The Menage Gallery

Ed is a brilliant craftsman.
Everything here is very unique.
Great place to do gift shopping for someone who has everything.

Exquisite master woodwork, that is designed by the owner. I have read the reviews on the service, but the stuff in the store is pricey but really nicely done. I wouldnt buy the animals… but some of the coffee tables or wine racks would look quite nice in any home!

We had such high hopes for this store: quaint, beautiful furniture, scenic location, nice people. However, an order we placed with them was not delivered on time. Ok. A month later, it still had not been delivered. But, ok, we were told to wait just another week. A week passes — the furniture is still not delivered. At this point, we asked for our money back. They told us, «no problem, we’ll cut the check for you today.» Great. A few weeks go by with no check arriving. We call again. And again. And again. Finally, today, three months after we initially walked into the store, we have our refund. Basically a long, exhausting experience to provide them with a very small business loan.
Bottom line: I cannot recommend the customer service or the reliability of this business.

I really want to like the Menage Gallery, but I simply cannot. Their collection of carved animals is really cool, and some of the furniture they sell is very nice, however, their prices are ridiculous and they lie to their customers about the origin of many pieces, most notably the carved animal statues.
I was once trying to decide if I really did want to plunk down $ 70 for a carved cat holding a fish or a carved dog holding a bone, so I decided to ask the shop clerk about the carved animal statues. Were they truly unique? I had never seen them elsewhere, so when she told me a story about the artist selling only to Mélange Gallery and how he had a system to use only certain trees and then it was his people’s custom to re-​plant a tree to make up for what they took, I found it intriguing. The story was so well told that I suspect this is the story everyone gets that inquires. Alas, I just couldn’t do it– that was too much money for something decorative.
Fast forward not even a month– my boyfriend and I are browsing a store in Boston, and we see 20 of the same carved animal statues. And, they are all 50 to 75% less in price! We asked the clerk where the store got the statues, and were informed that they’re like most items from Mexico and Nepal– factory made. Nice, thanks for making up a complete bs story, Mélange Gallery!
If that wasn’t enough, most of their higher priced decorative items look like the gallery stole them from a third grade art class. Sloppy work, billed as being unique, for insane prices. Again– no thanks.
I realize this place is just here to bilk tourists, which many shops in downtown Gloucester do, but I just can’t give them a good rating when they outright lie about their products. I would avoid this shop and take a train to Boston where you can find several other shops selling the «unique» carvings!