Great customer service with Paul who went to great lengths to help me with a relatively small…read moreproject

TAP Plastics in El Cerrito CA has done many custom jobs for me over the years. They have always…read moreturned out precisely what I've specified, including with professional clean assembly. They are also an excellent source of freely given advice on plastic materials, adhesives and methods. For me they are the go-to place for custom work as well as for selection of the best plastic materials for any job. Rob Firmin, El Cerrito

I came in for the first time - a friend who's an artist in the ceramics community recommended this…read moreplace and gave me some direction on what to look for, but left the final decision to me and said the staff would help me figure it out. Unfortunately my experience with an associate named Jess made the whole thing pretty miserable. When I explained I was new and needed help choosing clay, she would just stare at me blankly when I asked a question, like she was waiting for me to figure it out myself. It was incredibly frustrating to stand there and try to puzzle out what she wanted from me - a simple "what are you trying to make?" or "what look are you going for?" would have gone a long way. She cut me off mid-sentence more than once, and when she walked me over to the clay wall she made a spectacle of it - speaking loudly and drawing attention from the whole store. It felt less like help and more like being made an example of. I went back to the counter a second time and tried to ask more specific questions. Same thing. At one point I straight up said "I'm not trying to waste your time." She eventually pointed me to something, I bought it, and got out of there. I get that this place has a great reputation and I'm sure a lot of that is deserved. But walking in as a beginner and leaving feeling humiliated is not okay. If you're new to ceramics and need actual help, just hope you don't get Jess.

On August 1st of 2025 I went to their Richmond location to get 300 # of porcelain clay only to be…read morederided by the male employee who unhappily loaded the clay into the trunk of my vehicle. REALLY?! I'm 69 years old, 4'11" tall, and go to the chiropractor every Monday because of MY bad back!

I love going to the Berkeley Blick Art Materials store. It a pilgrimage for me. I remember crossing…read morethe Bay from SF when I was young going to a "giant" artist supplies store on Univeristy Avenue. This is the next best thing to that. Now that I'm relatively speaking "Old" I take my joys where I find them. If you ask me to go out for a good time, first take me to the Berkeley take me to 10th St. Blick and then to Berkeley Bowl West to pick up something great for dinner. You think I am joking, but I am not. I had a wonderful time and got loads of goodies. I would say the real value at Blick is immediacy. We old school folks like to touch the merchandize. We have respect for the time saved, finding what you want when you want or need it. The people that worked there were very lovely and helpful. The were probably humoring us. Three old ladies touching everything, laughing having some kind of celebration at the Art Store. It was a sort of special occasion and my choice was to go to Blick. It isn't far from home but it can be a challenghIt is a beautifully equipped establishment The only problem I had was at the colored pencils. The font size on the labels was so small could only guess. My.only difficulty at home was am individual Prismacolor green pencil. Broke so many times during sharpening it left the beloved Color just slightly over half the size.

Prices are high. Variety on hand is low (much easier to Buy online )…read moreStaff at the cash register was nice, the older gentlemen , the one younger floor attendant was short with us and not very helpful. Bad shopping experience.

My wife and I decided to pick up a new hobby 9 months ago, and I'm so glad we did. Since then,…read morewe've taken 6 classes at Cass Ceramics, where we've benefitted from personalized attention from Lizzie and Lauren, both of whom took great care to impart lessons to us about throwing ceramics on the wheel, hand-building pieces, and glazing our pottery. It's been a captivating new artistic obsession, made possible by the welcoming community at Cass. We feel very lucky to have found Cass, Lizzie, and Lauren!

I'm a big fan of Cass Ceramics and appreciate that the studio has opportunities for folks with a…read morewide range of ceramics knowledge and skills. I'm a ceramics novice and over the past year or so have taken a weekend workshop and three classes here with Cass, Lizzie, and Lauren. The instructors are super friendly, inviting, and helpful. As a beginner, I thought it'd be really complicated - from learning ceramics techniques to figuring out how get my pieces fired, glazed, etc. But the classes and workshops are super informative, and the studio has an efficient and easy to understand process of getting my pieces from start to finish. I look forward to taking more classes here :)

My friends and I went into the store to take a look at some plushies. This store had such a variety…read moreof Jellycats and Douglas toys. I really loved the display of hanging vines with the plushies attached it was such a fun touch. The staff there was so nice and helpful I really appreciated the service. I made my purchase which also comes with free gift wrapping which was awesome. As for the Jellycats I saw there was a wide variety all around the store. The prices were very close to retail price online which was great. I also enjoyed the variety of toys around the shop that seemed to be organized by theme and hobbies. I can't wait to bring my nieces here.

I've been coming here for a while now, and I've really tried to like this shop, but unfortunately,…read moreevery time I visit, I'm met with rude and uncomfortable customer service. The younger female employees are often standing around talking and gossiping rather than helping customers. The only employee I consistently see walking around assisting customers is an older woman with gray hair. She is absolutely wonderful--she is always friendly, greets customers, and genuinely makes an effort to help. She is by far the most welcoming person in the store. Unfortunately, there are two employees in particular who have made my visits especially uncomfortable. One is a woman with pink and black hair who frequently wears a mask. I have personally felt profiled and treated differently by her, which has made me uncomfortable. Another is a tall white woman who is also consistently rude and gives customers unfriendly looks. I understand that everyone has bad days, but this has happened repeatedly. It's especially disappointing because this is a children's store, where customers should feel welcomed and comfortable. Management should really address the customer service and how certain employees interact with customers. I do want to give credit to the older woman with gray hair--she is always kind, helpful, and welcoming, and she deserves recognition for her customer service.

After a quick search on jewelry supply stores on Yelp, I've decided to visit The Crafty Store to…read morepurchase cuff links parts. I just spent fifteen minutes in front of the store! It was closed. The note on the door read "appointment only, please call." I called the number but the voice mailbox was full! BTW, according to Yelp the store hours are Fri-Sun 11:30 am - 6 pm but no indication on "by appointment only" part!

I wish I could rate this shop 10 stars, cause I seriously would. Great quality findings and…read morecompletely unique. Thanks to The Crafty Store, I've been able to make beautiful cuff links and lockets and help support my family. Can't recommend enough!

Wonderful Pens, Pencils, School Supplies, Notebooks, Paper, Decor, Art Supplies, Gift wrapping…read moresupplies, Office Supplies, Folders, Frames, and of course Stationary among other items. The staff know what they are talking about for any product questions you may have, and they are happy to arrange bulk orders if you need. I did so for my small business. Support your local, independently owned shops like this one, where you can walk in, get what you need, and have a bit of human interaction!

Nice little family owned Stationary store on Solano Ave. the people running the store are always…read morefriendly and helpful. There aren't many small independently owned stationary stores left in the Bay Area so this is much needed. Street parking only. Prices are fair.

Great selection of fabrics and the service is great! Fabric is priced the same as other stores.read more

This is my favorite fabric store in the Bay. The owner is so kind, and gave me so much valuable…read moresupport in making a quilt when I had a newborn. She even let me use a giant table to lay my quilt on and sew when I could not get anything done at home. It meant so much to me, and always will! I have bought so many beautiful pieces of cloth here. Shout out to Sassy thread and dream cotton batting, which is sold here. *chefs kiss* If you are unsure about quilting thread or batting, look no further. Also, the rotating exhibitions here are worth a visit aside from shopping. Bay quilts is truly a community hub for quilters, and anyone who loves to sew in the Bay Area! Come here and enjoy art, make friends, and make beautiful things.

Avenue is a lovely yarn store with an abundant and diverse selection of yarns and notions. Rebeccah…read moreand her staff are great people who are welcoming and helpful. I consider this store the best in Berkeley!

Totally a happy find for quality yarn! And a marvelous selection! I was very impressed by the…read moresuper warm inclusive knit community ! The professionalism and welcome of staff is super. Appears many levels of makers here but the exceptional talent are truly inspirational! They carry many types of yarn . Quality and value is high.

We get very excited every time we receive their open house notification in the mail. We then…read moredebate, "Oh, do we need another piece? We already have quite a few pieces already. Oh, what the heck, we'll just go take a look..." And we always come home with another piece of artwork, or two. We had a custom wall display unit built just to house all the pieces. We love their pumpkins and squash, the leaf vases, the tortoise shell series (our fav), eternal flame, orion, etc. etc. One of these days we'll have to get some of those glass mushrooms too. Be sure to check out their beautiful back garden where they incorporate their art pieces into the landscape. I could sit there all day to enjoy the sight, and the sounds of birds and the water fountain. Their two friendly dogs are always there - we love people who work with their pets around!

Beautiful showroom. I have seen a lot of glass, but this place is worth the trip. Before moving…read moreto San Francisco from Wisconsin, I used to make certain that I visit their studio.