This is one of those places you can spend hours in and never get bored. There are so many things to look at and peruse. I went on a weekend, but Id love to spend a Wednesday here. Definitely got lucky and snagged a cool lamp which I adore. The testing area came in clutch to plug in lamps and other items to check to see if they worked. Totally happy with that. Cute little afternoon at urban Ore. Id happily be back to spend more time. read more

Urban Ore - Vinyl upon vinyl - Home & Garden Near Me - Berkeley, California

Customer service 4/5 Value 3/5 I love this place. It has everything. Pricing is not consistent as some are very good and some are more expensive than new. However, they are negotiable. I got a bike rack for $15 while brand new is over $200. The staffs are very friendly and helpful. read more

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What even is this place!? I kept seeing this place pop on across social media, and at first it kept saying that it was in Oakland. I decided to look it up so my girlfriend, her sister, and I can go and check it outwhen. Lord behold it's in Berkeley! Ok, not a big deal, but we all kept thinking that they should fix the location across social media videos. We get there and parking isn't easy to find. You have to park in or around the other warehouses in the area or a couple of blocks away. After we found parking we made our way over and oh it was a huge disappointment to behold. I think we only stayed for a few minutes before we called it a bust and a waste of time. Do not, I repeat, do not believe the videos that these social media influencers are feeding your algorithm. There was so much trash, broken products, and some of the furniture that could be salvaged had ridiculous price tags on them. Some sets were incomplete, coffee mugs were cracked, tools rusted, and when asked about certain electronics working conditions they either didn't know or refused to check. Needless to say we were unimpressed and never coming back. read more

Urban Ore Place is a large salvage yard and reuse center that features house items: furniture, hardware, tools, and building materials section outside that's been around 40+ years! I used to visit to find that hidden gem or get inspired to transform a piece of unwanted item into a functional item like a planter or garden art. This place is great for a DIYer or handy man as items have so much potential but can be a bit overwhelming if you're looking for something specific. My recent visit was to find a replacement window for a mini table-top greenhouse I put together about 15 years ago. Unfortunately, after a recent windstorm, 1 window broke and needed to be replaced. The original windows I bought were from a salvage/building resource spot in SF. At the time, buying 6 windows cost me $70 at most. Now (15 years later) for the same quality it will cost you $35-$60/window at Urban Ore. Ouch! I guess these windows may be used for a remodel of an older home. They do have another section for cheaper windows but sadly they look like the one I'm trying to replace...some wood rot, flimsy, peeling and weathered as they're not protected from the elements. Staff outside are friendly and helpful. Worth a stop to check out but some pricing on items a bit higher. Parking inside the gate and along the street. read more

Urban Ore - Finding a window panel for my mini greenhouse - Home & Garden Near Me - Berkeley, California

Utter and complete upcycled chaos. If you come and dispel any fantasy about finding that rare hidden gem and want to see random home goods and architectural scraps its a nice place to visit. There are some cool random statues and displays put together that you can hunt for. Parking lot is huge with plenty of space and Urban Ore is in a GIANT warehouse so there is a lot to go digging through. I came with my family and my brother said one of his coworkers needed a very specific size and design screw and he was somehow able to find it here. I honestly don't know how. Outside has many glass windows, storage bins, old scrap metal, and a pretty large selection of toilets. Inside they try to organize it a bit by genre so you will see sections with old books, electronics, games, paper, etc.. but within these its still pretty chaotically organized. read more

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Came by this past weekend, and I was amazed by this place from the moment I stepped inside. It's a giant warehouse space organized into nicely labeled sections, and there's a massive yard out back with even more secondhand products for sale. The diverse offerings include bicycles and bike parts, furniture (sofas, tables, and more), lots of chairs, rugs, luggage, tools, electronics, speakers, musical instruments, CD's and records, remote controls, items that make you feel like you've gone back in time (like cassette tapes, vhs tapes, and floppy disks), books, toys, model trains, light fixtures, baskets, kitchenware/appliances, board games, crutches, building materials, doors, windows, bathtubs, toilets, garden sculptures, mirrors, cabinets and shelves, decorative items, artworks, plumbing hardware, door knobs, plastic cups and bottles, hats, shoes, and clothing. They even have scrap glass for mosaic or stained glass projects. We ended up purchasing some drum rings, as well as an awesome tote bag for just five bucks. The line at the front counter gets long at times, but it moves quickly with helpful workers making sure everything goes smoothly. You can even cut the line if you're paying with cash. No returns are allowed on items such as electronics and clothing. Dogs are welcome inside, with countless signs posted noting that it's not a poop and pee zone. There's also a sign near the toy section stating "unattended children will be given candy and a free puppy." read more

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I always check Urban Ore first when I have a purchase to consider. If they don't have it, I can always buy it for full price somewhere else. But it's amazing how often they DO have it! read more

Every time we're in the Bay Area, we make a stop at Urban Ore. It's one of our favorite places to treasure hunt, and we always find something unique. Huge bonus points for being dog friendly and having a restroom available. If you love thrifting and hidden gems, this place is a must-visit! read more

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Urban Ore is a great place to find items you may need in order to complete a house or apartment. They have a lot of items to choose from but what I've noticed is most tend to go here for tables, dressers, chairs and construction related items. I ended up getting a chair, a night stand and dresser the last time I came here but was accompanying a friend this occurrence who was in search for a table. I wound up realizing they had plenty of Oakland A's memorabilia on display which turned into a fun scavenger hunt for me being a lifelong diehard fan. While I didn't end up buying anything, I had a blast, searching for all of the A's items on display and appreciated seeing who I believe is the owner sharing a photo of the late great Rickey Henderson visiting here before he passed away last year. The only thing to look out for this parking can sometimes be complicated, and more than a lot of the items that peak your interest you're going to pass on due to prices being on the higher end. 4/5. read more

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Unique store; be patient and you'll find unique items. From antique to modern furniture. Tools you haven't seen in years. Old and new and you'll want to come back and see what is there next! read more

This place is super cool. Any home project can definitely be started from here. They have doors, shutters, tubs, tables, toilets, like literally sooooo much. Super fun day just looking around. They've got a cool stash of records. So much to find here and the employees are super helpful and kind. read more

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Im guessing the inventory is free. Good for Urban Ore. Judging by the price tags Im guessing things are negotiable? Not really sure who would pay $350 for a 70 year old door without hardware that needs some serious elbow grease to get back to a restored condition. Cool museum. Not really any thrift going on there. read more

I was told about this place and decided to come check them out. If you are into collecting, looking to do projects, working on the house or just looking for more stuff to add to your stuff. This is the spot for you. read more

Horrible experience at this place. I drove long distance for materials and the staff refused to be of any help to me with questions and assistance needed for the materials I drove to get. Save yourself the trouble as Urban Ore is for profit and not the people! read more

We bought some lovely doors for over 400.00 and the day we went to pick up we let them know that we rented at truck to grab them. As we arrived at 4:59 the guys we completely unwilling to let me get my PAID for windows. Each time I called to check in and give our eta I was shocked by the complete lack of customer service skills. I'm not sure who this company employs, but they should be ashamed. We are their CUSTOMERS, not their opponents! I would say find a more professional business to work with. Skip this place. Totally disappointed and will never donate there again. read more

This is a great, wonderful, amazing thrift shop/salvage yard. We purchased so many materials for our catio at half the price we would have gotten if we bought them new. I also purchased a set of frosted glassware that are so cool and I love having them in my house. Def a hoarder's paradise and you need to give yourself time to peruse the whole store because there's just so many things to look at. My recommendation would be to come in with a purpose or your whole day would disappear just looking through isle after isle of stuff. Have returned many times and plan to return many more times in the future. read more

Let's get this straight - your store manager Claudio refused to allow me to help URBAN ORE from placing items that could be reused in to the garbage - your other staff had looks of amazement on there faces when he said "no" - no wonder your store has the highest turnover over of staff I've ever witnessed. These item had been donated to you with the understanding that you would do your best to keep their processions out of the landfill - you failed miserably. I took my concerns to social media - mostly the huge "buy nothing groups" that operate in Berkeley. People were disgusted but not surprised by Claudio's behavior - we've all watched for decades how he sells the best tools to his friends in his tool corral. Many have also noticed his illegal use of THOUSANDS of white post office tubs - that alone shows us his (and by default) Urban Ore's ethics. One last thing - comments were ignored on your Facebook page - messages were ignored - I realize that someone at Urban Ore hopes this would just blow over - it hasn't and it won't - people are disappointed in Urban Ore's attitude. Personally, after having bought thousands of dollars worth of items from you over a twenty year period I would say this comes down to the bad attitude of your store manager - over the years I have met many of your staff members who obviously believed in "zero waste" - they have all quit but the guy in charge of the shop floor obviously thinks it's just a catchy slogan to get people to give you their stuff for free. read more

Got time to kill? This place is phenomenal for random parts and have everything you've never seen under the sun,

Almost everything about this place is awesome! However, all it takes is one rude employee with a power trip to ruin it. I highly recommend the inside shop- not only do they have a super wide range of eclectic items that are useful and cool, but the people tend to be really friendly and helpful. Outside... the building materials... also an incredible array of useful items, often for much less than you could buy them for new... but other than that- super depends on who happens to be there giving prices. If you're going there just for standard lumber-- those prices are preset and listed, so you don't have to worry about it, but everything else appears to be 100% subjective and up to the person you talk to, which will vary wildly. There is one employee in particular who appears to rush towards anyone getting things priced just to give a quote that would be 2-4 times higher than anyone else. Genuinely seems to get some kind of massive satisfaction, regardless of whether you overpay for the item, or just don't get to buy the item because you aren't willing to pay the exorbitant quote. He doesn't make commission, so it's no skin off his back whether the item goes back or not. The main thing seems to be whether or not he gets under your skin. All the other guys are very fair. Once in a while they will quote a high amount, but they will always pull up a comparable used item on line to explain why it's so expensive. The other dude though-- seriously has absolutely no basis for what he quotes, just whatever he feels like that day. I've gotten so frustrated, I've gone from going weekly for projects to vowing I will only stop by once in a while to see if the jerk is working there, and leave immediately if he is. I've also heard him ranting about conspiracy theories to other workers who just seem kind of trapped and trying to not respond, right in front of a bunch of customers. To the owners: you have a very cool, useful, and environmentally friendly company. If you reevaluate how you price things outdoors or make some changes in how you manage employees-- I'd be stoked to return as a very regular customer. Otherwise I'm going almost entirely online to marketplace and Craigslist for used stuff. read more

Cool zero-waste store, epically if you're just looking for a fun activity one afternoon. The place has some really cool things, and just sections of everywhere from electronics to doorknobs. Staff is also very friendly, and the place is never too too busy. read more

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Urban Ore is a super interesting and eclectic thrift warehouse. It's huge and packed with a little bit of everything. You can find items for a bathroom or kitchen remodel, medical supplies, old baseball cards, musical instruments, and even canoes and grills. There's a bike section, an audio and electronics section, and a big collection of vinyl records and VHS tapes. They even had an arcade cabinet when I visited. The place feels like a thrift store dream. It's decently organized considering the size, but if you're looking for something specific, expect to do a bit of digging. Some items feel more like junk, but one person's trash might be someone else's treasure. Prices vary. Some things are a great deal, especially in the remodeling section if you're willing to search. Others feel a little high, especially for appliances, but overall it's still cheaper than buying new. There's also a good-sized parking lot right in front, which makes visiting a lot easier. I didn't buy anything this time around, but I had fun exploring and I'll definitely be back. read more

Urban Ore - Home & Garden Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I really enjoy Urban Ore. Always interesting to walk around and see unexpected items I always find something I need that I never knew existed. I highly recommend this place. read more

This is a great place to find all sorts of stuff at a good discount. Need a new window? Need a toilet, some random fixture? They have a huge selection of all sorts of things you could need for your DIY projects, a window or door replacement, furniture, etc. It feels like treasure hunting to me as they have a huge selection of things and every day new items are coming in. I have bought a wide range of things here such as windows, doors, fixtures, random parts for a kitchen cabinet, old movies, books, suitcases, furniture, office equipment, etc. They have a good sized parking lot but it does get busy on the weekends so you may need to wait or park on the street nearby. Fun place to explore and definitely worth a visit if you enjoy thrift shops and used items. read more

Before stopping in to urban ore I checked when they closed, since it was later in the day , and online I swear it said 7 . I pulled into the parking lot at 4:50pm and walked in . The goal was to find brackets, but I had moved into a new place so finding unique decor was a plus. As I'm in the art section a heavier set Latino man said they were closing and he's about to close the gate . I was confused and asked if they were closing at 5 and he said yes . I explained I came for brackets and got side tracked with the art and gestured to the 30 dollar art piece I had picked up to lighten the mood , but he seemed rushed so I asked were the brackets were so I could quickly grab them and leave . He seemed frustrated that I asked and said "not today man " . Shocked I ended up putting the art piece back and leaving completely empty handed . I sat in traffic on my way to ACE hardware wondering if I should write this all out , then proceeded to tell the story to the wonderfully nice ACE hardware employee. I'm just hoping that thy change not only their online maps hours of operations to the correct ones but their customer service skills and hopefully they don't end up being just a glorified, overpriced , antique junk heap with a 2022 bed bug scare. read more

All these years, I didn't know this place was here. The prices were a slighter higher than I'm used to, but then again, they gotta pay rent and employees. I usually don't buy vintage because I watched too much ghostwhisper lol.. Overall, a cool place to check out. read more

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Wonderland for finding random parts and things from your childhood. Super-8 projector - they had one. Random bike parts - there's a huge collection. Old door knobs and hinges to match the ones in your old house - they have them. A treasure trove. read more

Urban Ore - bike parts - Home & Garden Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I was lured here by an Instagram post by influencer(and my former student/mentee) Francis Dominic who raved about a great book find and the fun he had visiting earlier this week. My daughter is a thriftaholic and when social plans fell through, I consoled her with a visit here. I found a cute vintage dress and a book by indigenous aurhor Cherie Dimaline while my daughter found an animal print top and gold snakeskin heels. We also enjoyed browsing their housewares section. As other reviewers have said, it does get chilly in that big airy warehouse so wear layers. Staff is super friendly and the playlist consisted of 60s classics that reminded me of my dad. We will definitely return to this treasure trove. read more

Urban Ore - We're here - Home & Garden Near Me - Berkeley, California

can say nothing bad about this jem ...love the saturday vibes all of the store reps want to make my experience better than the next...i've been able to purchase merch over the phone too...love everything about the mission too. i am vincent read more

Urban Ore - OUTSIDE PLENTY OF PARKING MOST OF THE TIME - Home & Garden Near Me - Berkeley, California

Literally OVERPRICED! Beyond over priced. Staff is terrible. No one greets or helps you. Waste of absolute time. Don't go here.

BUYER BEWARE: this place has cool stuff but the prices are WAY too high for second hand. Furthermore, many times mechanical items are broken. I just went the other day to return something and they said no returns, even though the receipt clearly states "returns in 14 days" read more

The staff here are really nice and helpful. I didn't need anything but I've seen them help others that have questions and they guide them to where to possible find things. The place is organized by categories and you can find things pretty much where they say it is. You do have to dig but that is part of places like this especially if you are looking for something specific. read more

Smells bad, and lots of garbage/poor quality stuff but also a lot of gems especially in furniture

So if Fred Sanford had a heaven, this may actually be it. Urban Ore is one of those treasure hunt places we love. Founded in the 90's its roots go back way further than that. They were working on zero waste, recycling, up-cylcing etc before those terms were even trendy. It is basically a place where building materials are recycled and given a new life. It is a vast indoor/outdoor warehouse filled with salvaged building materials. From vanities to electrical gear they have a little of everything. It also is a thrift warehouse as well. Given its size and you predilections you can spend a whole day here picking through stuff. If you have specific needs ask. the staff is friendly but unobtrusive and stuff is litterally being processed in real time an put in inventory. read more

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Interesting place with lots of hidden vintage treasures. You have to dig a bit, but that's part of the fun.

I was able to replace a pink toilet for a bath remodel and the client was very happy.

So far I haven't found anything I wanted to purchase, yet. Interesting items a bit pricey. Well organized inside. Staff is friendly they will answer your questions. I'll keep checking back from time to time. read more

My home is older and I'm able to find things for it like hinges and fixtures.I'm always able to find something.

This place is enormous and well worth the visit for the scenery, if nothing else. We visited on a particularly sunny day and the light coming into the warehouse made for a pleasant scene. If you're a student or artist (or perhaps both) trying to find reasonably priced furniture, building materials, set props and builds, various mechanic bits and bobs, books or CDs by the bulk, this would be my first and only stop. The clothing section is a bit small, but was worth a quick ruffle through. The star of the show really is its variety. As a Berkeley thrift, they're a bit more price-savvy than rural competitors may be, meaning "superscores" like a Breville Barista for $10 will be few and far between, but they more than make up for that in their furniture pricing and selection alone. Not to mention any wonders you may stumble upon amongst the heaps and piles of sorted objects strewn loosely about. It has practically everything, with a few standouts being a couple hand sanitizer stands (obvious post-COVID recycles from local establishments), 13 copies of the movie "Babe" on VHS (lined neatly in a row for your aesthetic pleasure), a Looney Toons reference written in sharpie cautioning the handling of a table, and, of course, a shop cat. Bob the shop cat, to be precise. I first encountered him upon my third, dazed loop of the building, perched atop an ottoman tolerantly receiving pets. Once the petter had moved on, I swooped in; keeping my scratches respectfully to his head, neck and back before yielding to the looming onlookers, who eagerly took my place. I circled the area like a vulture for a bit until they had dispersed, at which point I made my seat on the ottoman next to Bob, who began to loaf, entirely unmoved by my presence. (Pictures below.) At one point, an employee rounded the corner with gloves and cat bed in hand, intent on their mission. I relinquished my seat and observed them first attempting to coax Bob onto the cat bed--then, when that inevitably failed, gently pulling him backwards off the couch (which predictably resulted in Bob angrily protesting and biting the glove-protected employee.) Upon being released, Bob then sat swishing his tail and pointedly ignoring the employee as they prodded him with the cat bed--once they gave up, cat bed limply in hand, Bob looked over his shoulder to ensure they were gone before curling victoriously back onto the couch. I took some photos of his unrepentant and lovely face. He is such a small and cute grumpy little grandpa. Would most definitely return for Bob. read more

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Went to look for an antique door for a barn door in our house. Good selection and reasonable price. Found one!! Now I got to learn how to strip the paint!! read more

Seems like an awesome place to buy things. Unfortunately I never found what I wanted here. Most places in The Bay Area don't seem like this. People usually go to a place like Walmart or Target instead of a store like Urban Ore. It would be better if the hours were different at this place. read more