Complete waste of time.

Big store, great inventory. I guessed it was a Woolworth’s. I hope to be back.

What a place.
My friend and I stopped by SCAU (my abbreviation for the place) to immerse ourselves in a time gone by («when hope was high and life worth living,» –Les Miserables).
To continue this «Les Miserables» themed review (there is no specific reason as to why this antique store review is associated with this French novel/​musical/​film): «I dreamed love would never die,» and in a sense, the innocence of 1940s, 50s, and 60s generations lives on at the SCAU. Old records, hats, postcards (some dating back to the 1800s), toys, soda cans, jelly jars, clothing, salt and pepper shakers, beer glasses, chairs, statuettes, figurines, posters, lunch boxes, etc., et al, all live on in this store.
My dad grew up in the 60s and has told me all about the quiet thrill of walking through a Woolworth’s, today’s equivalent being a hybrid combination between the mom-​and-​pop version of a Target, a pet store and a luncheonette. SCAU used to be a Woolworth’s, and the old lettering is still up on the wall. Nostalgia at its finest.
The man who rang up my purchases (a shot-​glass-​sized barrel and an old children’s book about «dimwits» from the 20s) gave me a discount because I was paying with cash. He probably went to that location of Woolworth’s when he was a kid.
I look forward to going back to the SCAU and walking down the memory lane that I didn’t get to live, and seeing through items left behind what it was like to live in a time when leaving your front door unlocked was expected, playing in the street until dark was your summer vacation, and your mother giving you two dollars to pick up bread, milk and a pack of baseball cards and bubble gum with the extra change wasn’t a chore. The SCAU epitomizes the eras when the biggest worry most people had had to do with maintaining their own happiness, no matter what form it took.
Thank you, SCAU.

I’m a fan of this place — but in a limited manner.
I used to own and run a small estate sale business that also facilitated online auctions. I know the value of alot of things — and alot of their things are wildly over priced. If you are a interior designer with an unlimited budget, it would be fine for you — but don’t think you’ll really find a bargain here. That said, they do get in some lovely pieces that I lust after from time to time. The biggest trouble here is you can’t haggle — the folks at the front desk are only there to handle sales that need to be rung up — each area of this huge building is «owned» by a different dealer, and if they aren’t in the day you are — you are tough outta luck to haggle or ask questions about items. Find something you really want with no price on it? Oh, well, that booth belongs to so and so and she isn’t here so you can’t buy it. Very frustrating. There is another shop across the street — owners are always present and very helpful — even allowing me to rummage through their garage when I was on a hunt for old frames! In short, Somerville Antiques Center is a fun place to spend some time walking around it, you just might find that piece you’re hunting for, and if you’re lucky you find an owner who will work with you and you’ll be happy. The staff is always nice — just have their hands tied due to the set up of the business.

I truly don’t want to be an antique snob, but I must be upfront. This place is definitely NOT a mecca of antiquing that some other reveiwers claim. There is some vintage glassware and other yardsale finds. I generally look for early to mid 1800s funiture. Nothing like that here. At best, some lower quality pieces from the early 1900s.
The staff is friendly but nothing to buy. The management needs to put more stringent requirements in place on what is an antique (or look up the term in the dictionary) or change their name to the «Somerville Vingtage and Yard Sale Center». The place is borderline tragic in their attempt to be an antique center.
One reviewer wrote that Somerville should be considered an antique shopping destination. What? I went to 5 shops in Somerville and found only 1 items that interested me but even then, I didnt purchase.
FYI– I travel often throughout the US and Europe for work. While in a locale, I’ll do some antique shopping. This is likely the worst place for antiques that I’ve ever experienced.
I give it 2 stars because they have some vintage items and a friendly staff.

Great antique mall. Packed to the brim with very interesting stuff. It’s fun just to go and browse as a museum!
Vintage clothing, jewelry (bakelite bangles!), pink kitchen appliances, tupperware and corningware from the 50’s and sixites. I bought The Cars «Candy-​O» for $ 3.
The staff is very helpful and sweet. Enjoy!

wow this was the old wool worth store in somerville nj

i found 10 – 12 vintage tin toys and wind up toys here. the people were amazingly nice and the prices were terrific. very happy to find the things i have been searching for. this place is 2 floors and there is something for everyone here.

Awful service. Do not enter if you want to be treated like a customer. Both employees/​owners treated my entire family with haste and a dismissive attitude. Keep going.

Packed to the brim with all sorts of really cool things!
They have absolutely anything you could ever want to look for. The kitchen gadgets are a must see :)

This is a big space with many many vendors, most small and specialized. It offers a cross section of items and a wide price range. The second floor space has some upscale furniture which might interest me if we redecorate. However, it is not all that unusual a store.
That said Somerville deserves a better reputation as an antiques center. There are several stores along Main Street and on Division Street. Combine that with a number of very good restaurants and it makes a nice trip.

This is one of my favorite antique stores. Every time I visit my in-​laws back east, a trip to this place is a must! This little haven of treasures boasts two large floors with pockets full of whatever your heart desires from the past. I love the smell of collected nostalgia as I walk in. It gets my heart going every time. The clutter is somehow organized and easy to rummage through as you make your way through the labyrinth until you find what speaks to you.
The staff is always friendly and helpful and the prices are more than reasonable. I’m a careful, selective antique-​ist — as it’s easy to get carried away. I collect old holiday post cards, vintage kitchenwares and I have a new love for old wooden boxes and clutch purses. I know I can find whatever I need in this pace.
They have a sister-​store that is just a hop-​skip-​and-​jump away on Division St. for more fun!