Port Townsend Antique Mall — Attraction in Port Townsend

The Pros: There was a very wide and eclectic selection of items, and it really made finding something a neat experience. The store was organized into sections, and it feels like they had a little bit of everything. I would love to say I will be coming back here. However,

The Cons: The sales lady. At first it was fine, my friend and I walked around and did some browsing at the front, and eventually each grabbed an item. Once we headed further back into the store, she immediately hunted us down and told us she needed to hold our items for us up front, saying it was a policy and trying to frame it like it was so we could “free up our hands”. Which, on its own is fine…except she didn’t do this to anyone else in the store. JUST me and my friend. I don’t know if it’s because we look young or she didn’t think we could afford the items we had in our hands, but either way it was very strange to be told that the store has a policy about holding items but that somehow doesn’t apply to other shoppers just us. Fast forward to when we are getting ready to check out - she is the only one up at the front and there is one couple ahead of us at the register. My friend decided she wanted to look inside one of the jewelry cases at a ring, so I politely asked this woman if there is someone who can help us with opening the case. She tells us (in a very snippy tone!) that she’ll be with us in a minute. Which would have also been fine, except then another man walked up and got in line, and when she was done with the couple in front of us she COMPLETELY IGNORED US and started ringing up the man that had just gotten in line????? Didn’t even acknowledge us AT ALL. We literally had to wait for another employee to pass by and he immediately offered to help us.

I was genuinely prepared to just cut my losses with this store and walk out, but my friend found some nice items so I didn’t want to make a fuss. But I’ve seen some of the other reviews in here mentioning this woman and her strange, rude, and seemingly ageist/classist behavior and I just feel so vindicated that we weren’t the only ones who picked up on the disparate way she treats certain people. So if you look older or like you have money or whatever then I’m sure you’ll be fine but if you look younger or like someone who she thinks would be likely to steal a $20 vintage shirt then I wouldn’t bother shopping here unless you don’t mind being profiled. I certainly have no interest in returning due...

Beautiful space and quality (slightly overpriced) items but not a great attitude. The woman helping us seemed begrudged to help me simply open cases and staunchly refused to let me handle anything. I believe this to be about my age; I look young and am but am a working adult and was fully prepared to buy a quite pricey ring, but the overall sour feeling of the place made it feel risky to spend any money there. Edit in response to reply: I have no issue with only staff removing items from cases. What I do have an issue with is an employee acting like I am bothering them by asking to see an item in their store, and physically cringing when I ask to handle a (not delicate) item that I want to potentially purchase, when none of the older persons in the store are having...

Has gone down hill the past few years as far as quality of antiques. Refuse to shop here after finding out about subjecting customers to a 2% fee to make up for their own merchant fees when using a card. This is a really dumb move as a business owner. There are other ways to recoup that money without the customer knowing. Raise the price of the item rather than shoving it in the customer’s face.

Rumor is around town that they are looking to sell, hope that’s true. Will be glad not to have to smell cigarette smoke drift into the store while shopping. Three stars because I’ve been shopping here for so long and have spent so much of my money on quality antiques that it wouldn’t be fair for me to base everything on the...