Hey Jude

It’s interesting to stand outside the store and listen to random people start humming the Beatles’ «Hey, Jude» as they stroll down Main Street. I caught myself singing as soon as I saw the shop sign, then also heard a passing gentleman do the same. It’s a pretty neat trick, whether intentional or not.
Aside from the sign, my eye was also caught by an adorable bright pink and orange DIY birdhouse kit that was set up in front of the shop. In we went to peruse a shop full of eclectic and random goods (most unnecessary and indulgent, but too fun to pass up)!
Most of the items in the shop have a certain quirky flare to them that might not be considered main stream. They’re bold, playful, outspoken, or silly. Some are all of the above. Though the items may not be for everyone, they’re certainly MY style. The shop is also a good place to pick up gifts and party goods.
I found oodles of things I had to smack my own hand away from:
The original Sock Monkey hat and socks,
Brightly colored silicone pot holders,
A beautiful collection of classy, quality scarves,
Creepy-​cute garden gnomes,
Hippie soap!
Sassy jewelry,
Hip pill vials and cases (I never thought I would actually think a pill case was cute, but so came the day in Half Moon Bay…),
A small collection of unique clothes,
Trinkets, gadgets, and knick knacks for home and phone,
A clearance table at the back of the shop with awesome pricing.
I could tell the owner of the shop had as much sass as her merchandise. But she didn’t rub me the wrong way. She didnt make a peep as I took some photos for my review, and she hummed away to some of my favorite 1960s songs (playing in the shop on the radio) when not attending to customers.

Six of my friends and I spent yesterday in Half Moon Bay, celebrating a birthday. We enjoyed our shopping and lunch excursion, and Hey Jude was one of the stores we visited. This was a fun store, so many odd and random items, it was very entertaining. The woman working that day was a friend of the owner and she was very accommodating and patient as 7 of us «played» in the store. I ultimately bought two items and a couple of my friends bought also. The products appeared to be fairly priced and the sale items were a great price. One of the items I purchased was a darling leather copper-​colored purse for only $ 13.50! I didn’t need a purse, but it was cute and I couldn’t resist the price. Though it didn’t have a huge amount of product, based on other reviews, I’ll definitely stop in again next time I go to HMB, as it appears that their inventory is always changing.

Yesterday my daughter and I went out to Half Moon Bay to do some Christmas shopping. Our first stop was Hey Jude, my favorite store. As usual, the owner (Jude?) kept a close eye on us, while making it look like she wasn’t following us around. My daughter asked her to take an item out of a display and keep it at the counter. We were holding some other things, including a Pocket Plus. Jude must not have noticed me using the pic2shop app to look it up. I saw that it was $ 15.95 online, and after shipping it would be pretty comparable to her price of $ 18.95. No big deal, I decided to get it.
While we were shopping, her friend came in. They were complaining about the weather, and Jude was blaming the weather man for slow business. (We had driven 45 minutes in the rain to shop here.) While they were talking, my daughter showed me an iPhone charger being sold in the store. Our phones die all the time and we’ve been meaning to get a charger. I was using pic2shop again (I had never seen this particular product and was not only interested in price, but also the reviews) when Jude stopped talking. [I was completely aware she was watching me] She told her friend that I was taking a picture. Her friend replied, «That’s not what she’s doing… she’s scanning it.» Then her friend said, «No phones should be allowed.» (Why are you selling iPhone accessories, exactly?)
At that point, I put everything back and told the owner that we wouldn’t be taking the item that my daughter had reserved at the counter. On the way out, I said, «You really should be nicer to your customers.» Her obnoxious friend replied, (ready for the comeback of the year?) «Well you shouldn’t be scanning!»
Jude’s first make mistake: Making false assumptions and treating people like they are going to shoplift. I am a very young looking 34 year old woman, a sole custody single mother, with a full time job in biotech and three college degrees including one in Administration of Justice. And I don’t carry a purse, so I’m not sure where she thought I’d put something.
Second mistake: Having a conversation about a customer IN FRONT OF the customer. Tactless.
Third mistake: Allowing her ‘friend’ to speak to customers the way she did. I have every right to do price comparisons and check reviews. I’m sure both Jude and her friend check prices before buying. Everyone does, from gas, to TVs, to cars. Duh. The only reason someone wouldn’t want you ‘scanning’ is that they don’t want you to see their markup. Integrity at it’s finest.
Fourth mistake: Treating a customer this way (Especially one with an iPhone) and not thinking about what they’ll tell other people they can expect when shopping in your store.
Take away lesson for Jude: I would have bought everything I scanned, plus the additional items, had you not behaved so badly. As I stated at the beginning of my review: This was my favorite store in HMB. I have shopped here every time I’m in town and made purchases every single time. Sadly, I will not shop here again.
If you’re in HMB and looking for gifts, I highly recommend The Posh Moon. They are FABULOUS! (Check out my review!)

This store is so random. But it’s a great place to stop in if you’re looking for seasonal stuff or miscellaneous housewares. The inventory changes a lot so it’s worth it to pop in from time to time and see what’s new.

I love «Hey Jude»
I’ve been shopping there for years,
I’ve only found the owner to be personable and friendly.
She has many interesting and unique items in her store and has a discount table as well.
Her items include practical as well as cute personal items.
She travels yearly stocking her store with new found treasures.
* Hey Jude closed her doors. :(

Gah! The one cute little thing I bought here just broke.

The 50% off Halloween decorations sign caught my eye (of course). They had a decent assortment of small to large Halloween decorations (probably the largest selection in downtown HMB), including ones that scream and make scary noises. Half of the store was devoted to Halloween, the other half consisted of a mix of jewelry (not my style), purses (affordable but not my style), vintage and nearly new clothing (nothing caught my eye), aprons, pot holders, candles and picture frames. They have fairy ornaments which I don’t like at all and «towel cakes» (I saw these at Coastal Comforts too — they roll up towels to make them look like cupcakes and roll cakes — kinda lame — cake shaped kitchen sponges are a different story).
I had no idea that towel cakes were popular but they seem to be a new thing:
It’s a somewhat odd store — used clothing, aprons, towel cakes and fairies? No thanks.