Wanted: Lightly Used Interocitor

February 28, 2009 12:03 PM

Any recommendations for vintage and/or surplus shops in the SF Bay area?

I'll be visiting the San Francisco Bay area in a few weeks for a long weekend and I'd like to do some shopping. Specifically, I'm a sucker for mid-century household stuff and, especially, scientific and engineering equipment of that era. Think vintage lab equipment, weird electronic devices, tools, and so on. Are there any good places for this sort of stuff that you can recommend?

posted by LastOfHisKind to shopping (8 comments total)

halted specialities down in Santa Clara. If it's still there.
posted by rdr at 12:41 PM on February 28, 2009

Weird Stuff Warehouse in Sunnyvale.
posted by w0mbat at 12:47 PM on February 28, 2009

Where are you going to be exactly, and when? If by any chance you're here on the weekend of the 1st Sunday of the month I strongly, strongly recommend you go to the Alameda Flea Market; there's the most amazing stuff there. You'd be there all day. There are several mid-century shops in the Berkeley/Oakland area--I can get more specific if Berkeley is do-able. Urban Ore in Berkeley is a big warehouse of household (pretty junky) junk, furniture and old electronics. Also the Oakland Museum has a huge benefit sale coming up with household donations from the community.
posted by tula at 12:56 PM on February 28, 2009

Thanks for the links. I'll be there in mid-March and I'll have transportation, so Berkeley/Oakland is easily doable.
posted by LastOfHisKind at 1:04 PM on February 28, 2009

The chain of thrift stores Thrift Town are pretty awesome and almost always have good stuff.
posted by bradbane at 1:52 PM on February 28, 2009

X21 Modern in SF.
posted by eschatfische at 2:43 PM on February 28, 2009

Modernaire is super cool, has high style mid-century modern furniture, lamps and home decor. There's a few blocks of College Ave either side of the Rockridge BART station has several vintage clothing and home decor shops, like Mason d'Etre and Homesteader. I haven't been here, but this place looks great for furniture. Urban Ore for weird stuff, though. I saw a 1925 Radiola like this one there last month.
posted by tula at 2:49 PM on February 28, 2009

I'll second X21. I also like Trout Farm in Berkeley.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 9:43 PM on February 28, 2009