Wow.... I've been going to Alexanders Bead Bazaar for years and was really surprised at the…read morenegative comments. I wish we had an Alexanders on the South End and I really dreamed about the store when I lived back East for 3 years! I could not find any stores with decent prices. Trust me when I tell you that Alexanders is heads above their competition - and not just in the NW. When I lived in Seattle ABB used to be the place I wanted to shop more than any other store, and have recommended it to at least a dozen beaders. Even when I taught classes at a different store. They beat out Bead World which is too expensive and predictable in their bead selections. Glad some of y'all have deeper pockets than I do to shop at BW. If you have a business license you want to get signed up to save moreat ABB where you have to have a minimum sale of $20 to qualify for the discount, which is easy to do. ABB's goal is to find moderate priced items for the Scottish souls, which I admire. Even their rough gem strands for $3 that I put into some of my more eclectic work. They have a lovely selection of $3 pearl strands too. Occasionally markdowns on $1 strands that I scarfed up and wish I'd bought more. And I l-o-v-e the 25 cent charms. Such fun! I over-do those every time. But once I overbought something and they kindly reimbursed me. No hassles, and no telling me it had to be store credit, which would be okay too. (unless the customer was POd) As for staff - I have enjoyed talking to the owners over the years, Sam is passionate about being able to give a good deal for those of us who are thrifty beaders, but they also have the high-end gems on strings that I enjoy just gazing at and dreaming of what I could make. You know that 'zen' state you go into while gazing at beads? And I actually broke down and bought a couple of the pricey ones at different times. They also put half price sales on those unique and expensive beads - so you need to keep an eye out. ABB is certainly more accessible than gem shows all year long - and I need to feel the bead so I get a 'feel' for the texture and colors of my designs - cannot do that with Fire Mountain, which often disappoints me when I receive my orders. Scrawny beads for supposedly cheap prices. (rolling eyes) I go to most of the gem shows around the NW and in Oregon, Texas and Ohio... and still enjoy going back to Alexanders to see what Sam Savar has managed to dig up in his travels. One of the owners is a wonderful beader and teaches classes. Their artwork and fine beading examples are around the store to peruse, and they don't panic that you might want to know how something is done - ergo, 'copy' their beadwork. So check out their website and blog - get on ther mailing list so you know when the sales are coming up. Only staff negative I can think of - sometimes the ABB clerks talk about things that are too personal, and not related to beading, and it is a small store so you can hear everything. Their lack of professionalism disturbed me once or twice, but overall I don't see it as a reflection of the store or the owners. I also had help when I asked for it, and they let me browse - and visualize - to my heart's content from the moment I walk in the door and pick up a basket - showing my ABB shopping savvy. Otherwise they'll ask if you want a basket. The only thing that really bothers me is that they are not open on Mondays. Seems that every time I go visit my family North of Seattle for a weekend and come back by Alexanders they are not open. I even went by bus one day taking an hour trip just to find them closed. Frustrating. I wish they would change that. I was serious when I offered to work there just on Mondays. LOL! Owner suggestions - besides opening on Mondays - please seriously consider moving the cash register about five feet closer to the door so they can see the front door better, and relate to incoming and outgoing clients so the clients feel more connected. Why not have a Suggestion Box so one could make proactive comments privately, or request different items? One could sign up for the mailing list there too.

The large Alexander Beads Shop in some photos here are from the old shop. The new shop is very…read moresmall and Carrie's mostly vintage type ethnic beads.

Just sold my pokemon collection they were negotiable and reasonable honest business Rory is super…read morecool guy!

Well, visiting from out of town and saw this shop. Decent selection of baseball, vintage too. But…read morewow, vastly over priced. I realize condition is everything, but raw vintage cards were priced as if they were already graded 8-9s. Wouldn't negotiate to reasonable comps. Heck, even new cards were priced way high. Literally twice recent sales, or more..Had a rc priced at $8 that i showed last 10 sales were below $2, wouldn't budge saying the guy was a good player. Another PSA 10 was listed at $50 and selling for $30, said he overpaid and would just keep. Ok, finding another store....

I stopped by the Mill Creek sports store to browse their merchandise while also checking out the…read moreSeahawks rally event sponsored by the Mill Creek Views newspaper. The shop is packed with shirts, memorabilia, and souvenirs featuring both past and current players from all kinds of sports -- football, baseball, basketball, golf, you name it. Since football is my favorite sport to watch, especially the Seahawks, I loved seeing all the great shirts and gear featuring my favorite players. They even carry Pokémon cards, which was a fun surprise. The store itself is medium‑sized, fully stocked, and not too busy, making it easy to look around. Parking is plentiful, and there's a huge selection of sports memorabilia, including mini replicas of Seahawks helmets. Overall, it's a great spot for any sports fan to explore.

The service is great. The owner is great. The selection is out of this world. The value is very…read morereasonably priced. Definitely the best place to go in Washington if you need to get something authenticated or if you wanna buy something, you'll definitely get the value and well worth it here they have a lot of fun Autograph sessions. They have the authenticators that come around a couple times a year. This is definitely a great place to go to even for a date just to look around and check out everything and kind of see what sports teams. Your other person likes. I definitely suggest coming here. It is a very large Location located on the corner. Easy to get to again yes yes yes.

Not a bad shop. I bought a tin for about $20, which is much better than what I've seen from other…read moreshops. The people there are also quite friendly and engaging. They seem to have a good selection of cards in binders.

Not Family Friendly as advertised. in the parking lot exiting the car, my son and I heard on loud…read morespeaker from an event tent the store had set up - explicit sexual "challenge " questions I assume to win prizes. It was really vile. we got back in the car and drove away. very disappointment with this establishment.

An excellent location for gold, silver and rare coins! The owner, Brenden, and his amazing staff…read more(Sarah) and their store mascot (Bam Bam the Bulldog) are incredible. They're personable, friendly and welcoming. Brenden will take the time to tell you about the coins and quote very reasonable prices. The Coin Market collection is consistently better than other nearby local coin shops. Sarah is awesome and very knowledgeable on coins and proof sets. We love coming here and conversing + seeing the amazing BamBam (a very friendly bulldog who greets you shortly after your arrival). Been to a lot of coin shops and this one is by far my #1. Location is near a couple of nice restaurants too. Keep it up!

They sold me $5.00 gold American Eagles @ $60.00 lower cost than my online Texas dealer. My…read morebrother will never forgive me. He keeps offering to buy mine, after he bought from our Texas dealer, paid a fee to use his credit card for advance payment and was billed for shipping and insurance. His purchase cost him over $3,000.00 more than the exact same purchase I made locally, and he waited weeks for his delivery. He can afford it, but he never bought from his dealer again. I do feel their pain with the new 10% sales tax in WA, so I will try to sell some of my holdings back to them @ reasonable profit margins. They are good people to deal with, at least in my experience. They have earned my support.

Service and price. Im my case, I was selling bullion. I…read morefelt that the price that they offered was fair and the whole transaction was super-fast, and ez. And they paid cash.

Amazing customer service, the owner is very knowledgeable and friendly. I would absolutely…read morerecommend this place to anyone looking for a local shop to purchase precious metals.

Found this place cruising the lower level of pikes place and was super impressed with the level of…read morecoin and buttons they had political and otherwise. I'm definitely more of a sports cards guy so seeing the variety of cards most of em rookies was nice especially the jerseys. Owner was nice and super helpful wasn't at all snooty like another recent review mentioned. I'd say the only things qualm wise I got is using cash only and the pricing on some cards. Obviously I know businesses gotta make a living but when eBay is (for some I saw on my wishlist) 10-15x cheaper I'd just say go there. Also while credit/debit card fees to businesses can be high I do wish they at least had a debit card option or supported a low cost brand. A lot of people don't carry cash anymore especially on trips so just something to prep for. Definitely would come back regardless.

Lose Yourself in Pop Culture History…read more Take this review with a grain of salt since I don't collect anything. Don't be fooled by the name, Market Coins offers so much more than collectible coins. Tucked away in the labyrinth of Pike Place Market, this quirky, cramped little collectibles shop makes you long to camp out and browse vintage magazines, losing yourself in a slice of life back in the day... or more accurately, a slice of life back in the year. The store is a treasure trove of unusual finds. There are ironic vintage political statement posters (check out the photos and you'll see what mean), stacks of sports cards, and an interesting mix of magazines. In particular, the vintage issues of Ring Magazine caught my eye. I have a couple of retired pro-boxer friends and decided to surprise them with retro issues of this classic boxing pub. The owner was friendly and helped me sift through the overwhelming number of options to find the perfect issues. He steered me towards the editions that were perfect for my nostalgic boxers and didn't break the bank since they aren't collectors either. Even if you aren't an avid memorabilia collector, this place is worth a browse.

Last Saturday (June 6th), I stopped by Redmond Rare Coins to get a second opinion on a 1 oz silver…read moreround I picked up online, and this shop is the real deal. Santo buzzed me in through their secure entry -- always a good sign for a place dealing in real metal -- and walked me through a full verification process. He did a classic sound test against one of their known‑good coins on a rock slate, then compared it to mine. After that, he used their measurement device and scale; my round hit 31.1 grams, exactly one troy ounce, and the device confirmed it was .999 fine. That level of transparency is exactly what stackers look for. We ended up talking spot, premiums, and the current silver market. Both Santo and his partner in the back (Carol?) were easy to talk with and clearly know their stuff. I also asked about the Red Book, and they confirmed it's a solid foundation for anyone building real numismatic knowledge -- principles stay the same even when prices move. If you're a stacker who values transparency, proper testing, and straight talk, Redmond Rare Coins is a shop worth visiting. Solid people, solid process, solid metal.

Update 7/24/26: The…read moreowner's response does not accurately represent what happened or why I wrote this review. My complaint was never that I was emotionally attached to the coin, seeking validation, or expecting the store to pay full retail. I explicitly acknowledged that dealers need to buy below market value to make a profit. My concern was the inaccurate and contradictory information I received. If you read other reviews I am not the only one who has had negative feedback with Santos. Santos looked at my coin for only a few seconds before saying, word for word, "You should not have graded this coin." He then told me it was an $8,000 coin and said its value tracked the spot price of gold. This was a PCGS-graded 2020-W V75 Proof American Gold Eagle Privy $50 First Strike--a collector coin whose grade, rarity, and numismatic demand materially affect its value. It does not simply trade like ordinary gold bullion. After Santos researched the coin using Greysheet, he found a figure of approximately $12,000. He then changed his explanation and said the original $8,000 figure was what he would offer me. Those are two different statements. Saying, "This coin is worth $8,000," is a valuation. Saying, "I would offer you $8,000," is a dealer's purchase offer. I explained this distinction to him in the store. I also made it clear that I understood why a dealer's offer would be below market value. I did not object to the amount they were willing to pay. My issue was that the $8,000 figure was initially presented as the coin's value and was only reframed as an offer after his own research showed a higher figure. I later took the coin to another reputable coin shop in Bellevue. They confirmed that Santos's statements about the coin not being worth grading and simply tracking the spot price of gold were incorrect. The owner's repeated explanation that they are "a shop, not an auction house" and use wholesale pricing does not address my complaint. I was not demanding an auction price. I was asking for accurate information and a clear distinction between the coin's market value and what the store was willing to offer. I also found the auction-house distinction strange considering the store sells coins through eBay AND WhatNot, although that is secondary to my main concern. There is no need for either side to argue about what happened. If the store's cameras recorded the interaction, I welcome the owner sharing the full, unedited footage so readers can judge for themselves. Original review: I recommend getting a second opinion before relying on a valuation or selling a coin here. I brought in a PCGS-graded 2020-W V75 Proof American Gold Eagle Privy $50 First Strike for an appraisal and possible sale. Santos barely examined it before confidently telling me that I should not have had it graded, that it was worth approximately $8,000, and that its value tracked the spot price of gold. After checking Greysheet, he found a figure closer to $12,000 and then said that $8,000 was actually what he would offer me. Again, I had no problem with the store making a below-market offer. My problem was that the original figure was presented as the coin's value and only described as an offer after further research contradicted it. When I pointed out the difference, the conversation became defensive rather than informative. His manner came across as dismissive, overconfident, and unnecessarily confrontational. I received a second opinion from another established coin shop in Bellevue immedlately after this debacle, which confirmed my understanding of the coin's collector value and the importance of its grading. Based on my experience, I would be careful about accepting advice or a valuation here without verifying it elsewhere. This store barely has any selection of items as well. Plenty of parking as its in a strip mall. I would not recommend this business.