Sparks Department Store

I shop at Sparks for hankies, hats, and gloves. They have every color of bandanna you could ever want. Wish they didn’t fall apart the first time you wash them, but what can you expect for $ 1? Love their old fashioned feel. Don’t care for the polyester-​heavy women’s clothes, staring clerks, or the stairs. Definitely not handicapped accessible, at least not downstairs.

I usually go there for socks and costume jewelry. Today, I went in and bought a pack of undies (3 in the package) for a great price. Before I got to the register, a sales clerk came up to me with an opened package of the undies, and said to me, «There are only two pair in this package. Did you see the other pair?» Then she began to rummage in my hand cart! I couldn’t believe it! I pushed my hand cart towards her and said, «Here — look all you want — nothing’s there!» She refused, but asked me again if I saw the missing pair! Unbelievable. Is it worth it for $ 1.75 socks?

My son goes to parochial school. I buy all his uniform stuff here. at least the stuff that doesnt have to be logo imprinted. They have uniform pants, button down shirts ties, jumpers for girls you name it. Prices are better than JB Edwards and a huge selection. Check them out if you have uniform needs you wont be sorry… kids stuff is in basement of store.

Love this place! I don’t get here very often anymore, since it closes at 5:15 and I work in Boston. I don’t get home until after 6. I try to remember to pop in on Saturdays sometimes. It really is a throwback to the 50s and 60s; reminds me of Newberry’s or Woolworth’s. They even have the old-​fashioned payroll cards where you punch in and punch out! You can see them on the first floor, when you come in the entrance. They are up the flight of stairs to the right. It just makes me nostalgic for a more unhurried time. And when my mother was sick — where else would I have been able to find Snuggies but here?
Lots of polyester pull-​on pants here, but you can’t beat the $ 1 socks and gloves. I lose gloves all the time, so refuse to pay a lot of money for them. I’ve also gotten some nice things here, as well. It’s a hit or miss.

you step back in time when you walk through the door. Super low prices. great place to get socks and stuff.

It’s freakin awesome!
Every time I need clothes, it’s the first store I go to.
Love their pajama pants and $ 3 tank tops. Got some nice sweaters there too!
Awesome awesome awesome and I love it that they have grandmas working there. That just makes it so much better!

As a new Malden resident, I’ve been looking forward to exploring my new neighborhood. Unfortunately, with it being 4 degrees for the last couple months, my «exploring» has consisted of taking the trash out and running back inside. But today! Today was different. It was a nice sunny day and I wanted to see what my new area had to offer. My first trip was to Sparks. Dingy and old looking, it looked right up my alley. And boy was I right. Did you ever wonder what happened to the stuff that K-​Mart couldn’t sell 20 years ago? Apparently they gave it all to Sparks. It’s fantastic. Lots of cheap outerwear, especially socks and underwear, all at crazy cheap prices. Now granted, many of the shirts are of no use to you unless you’re in search of XXXL, but there are some occasional great finds.
They also get extra points for being the last place not on the internet that is still selling Starbury gear!

This place has been here for years! It reminds me of a Woolworth’s.
It’s kind of a hit or miss going in there. Some days they have great stock other days not so great. I got a really nice raincoat for $ 22.00 and it’s still being worn after three years. I usually go here to get little things though like socks, towels, hats, mittens,. They sometimes have some cute tote bags… cheap but cute nonetheless.

Spaaaahhhks. It will be a dark, sad day in Malden if this place ever closes. I don’t think it will though. Once you reach the age of 70, I believe you’re required to shop only at Spaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhks for your clothing. I’ve bought many knit hats and winter gloves here en route to the T heading into Boston.
My buddy once bought a Hawaiian print button down shirt at Spaaaaahhhhhhks on our way to a free concert. A note; stuff at Spaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhks is cheap. Some of their clothing is cheaply made. Anyway. We go to the free concert at the Hatch Shell, and the skies open up. It starts POURING out. The guy was wearing a light colored t-​shirt under the Hawaiian shirt.
The shirt starts to shrink, while it’s on my friend. It provided great laughs in the crowd as the shirt stretched and buttons nearly popped. Luckily, it stopped raining, the shirt dried out and returned to its shape. Unfortunately, he now had a multicolored undershirt because the one he bought bled through!
I love Spaaaaahhhhhhhhks.

When I was a little girl, my great-​grandmother and I would take the bus here to buy her snuggies. You know, cotton, mid-​thigh, boxer shorts worn by 90-​year-​old women? I go here about twice a year to stock up on socks. They’re $ 1 a pair. What I most appreciate about Sparks is that it’s a page out of yester-​year in living color. Imagine Sears in 1950 but without the do-​it-​yourself tools, jewelery and make-​up counters. That’s Sparks. Old women working the cash register. Yellow walls. Circular racks of old lady nightgowns. Communion dresses often sold for a steal downstairs. Scrubs… I suppose, in its hay day, Sparks was all the rave. Now, it’s just sorta, «Hey, look, Sparks. My God, they’re still open.»
God bless ‘em.