Great little shop full of this and that, these and those & wants and cannot live withouts. I've been popping in and out of here for a couple years now, there are multiple sections of the store to poke your head around. The upstart part is like strawberry picking with bins filled with ever. I've found some great Christmas gifts here and personal items to my collections. Prices range on the retail side and up, accepting cash and card. They are following Covid rules if that makes a difference for you. Masks and social distances required. Best part about this shop is there is a nice little ice cream shop across the street =) this downtown area has changed for the better over the years and this place is just another addition to it. read more

Rustology Antiques And Oddities - Antiques Near Me - Stafford, Connecticut

This is a neat place run by nice people with a lot of great stuff, however, there are no bargains to be had here. If you're in the market for interesting things with no thought to their cost, this may be your place. The few things I would have bought were price 3 to 4 times what I they'd be worth to me, so, for me... eh. Still, it's great to wander around either way. read more

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What a FUN place to go in Stafford Springs! You could really make an afternoon of it, there's sooooo much packed into the first and second floors of Rustology. It's a place with layers...and layers and layers. First, the woman at the counter when we first visited was so very nice and helpful. I asked right away about the pricing, as it was our first visit and didn't know how such a place worked. She explained that while some things had prices on them, most did not, and that we could make a pile at the front desk (discount on a bulk of items) or take pics of items on my phone & then inquire, whatever worked for us. Off we went! This is a place where you're going to want to spend some time. Things are displayed, but items are also piled and stacked, and you may have to do some real digging to find out what's reeeeally under that pile of vintage linens or stack of window frames. But that makes it so much more fun! There is too vast an array of items and oddities to even begin to describe. You must experience this place for yourselves. Be prepared to stay a while. One wo/man's trash is another's treasure, so you're almost guaranteed to find something you "need" to take home. This is also the kind of place with a changing "stock," so you'll want to come back again and again. One thing to know: this is not a tag sale nor a garage sale nor an auction. You're not going to walk in here and walk out with a $5 steal on that vintage item. They seem to know the real-world cost of things, and price them appropriately (which can seem "expensive" if you have the tag sale mindset). You can always try to negotiate within reason. We were very happy with our handful of purchases, and paid about what we figured going in. But we got some unique pieces that make us smile when we see them. And we will definitely be back! read more

One star . . . This place is never open. Hours of operation seem totally random. I had to go like ten times before I caught someone there during their business hours. The place has the worst smell of mold I've ever smelled. And the prices seem astronomical for what's mostly junk with a few cool items tossed in here or there. This could be a cool place but it's managed by people who really seem to use it more as storage for their hoard than to earn money running a business. read more

I wasn't in Stafford to visit Rustology, but after passing by the shop and seeing their sign, I HAD to check it out. My two friends and I walked and to a sprawling store packed to the gills with all manner of things you'd find in your grandparents' basement. Same smell, too (musty). For whatever reason, we were completely ignored by (who I'm assuming were) the owners of the place, despite walking right by them and even making eye contact. That rudeness was immediately noted by the three of us and ultimately kept me from buying a couple of the small, random things I happened to see and like in the store. For a small, independent business like that which I'm sure can't bring in much money, you'd like the owners would be much friendlier to potential customers. The store consisted of several rooms with small, narrow walkways surrounded by... stuff. Just stuff. Most of which with no price tags, so I'm assuming it's a place where you have to haggle to buy anything - not my game. Just have a price tag on there and I'll by it if I'm good with the price. My friend noted that there were tons of dismembered baby doll parts and parts of animal bones strewn about the store, some in cages and definitely added to the "oddities" portion of their store sign. Had the owners been nicer (or even just ACKNOWLEDGED that we were there) I would have walked out with several old political pins and some cool bookends in the shape of dogs, but instead we all walked out with nothing. Won't be back. read more

Visited family for five days, three of those days I went by the shop to see if it was open.... Closed each time during normal business hours. Big disappointment. No hours of operation listed on the door. I asked a delivery person if they knew something and they stated they rarely seen it open and said they have been stopped by other with the same question. Rent must be cheap to just keep a store front like this. Oh well. Maybe next time. Otherwise it looks really cool inside. I was really hoping to make a few purchases from what I could see through the window. read more

Having moved from my hometown of Stafford (not far though!) whenever I am home to visit friends and family, I always stop at Rustology. We have bought many wedding and other gifts here as well as we love interesting and unique gifts rather than shopping off of registries. I have bought myself a few vintage dresses as well which although a little pricey I COULD NOT resist. i agree with a previous review that it is a little over priced but as a small business owner I get it. Also the complaints about the hours, I also get that too! As a small business owner you get to reserve the right to be open when you want to and closed when you want to. Well done and great place to find cool things to furnish your apartment or give as gifts. Always will return to see what is new. Also the murals painted by local artist, Olaf make it even more special! read more

Rustology Antiques And Oddities - Antiques Near Me - Stafford, Connecticut

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This place is great to spend an hour or so hunting around. And I do mean hunting. This place is bursting with all kinds of funky stuff. The only thing I don't like is almost nothing has a price on it. Other than that it's a really fun store. I stop by every time I'm in town. read more

There is far more to this shop than what you expect walking in. The main floor has an eclectic array of items ranging from taxidermy to vintage board games and a giant wall map from 1913. The woman working there seemed quite friendly and let us browse unbothered. She seemed happy to answer any questions other customers brought to her and literally every time I turned around I saw something I hadn't seen just a moment before, there is that much stuff here. They also have an upstairs that is literally like trolling your grandma's attic if grandma was a real hoarder. I can't speak to the prices as we didn't buy anything today, however we will surely return in the future. read more

Since opening there probably hasn't been a week where I haven't stopped by Rustology to see what great new items they've added to the shop. The owners are very personable and easy to strike up a conversation with. The store is filled with unique oddities from old taxidermy, vintage clothing, old advertising and every other neat thing in between. For a while I had stopped buying antiques along with odds and ends but since finding Rustology I've taken home several things I couldn't live without. Check it out for yourself and enjoy! read more

I went there to Rustology Antiques of Stafford couple of times. This Place is Okay because of getting old stuff there with lots of antiques there like old books, old furniture, old signs, and other things like junk. The Atmosphere was Pretty Good, Stuff was OK, Parking was OK, Prices are not bad, and The Staff was Very Nice and Polite. I'm not sure if I am going back there because it's junk out there because of getting old but otherwise, It's an Okay and Pretty Good Place. If you like browsing around antiques and old stuff, This is your place to find old-school things there at Rustology. read more

I think that the folks at Rustology have a tremendous gift - the great eye for things and display. And they are super super nice. I cannot disagree with DawnE's pricing comment, but when I chatted with the owner, she suggested that they were open to negotiation. So perhaps those prices are not the impediment they might seem.... They are super neat folks and I hope the store is successful as it adds so much interest to the street in Stafford. read more

Mike and Amity are great to deal with and fair traders. A week doesn't pass that I don't stop and usually buy something. Nice to see a shop that the internet hasn't run out of business. Jim S. Mansfield read more

A very eclectic and interesting shop! However, I was not 'greeted' nor offered any assistance whereas other customers were. I overheard the owner say to her husband, "keep an eye on her". I stopped in to spend money and support a local business....instead I was pegged as a potential thief. The owners were extremely nice and helpful to other customers who were obviously in there to browse and not buy. When I did wrangle them into helping me, they didn't seem pleased to and I was quoted high prices for some things that had no tags (most everything doesn't). I should have left the minute I was "pegged" and not spent a dime in there. I had a budget of $200 to spend if I were to find some things. I had to haggle hard on 2 items ($25) that I still paid more than I would have liked, considering their condition. They saw that I was buying and still quoted me high to haggle, which I had no energy left for. SOS esp. for us older, single ladies who aren't dressed to the hilt! It's like when I'm at the diner and the waitress won't even bother to give me a 1st refill on my coffee while they've already refilled 2-3x's for the guys!! Ya they think the women won't tip good and then when they only get $1 tip for unfair service (not me, I'll still tip fairly...but not extra for that) then the waitresses figure they were right all along. I rarely return to places where that happens and Rustology lost a customer today. read more