The Atomic Bazaar

The owner has changed their business model and they now deal more high-​end, designer pieces & are by appointment only. I called looking for some mid century bedroom furniture and the owner was delightfully tactful when feeling out my budget, he even suggested a few other places in town that offer more budget-​friendly pieces. I’ll definitely be back to purchase from them when I’m a bit more established. :)

Brandon is great! He helped us decorate our whole house except the beds. He has a good eye for design as well as being a very friendly and easy to talk to person. His shop is in a great location. The only bad thing is he is now going to be by appointments only — no more just dropping in on a Saturday! Great stuff and great owner.

Nice quality furniture and art but pricier than we expected. Brighter than other nearby antique/​mid-​century stores so you’ll be able to appropriately evaluate. I think the «it’s ONLY $ 1800» credenza left a bad taste in my mouth. If that’s in your price range, it’s a nice place.

Owner Brandon Vega greeted me out front before I even entered the store, but with a super chill demeanor; not overly aggressive or pushy at all. He was sitting talking with another customer in lawn furniture that was arranged outside of the entrance. Brandon is a great guy, easy to talk to and very helpful. No attitude here at all.
There are two floors to The Atomic Bazaar with a pretty decent amount of showroom space on the second floor. The place has a very eclectic mix of styles and different periods on display. There is a great collection of wall hangings, lamps, cabinets, end tables and chairs. These are all original pieces, originating from the 1950’s through the 70’s and 80’s. Some of it in mint condition, some not.
I found a full range of prices from extremely affordable lamps, tables and chairs for just under $ 100 to original designer pieces that go for $ 1,000 to $ 2,000. In terms of price and styles and periods on display, it would seem there is something here for just about everybody.
When I asked where he got his pieces Brandon explained that his main work is Real Estate so he is able to have first pick of the contents of many of the homes he purchases before estate sales are held. He mentioned that he cycles through his inventory very quickly and is putting out new items daily. Judging from the brisk business he does on a Sunday afternoon, apparently many of these items sell the very same day he puts them out.
He is clearly not overly concerned about presentation. The place is purely utilitarian. The venue is simply a spot to set stuff down until someone buys it. Outside of some period issues of «Life» magazine arranged next to chairs and desks to give a little ambiance– there is no attempt to «sell you» using showplace atmosphere. It would seem Brandon doesn’t have time for that anyway, which likely accounts for the great prices and variety of unique finds here.
Along those same lines — it doesn’t appear that any of these thirty to forty year old original items have been reconditioned in any way at all. Clearly ‘As Is’ is the hallmark here, which means better prices and the necessity of taking the item home and bringing it up to spec on your own dime. Which is fine with me.
Great place, great variety, nice owner, reasonable prices and a quickly rotating inventory– what’s not to like? Worth checking out if you are in need of something specific or just in the mood to browse.

Great selection of furniture that turns over quickly. Lots of mid-​century pieces at fair prices.

The owner, Brandon, has great taste and really looks out for his customers. He worked within my budget to find a quality dining set and then called me when he had located one that he knew I would like. Atomic Bazaar is a great shop for affordable and stylish mid-​century furniture.

This will forever be the first place I recommend to others when I am asked about vintage furniture. They also have smaller home décor.
Pros:
*Great selection of mid-​century furniture
*More reasonable prices than I have seen in other local furniture places
*Super friendly and helpful owner. He is quick to point out anything off or damaged upfront.
* Recommended other businesses when I was looking for something he did not carry.
* I only needed one chair that came in a set of two. When I explained this, he took off $ 50 to get me to take both. Sold!
Con:
*Street parking that’s metered
*I came on a Friday, but I believe I saw on the door that he’s not open everyday, so double check before you head out.
This is my new favorite place to find vintage furniture. I seriously wish I had more money to spend right now, because I could redecorate my apartment with everything from this store. Love it!!!

How do I begin to describe the amazing experience I had today at Atomic Bazaar without sounding like a crazy person? I want to gush and use «wonderful», «terrific» and «amazing» with every other word.
The two times I’ve been to the store, the staff has been welcoming, knowledgeable and helpful. I love going to places where the employees enjoy their job and know their stuff. The store is stocked with great midcentury pieces at very reasonable prices. They also have the expensive, collector items for those with a bigger budget. You’ll find those items at their gallery space.
I set out today to find a midcentury bench for the entry space of my home. I was excited to see a bench outside when I was walking up to the store. After checking the store’s stock, I spoke with the sales girl (who was super nice and helpful). I told her what I planned and she said that the bench was actually better suited as a coffee table than a seating bench. How many places would honestly disclose that rather than make a sale? I was so grateful since I wanted something that would last and be able to support weight.
She suggested checking out the warehouse. I may have more luck there. Say what… warehouse…I’m so there! On the drive over I was imagining the play ground of stuff I was going to discover. I wasn’t wrong. I wanted EVERYTHING. But I had to focus and stay on track. I met Brandon, the owner. (The first time I ever went to Atomic Bazaar, I met who I think is his wife. I was looking for metal barrister bookcases. They didn’t have any, but she showed me bookshelves they did have. She was so helpful and nice. These two are the cutest and nicest people. I’m happy to patronize local businesses, especially when they’re good peeps.)
I ended up buying a coffee table that was perfectly sized for a bench. I was a fan of the store to start with, now I’m a raving, maniacal fan. I plan to regularly check out the store and their warehouse/​gallery space. If you love unique, well-​designed furniture and midcentury design, you’ll love The Atomic Bazaar. Make this place the first and last place on your list of midcentury stores to go to. You won’t be disappointed!!!

When it comes to mid century finds, look no further than Atomic Bazaar. Brandon is very knowledgeable, friendly and has a great eye for what a client wants in their space.
I’ve been decoration homes for years, and consider Atomic Bazaar a viable resource to bring in that special piece that transitions a house to a home. Do yourself a HUGE favor and pay a visit to his show room. You will be instantly gratified!

Greg who works there is friendly, knowledgeable, and doesn’t ever make you feel pressured. You are allowed to admire the incredible pieces with no ‘sales person’ mad dogging you. If you have questions or simply want to hear the story about a piece though, Greg and his partner are full of information and good conversation! I feel totally at home there and can’t speak highly enough of the Atomic Bazaar.

Atomic Bazaar is my now on the Saturday afternoon around-​town list. I love most every piece they have there; this is not a place that chinzes on quality, and the care that goes into finding these unique and impressive pieces is obvious.
Brandon is one of the best small business owners in San Diego. Passionate about his work, eye on detail, fantastic customer relations, and happily goes that extra mile for his customers. We recently purchased (among other pieces) an absolute gem: a Bertha Shaefer/​Gio Ponti dining table and chairs — simply beautiful. One of the chairs had 1 leg that was not 100% perfect and Brandon has this completely fixed for us, then delivered it to our home within a week. Fantastic!
His wife Julia is a doll, and my husband and I are so happy to have found such an amazing place and couple to support their business.
Added perk — if you love the store (and I’m not quite sure how you won’t), and have a specific style in mind, or particular piece of furniture or accent piece you are thinking of, Brandon has an incredible gift of finding something that will match you. After a few purchases here, he has helped us really make our house a home.
Thank you!

Atomic Bazaar is one of those rare finds tucked away in the heart of Hillcrest. My boyfriend and I recently purchased a beautiful vintage couch from here, and we couldn’t be happier. Brandon (the owner) was extremely helpful and obviously very passionate about his business. He made sure we got exactly what we wanted. I can’t wait to finish decorating my house with more of Atomic’s gorgeous treasures! Do yourself a favor and check out this gem, you’ll be glad you did!

Everything here is cool and in good condition. Most things are mid century but they are well cared for. And he has everything from wall art, to lamps, to dressers or beds. This place really earns their 5 stars in the awesome owner! I’ve come in three times and every time he either tries to show me what I want, tells me when he is getting a shipment of what I want, or suggest I try a different place. You are an awesome human if you are telling customers to go to a store that better fits their needs instead of trying to sell them into coming back.

This is a great place to check out for mid-​century furnishings. I first found out about these fellas by a visit to Frock You’s Huge Frocking Sale when a vendor from Atomic Bazaar came out to sell some of their things. I came home with gorgeous green vintage lamps for the bedroom and had to be sure to stop in Atomic Bazaar to see the rest of their inventory. This place is like a really fun hidden attic tucked in the bottom of The Egyptian building. The space is small and a bit cramped but be sure to check out the upstairs for more cool furnishings.

Atomic Bazaar is a hot addition to the Mid Century Modern furniture scene here in San Diego. Like Mid-​Century across the way, it bridges the gap between museum-​quality prices and the crap that often passes for Mid Century Modern today. In other words, the selection is attractive yet accessibly priced and down to earth. Brandon is an affable fellow who is really helpful and sincere. He clearly loves what he does and is a great salesperson because of it. He sold us a Danish coffee table that I originally turned my nose up to because he pointed out it’s practicality. We have small children and this table has inset tiles that serve as built in coasters as well as their decorative function. By pointing out that we wouldn’t immediately trash the teak with ring marks, he convinced us to buy it. And we absolutely love it — both the look and durability. Can’t wait to go back for more.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Atomic Bazaar, they always have the most amazing things at the best prices. Got a clutch there for a great price and I covet most of their furniture every time I go. You will love the whole entire store and Brandon, the owner is super helpful and friendly. Great customer service!

Had an awesome experience with my first purchase at Atomic Bazaar. First I snagged a 60s lounge chair for an amazing price. Then,
when the owner, Brandon, found out I wanted to reupholster it, he gave me a great recommendation for a discount fabric store with mid-​century fabrics, and even offered to drop off and pick up the chair from his preferred upholsterer (who did an incredible job for a great price). It was so thoughtful and considerate. Brandon definitely treats each piece as if it were his own. Fair prices, good selection, and a great location (surrounded by several other mid-​century vintage shops). Definitely check it out!

One of the better Mid Century Modern places around.
Brandon was very friendly and was easy to talk to. Also he didn’t hover while I looked around.
I always find it annoying when someone hovers when I’m trying to enjoy myself browsing.
Between here and Mid Century Design across the street, I can spend the whole afternoon debating if I really, really, really need to add to my collection.

This place is worth stopping by FOR SURE… always have amazing art prints at really good prices, I’ve purchased 2 myself there… Got me some killer barstools and when I noticed a crack the owner, Brandon, quickly took 25 bucks off…
I love to come here, there is only one downside… they aren’t open on Mondays:(but everyone deserves a day off… even at my favorite vintage shop in San Diego…
Just go, it’s freaking worth it…

Brandon the owner is totally awesome and way good looking. Hes got the gift of gab and great taste in furnishings.
The prices are great, location is cool and what else can I say but go meet the new guy on the block