Mars Mercantile

Just left this establishment. I was the only customer in there right before closing. Female employee was on the phone having a screaming fight with her bf (gf?). «I’m an abusive piece of sh*t,» she kept yelling over and over again. She was sitting on the floor, crying loudly right behind the register while another employee consoled her.
Look, I have a heart, I do not lack empathy, but take your drama to the back room or something. It was beyond awkward. I had to bail.
No Bueno.
Dope clothes. Well organized. Maybe I’ll go back someday. Maybe…

Ok so first off, the thought of this place sounds awesome…
It may be hard to find trendy outfits for women.
I personally think this store is way better for men.
They have awesome flannels, and cool attire for guys.
This place is quite expensive…
For being a «thrift store» I cannot even afford this stuff lol and they aren’t even brand name…
But I think u can find some great stuff for guys here.
The only thing that really caught my eye in the women’s section was the purses.
They also have accessories in the front like sunglasses and what not.
Happy thrifting!
PS: layout is super awesome and on a corner lot. Big space and everything is super super organized!

Walking down Telegraph street in Berkeley can be a harrowing experience for the uninitiated. Street vendors, strategically placed throughout the sidewalk, yell incomprehensible invites to peruse their wares, students from the nearby UC Berkeley campus shuffle and shove their way through the crowds, and an overwhelming amount of restaurants and shops compete for your taxed attention. This main artery of the city may appear dauntingly chaotic, but you really can’t go wrong with any establishment you may find yourself walking into. That being said, certain shops stand out among the rest, and if you’re looking for a secondhand clothing store that’s first-​rate, you could do far, far worse than Mars Mercantile.
With its prime location, fantastic assortment of vintage styles, and a clever organizational system, Mars appears to have all the trimmings for a successful wardrobe upgrade on a budget. Boasting whimsical but appropriately named sections such as «Lumber-​sexual», «70’s Prom», and «Faux Hawaiian», you’re bound to find something that catches your eye, though you may or may not end up taking it home. Even the staff, although first appearing too trendy, too pierced, and too tattooed to be anything but judgmental, are more than willing to help. The prices could be lower, but they could always be lower, and I have never minded paying extra for quality or a consistently pleasant experience.
Put on your walking shoes, check your fashion insecurities, and bring your wallet; this is where Berkeley does used clothing.

Mars has a wonderful selection of vintage items, and I was able to find unique pieces that were in great condition. The employees were very kind and helpful! The store was very clean and well organized with a huge collection of pieces from a variety of eras. It is a bit more pricy than average, but that is because it is good condition vintage. Mars vintage is an all around amazing store!

Vintage doesn’t necessarily translate into «thrift,» so don’t come here expecting cheap prices.
I do love going up the cute, though narrow, spiral staircase to explore the second floor. The organizations of the clothes by decade here are to die for, and I’ve bought a reasonably-​priced secretary skirt that I wear to job interviews. It’s awesome to go through all the different dresses from different eras, many of which are in great condition, though shopping here can be a hit-​or-​miss.

Cool store. If you like vintage clothes this place is great.

I’m glad we randomly popped into Mars! I love their awesome upstairs women’s section and that retro spiral stairway leading up there. I liked how their sections are organized by decade– AND actually have the correct decade’s clothing in that decade, not all thrift/​consignment shops make that effort– and how descriptive their other sections are (ie: skirts by length and fullness). Their prices are pretty fair considering the authenticity of their vintage items and the good condition of their inventory. I found a black kimono with my family’s crest on it and in excellent condition for only $ 30! Whee!
The staff helpfulness and friendliness was eh, but everything else was gravy. I’d definitely come back the next time I’m in Berkeley.

I have several friends who have raved about this place over the years and I’ve been fairly curious to check it out. Something about dealing with downtown Berkeley, though, so I’m not often in that corner of the world. I happened to walk past today and since I had about half an hour left on my meter, I went back to check it out.
They have some great stuff and I definitely want to go back when I have more time to try stuff on. The pricing was pretty good for the stuff I looked at and there were even some really nice pieces that I thought might be somewhat underpriced.
However, as someone who does leather and boot care, I was very surprised to see the hefty price tags on more than one pair of boots that were damaged. $ 65 for one pair, where the leather on the toes was shredded and torn, plus the sole on one was beginning to separate. Those boots are worth $ 10-​$ 15; you can kind of band-​aid it and restore them to a point, but the leather will always be damaged underneath. Plus, you then have to also have to deal with re-​attaching or replacing the sole. If you’re looking for a bigger selection of used boots for much less money, check out eBay. Also, you can get brand-​new tux shirts with a bow tie included for $ 15 at Burlington Coat Factory.
That was my only disappointment in this store, though, and I felt that the rest of the prices were pretty fair (and good in some cases). I didn’t interact with the staff to be able to comment on service, but I will say that I actually really liked that no one bothered me while I was looking around. I like to take my time, without any pressure or someone watching me.
Another thing that was both impressive and much appreciated was the level of organization! I often find thrift store shopping to be a bit frustrating because the racks are usually in total disorder. Having things nicely organized makes my shopping experience ever so much more pleasant.
All in all, big thumbs up for Mars Mercantile. I’ll be back when I have more time!

I have been a massive fan of Mars for years, such a treasure chest of a shop.
Pros:
–Immaculately organized
–Very clean pieces that are in excellent condition (no funky pit stains or tatters here)
–Organized by decade/​item type
–Decently priced items
I don’t really get why everyone is complaining about the service? I personally loathe pushy or overly involved sales associates, being able to shop in peace is always a blessing in my eyes. This is a fantastic spot for Halloween costumes on the cheap.

When you are in need of good vintage clothing, and great condition, this is the place !

I was pleasantly surprised at my experience in this shop. You have to check your backpack or large bag in at the front. They give you a numbered paper clip in exchange. It’s 2 stories. Men’s wear on 1^st floor. Women’s on the second. Plenty to choose from. Everything is very nicely organized by decade which is awesome. And the employees search through each section periodically making sure everything is properly placed.
I went looking for a 20s inspired or flapper dress. I knew going in that it’s very difficult to find genuine 20s clothing because that was 100 years ago but I was determined to find something 20s inspired. BUT I was surprised to find that they have actually have a «Flapper» section. Found plenty of flapper dresses to choose from in my size (small) but I ended up getting something that was more or less 20s inspired.
Anywho! Great store. Service was fine. Bunch of young people working in there and all were pretty friendly. I would definitely go again!

I was on a hunt for three things. One, a vest, two, overalls and three, a top hat. I found all three things here (!) but only bought two because the prices are a little on the high side, I’d say. But I loved the layout/​organization of the store and all the cool/​fun/​random finds!

Well… I didn’t know what this place was! We walked passed a Saturn Café half a mile a way and and this was named MARS MERCANTILE — and the window is displayed mostly of men’s camouflage– looked it up on Unilocal and found out it was a thrift store! Boo-​ya!
Okay… this is hands down one of my all time favorites to have come up on! It’s all retro like, and unlike other thrift stores, it didn’t smell! There are a few stairwells that goes up to the women’s floor. I was in costume heaven! The racks were sorted by decades starting with 1950’s and before the 50’s — there was a lovely white and teal dress I found in the 1970’s rack… but what definitely got me all ruffled up was at the end of the entire wall… FLAPPERS! oh mah gawd! flappers dress?
I was a little saddened in the skirts rack, they weren’t really sized well, nor did they stock in sizes larger than 31 inches… :sigh: but there were a few little black skirts I decided that I would buy. It wasn’t bad, but they were more than $ 18 a piece. Still, cute, stylish, and pencil line skirts are versatile for work and socializing int he evenings. :wink wink:
Jackets were in abundance, but wasn’t what suited my style. Hats and boots along the back wall, the shoes were cute– but to compare them with Plato’s Closet, I love that the shoes coming in to Plato’s are a lot cleaner in feel and touch.

What a fun way to spend an afternoon de-​stressing! After my friend and I had lunch, we happened to stop in at Mars Mercantile, a hodgepodge collection of vintage clothing, costumes, and shoes. It was like being in a wondrous whirlwind of whimsy as we perused through the aisles of eras.
We pranced around in flats, heels, and even geisha shoes (called geta) — let me tell you — they are just as uncomfortable as they look, haha. We ogled at the costumes and dreamed of outfits we could wear next Halloween. I ended up purchasing a cool dark blue, pleated schoolgirl skirt with a most fascinating clasp. It is both cute and appropriate for work, so I was pleased with my purchase :)
Mars Mercantile is a quirky little shop with great vintage finds. Take your girlfriends on a thrifting adventure here; they’ll love it!

This is not my favorite thift store, but you can find some good stuff from the 70s & 80s if that’s what you are looking for.

Wow, a great place to go thrifting and find vintage goodies! It’s so organized (even sorted by era!!) and just shopping heaven for OCD people like me. I’m impressed! We need more places like this in the South Bay! Thrifting down here is definitely a headache when it’s so unorganized.
A lot of the clothes here were affordable. I ended up buying a maxi skirt which surprisingly fit my petite frame! The first time I wore it at work, I got tons of compliments.
I can’t wait to come back and scour for some more gems here. You can find tons of awesome stuff here. Also, friendly staff.

Things I look for when I go into a vintage store:
*Basket of furs
*At least 1 rack of only black clothing
*A rack of sequins
*Fine leather shoes
Mars has ALL OF THOSE!
The staff are all friendly babes. They have literally everything you could want in a vintage store. All of the other shops in Berkeley are more like a Crossroads Trading where you pick up someone’s Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 leftovers (yuck). As far as the Berkeley vintage shopping experience, you only really need to swing by Mars.
I recommend not going on a hot day, Mars doesn’t have air conditioning and the place becomes a total sweatbox on warm days.
Tip: This is actually the best vintage store in the Bay Area to go to for secretary blouses!

I love this store!
You can buy clothes for the last decades and century without paying a fortune like in other stores. They also have nice clothes made of lace so I bought quite a few clothes for my best friend that love vintage clothes.
Def check out the hat and bag section!
Also a nice spot if you’re looking to offer something very unusual and original.

VINTAGE
If you are looking for Old school/​Vintage stuff, Mars is your place. I was looking for a crush Blue velevt Bow Tie. Search the Bay Area looking for one, Took a trip to Berkeley and Boom there it was, plus more. They have the old school Ray bans, leg warmers, yea ladies «leg warmers» with the matching spandex… lol. I definately have a new favorite store right now… Very inexpensive…

I love it here. Cute vintage clothing, organized by decade, at decent prices.
I’ve been here a couple times and always find something cute to buy (last time I grabbed a dress and a couple secretary sweaters, this time I bought a hat, belt, and dress).
The employees are friendly and the fitting rooms are clean, organized, and they have a lot of fitting rooms for such a little shop.
The only downside for me is the lack of Air conditioning. Both of my visits here have been in hot weather and I was dripping sweat by the time I left! But I’ll put up with the sauna effect for the fabulous finds.