Circa — Local services in Charlottesville

I use to think Circa was cool; you could find some interesting things there, but their customer service has always been lack luster. I thought they were a little aloof when I purchased some items; no thank you's - no smiles, but that was nothing compared to how i was treated when I went there to sell them things. I brought in some boxes, most of which they bought from me. The inspectors whispered to each other right in front of me so I couldn't hear what they had to say. How unprofessional is that? Then they they gave me a box back. The girl said her customers were not interested in Junk and even put the boxes down so she could air-quote Junk....I was pretty offended. And, sorry, but there;s plenty of "junk" in that store. They advertise they sell unique items and you should buy from them so your home doesn't look like everyone else's home full of "box store items". When I brought in some some dressers with matching beds and nightstands, heavy wood furniture, mind you; I was told we don't want any of that. I said but you have things like this in your store right now and I was told they said they are getting away from older items. They bought two items from me: A small island on wheels and and a little table; both items purchased at Target! Is that your policy to be rude and intimidating to your customers? Two times there to sell and two times they were rude as h*ll to me. I...

We hit every antique store in ruckersville and charlottesville last weekend and this one was by far the worst as we barely found anything worth buying in the store for starters the staff are literally a headache to deal with either they stand behind the desk and stare at you for 15 minutes before offering help, not to mention they always decide to have the customer discussions right next to the counter so noone can easily check out. We nicely asked one of the cashiers if we could buy a few of the toys out of the free box that they give away to children in the store (our 3 year old was at home with grandma) and the cashier asked (im guessing) one of the owners and she came out to be condensending about it saying there was a sign we could clearly read. obviously we read it and this is why we asked IF WE COULD PURCHASE THEM. She was very belittling and rude and this is the service we've received the last few times...

Circa is pretty great. They really fulfill their mission of filling the void between junk stores and overly expensive "antique" malls. They have great vintage finds, and yes, sometimes those finds are expensive; but not nearly as expensive as some other "vintage" retailers. Herman Miller, Eames, Bertoia, etc are all popular and in demand (thanks Madmen), so yes, they are going to ask for a reasonable amount of money for those pieces. I don't think that makes them "overpriced", I think it makes them a business.

As long as you don't walk in there expecting to get really cool vintage pieces for the same price as crappy mass-produced press-board furniture you'll be happy. It's hit or miss if you're looking for something specific, but there's always something interesting to look at.

It's definitely worth checking out if you're...