Ransack The Universe

great shopping spot for vintage items galore at excellent prices! each week’s «hunt» is an adventure, as there are always items that have arrived since my last visit, especially records. owners/​staff are warm and helpful, so the shopping experience is pleasant, and the excitement of finding that special something is a real treat. thanks ru!!!

I highly recommend shopping at Ransack the Universe. This place is a smörgåsbord of unique vintage picks and curiousities. Very affordable vintage furniture, housewares, vinyl, clothing, tchotchkes, board games — there is so much to see and you will be tempted to spend all your earnings.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS STORE!
Me and my mom were walking on Bloor after the hunt for some Fire King and Pyrex at Value Village. We found this random store and when we came in, it was like a dream come true. I just wanted everything from there.

I never thought I’d find a thrift shop this cool and full of eclectic knick-​knacks outside of Kensington Market. The colourful storefront display drew me inside, and soon I was browsing everything from clothing, to pins, to watches, to furniture, to postcards and books. Things were a bit pricy, but nothing out of the usual for a vintage shop. Although I only walked out with $ 2 worth of goods (a vintage pin of my high school mascot — such a cool find! I was stoked.), I really enjoyed browsing through everything, because the shop is laid out so wonderfully and interestingly! I will definitely be back.

This store is a thrifters dream come true! With an array of household items, clothes and other fun finds, Ransack the Universe is a fun space with awesome vintage finds.
— Nice staff
— Awesome shoe collection
— Pricing (currently 50% off all clothes!)
— This place has VERY unique finds
— Clothing selection: the clothing section is not that big… I could do with more of these wonderful finds!

This is a random little shop on Bloor West between Lansdowne and Dufferin. They have all sorts of knick-​knacks– clothing, antiques, etc., but what I go there for is the vinyl records.
Its not organized, but that makes it pretty fun to dig through and I have actually found some pretty cool rare stuff here for great prices. Some of the stuff like Beatles and other classics might be $ 20 or more, but most stuff is in the $ 5-​$ 15 range. I like this place.

I have a particularly soft spot for exploring clutter. I like mishmashed collections of «stuff» and I especially like it if I have to work a bit to find it. This is probably why I enjoy thrift shops so much, and it’s definitely why I like Ransack the Universe — while they don’t actually encourage me to ransack everything, it’s ok because they already did the legwork of weeding out the undesirables (like old used syringes, so that I don’t stab myself with HIV).
Equal parts vintage shop and craft store, RtU is a smörgåsbord of creativity, a «best-​of» shop where you won’t find any stank crud… awesome hides awesome, which conceals wicked, while wicked obscures the super-​secret stupendous (you’ll only find it if you’re extra careful and James Bondian).
Some personal favourites: truly old, vintage buttons; silk screened ties; sketches by local artists; weird Dungeons & Dragons paraphernalia; t-​shirts that aren’t threadless (not that I don’t like threadless, I do!); antique typewriters and sewing machines; softcore pornography of all sorts.
I also like the owners/​clerks/​managers/​whomever-​happens-​to-​be-​hanging-​out-​down-​there-​at-​the-​till. They’re pretty universally excellent, in the Bill & Ted sense of the word.
In closing, I’ll say that I also appreciate the ethical message of RtU — they firmly believe in not being assholes to the planet or the things that inhabit it. That gets them the elusive fifth star. So lesson learned, shops-​out-​there: want a 5-​star review? Be a great store AND a great global citizen.

This is a wicked little store in the basement of 69 Vintage, a collective of tiny vintage shops in Bloordale.
The owners have seemingly ‘ransacked the universe’ to put together a sweet collection of new, old and reworked items. It’s one of my favourite places to gift shop and occasionally pick up things for myself. My boyfriend hasn’t taken off his up-​cycled plaid handkerchief scarf since I gifted it to him for x-​mas.
Most of the things sold at Ransack are made by local artisans but there’s quite a few solid vintage finds (old posters, records and some furnishings) as well. Very happily there are no old fur coats or stuffed dead animals at all to ruin my vintage shopping experience or create that narsty smell you find at some vintage stores (I’m looking at you Kensington market). This store is strictly awesome.
You really need to discover this place for yourself though. There are so many things to regardez-​vous I find myself circling the shop several times taking it all in before I can decide what I can’t leave without.