Black and Brown — Local services in San Jose

This place is extremely haunted. It was a brothel and speakeasy and part of a network of buildings that had tunnels under them in the 1920s during prohibition. The madame who ran it also had other girls working in buildings up and down Sunol, it at fist was boarding house for cannery workers than converted into a house of ill repute. The back stairs were where you walked up with a ticket from a different speakeasy down the street or the one below and you would purchase your service with a girl in those very tiny cramped crib rooms. The chief of police at the time partied there! VERY creepy vibe and when I did visit this place after it was an antique shop which I was WELL acquainted with and spent a lot of time in there when very empty. Now as Black and Brown, their clerks also profile you and follow you around like you are going to steal they are the worst at client service and are overcharging. Why am I giving this two stars instead of one? because if you are into the paranormal nd the history of San Jose then this place is rocking ... hang out get some EVPS the people working here should just let ghost hunters come here and do some work and maybe they will get more business and lower their prices on their hipster stuff. Another San Jose business trying too hard to be hip cool, the city with the chip on it's shoulder when it comes to culture. Sorry you're not Berkeley, SF or Oakland. It shows. Get over yourselves hipster San Jose it ain't that deep and you aren't that cool. Also burn some sage will ya? Drove all the way down to the South Bay to deal with this place while doing errands at another place that also had attitude. lame...

I LOVE this place! They have a great selection of both modern and vintage pieces. The women’s denim is definitely a highlight for me. I haven’t found my perfect pair of vintage denim yet, but every time I come in there’s always a few new additions. The hunt is always the best part anyways! Just a tip: sometimes they organize items by size based on the tag, and often it doesn’t match modern sizes. I bought a pair of shorts that were marked a 29 and in the 7-8 section but they were really a 26/27. So make sure to look through the bigger sizes just in case. The men’s section is incredible btw. No matter how you identify, you’ll find something cool or unique! The things that are current aren’t cheap shein or F21 from what I’ve seen, so you can tell they select their items carefully. I know because I brought in a big bag of clothes to sell, and they picked only a few items. I know this may bother some folks, but you have to go in with that expectation (it’s a business after all) The return is 35% in cash which is a little better than places like crossroads/Buffalo exchange/platos closet. It’s important to support a smaller business too! The wait also wasn’t too long. I’ve had a positive experience with the employees. I’ve been greeted every time, and they always ask to prepare a fitting room when they notice that you’ve grabbed some items. They also have an Instagram where they post some of their inventory. Overall the...

I had a really disappointing experience at Black and Brown Thrift Shop. I came in on a Sunday to sell a few items and was told they don't purchase on Sundays -- fair enough. I was instructed to return during weekday purchasing hours and was warned that since the items were out of season, the price might be lower, which I understood.

I came back on a Tuesday, well within their stated buying hours, only to be met with an unwelcoming and dismissive attitude from the owner. Not only was I treated as if I was inconveniencing them, but I was also told I had somehow "missed the window," even though I was following their exact instructions. The tone was entitled and unprofessional, and it felt like they just didn't want to deal with me.

It's unfortunate because I was hoping to support a local business, but based on this experience, I won't be returning -- either as a seller or a shopper as most items are severely overpriced compared to other thrift and vintage stores in the area. It's hard to justify shopping here when you can find similar pieces elsewhere for a fraction of the cost.. There are plenty of other shops in the area that treat people with respect and...