Demolition Depot

This place is amazing. I love visiting and seeing what is new and old. It is super pricey though. So, keep that in mind.

Awesome but expensive.

I agree with the majority of posts here. While it may be a cool place to visit and even cooler if you can find that thing you’ve been looking for, the inflated prices and underwhelming customer service make this place an enigma. They are very assertive about their price gouging, which borders criminal. The cat and mouse game to get a price in there only adds to the mystique. Seriously, fixing up an old house… restoring a place to its original grandeur should be rewarded, not exploited.

Don’t be intrigued by the name. You can literally shop at The Louvres museum for cheaper cost. Next to it «Olde Good Things» looks like a bargain.
Either the USD has literally trashed down the toilet thanks to the hyper inflationary policies of the Bernanke, or this place is outrageously expensive to the verge of rip off.
Leave your credit card at home, grab your hot chocolate and take your gf there for a nice excursion back in time, and be careful not to break anything, unless you fancy long term dish washing activities.

I don’t understand why Unilocal lists this place as $$ moderate — it just isn’t.
They have an amazing collection of beautiful items but these are priced incredibly high. Definitely a place for the super rich and not just for the middle class antique lover.

I wish I had money and time and A HOUSE because I would get everything here. I don’t think I have ever before squealed «can you even IMAGINE having these doors?» like a complete nutjob and yet here we are. Super friendly staff and cats on every floor to guide you. CATS. Can I work here please?

Back in the day this place had better condition stuff at fanatastic prices.
Now what with the shabby chic devotees, the yuppie gentrification of Harlem, etc., the oh-​so-​predictable price gouging has officially begun.
Next to it– Olde Good Things looks like a bargain, head on over there and get 3 times more work done with better stuff in your place for the same price.

Good News! Its nowhere near as creepy on the inside as it looks on the outside.
For years I always thought of it as a haunted house or a real life version of the home in Monster House. Still cant bring myself to go through all 4 floors unaccompanied but Im glad I at least conquered the fear of going inside.

Located in Harlem, Demolition Depot has the luxury of space at their disposal, which means … lucky for its patrons! They are able to house the coolest, most kitsch and random things for sale in their four floors and giant backyard.
They have old, cracked cornices, gargoyles, radiators, an entire floor for lighting fixtures, a floor for doors and windows, a floor for bathroom appliances (how weird it was to be standing amidst hundreds of old toilets), and a hodgepodge of paintings, chairs, etc.
And, as an added bonus for a crazy cat lady like myself, they have FOUR cats roaming around, two of which I named Sean Connery and Ewan McGregor. The salesperson was really helpful (even though my friend and I had no intention of buying anything).
If you happen to be roaming around Harlem and this place is open, it’s really cool to browse; even better if you’re decorating and want to find some unique goods for your house!

I really wish I could review just the experience of the store, because it was really fun. I loved walking the 4 floors, looking at all the vintage doors, windows, stained glass, tubs/​toilets/​sinks, even vintage Schwinns and a urinal from PJ Clark’s. It was wonderful continually finding yet another aisle back in the corner where it looks like the building can’t possibly be any bigger. I spent a delightful, leisurely afternoon there, taking it all in.
So, why two stars? Several reasons.
First, you literally cannot even look at 90% of their inventory, except online. It is stacked so tightly and haphazardly that it is exhausting just thinking about getting an item out. Second, if you need something of a particular size, that too is impossible to determine. For whatever reason, that information is not written on the tag for the item, and items of like size are not grouped together.
The major reason, though, that I will probably never actually buy anything there is the pricing, which is amazingly opaque and hard to determine, and outrageously high. Each item is tagged… with an ID number, which you have to write on a clipboard and then enter in the computer downstairs. Why all the hoops to jump through? Probably because you would take one look at the prices and head out the door. Believe me, making it so impossible to find something you like, and then wanting to charge 3 times what it would cost at Olde Good Things does not spell out a good business model.
On the plus side, they have a vast inventory, so much so that I feared the floors might literally collapse. But I am not trying to be catty when I say that vast inventory is probably the result of not moving too much merchandise. I can defend the whole tag # /​getting the price from the computer by realizing I am being allowed to roam what is in essence their warehouse. But the prices are literally shocking, waaaaaay above the going rate at many other similar stores, and I just won’t be buying anything until that changes.
I support the owners and employees in their bid to reuse old things, their reverence for items from the past, and their friendliness. I really do. But guys, come on! Slash all your prices in half and I guarantee you will sell more than double your current volume. That means a net gain, more money for you, and more loving homes for your treasured objects.

So…
Called up to inquire about a steam radiator I saw on their website. I explained what I was looking for and the gentleman on the phone said it would be a lot easier if I were to come in and look around the back yard. They have hundreds.
No Problem.
I drive up to 125^th Street about two o’clock on a Friday. Finding a parking spot is not an easy task although I did notice that no one paid any attention to the signs saying no parking between 7am and 4pm. This was just below the signs that said no standing between 4pm to 7pm. I like everyone else I parked anyway.
Find my way in and speak with the gentleman behind the counter who directed me to the back yard. When I inquire as to how much they run he said that they range between $ 15 and $ 45 per fin.
Once in the back I notice that hundreds may be a little bit of an exaggeration but there are plenty from which to choose. Except that they are all stacked lying on their sides in these square towers 10 to 12 feet high.
a. How are you supposed to inspect them in this condition?
b. Once you find one you may have interest in how are you supposed to extract it from the pile?
c. Being outside they are all completely rusted.
Despite the above, I figured I had made the trip I might as well take a look.
Well low and behold in the middle of the third stack I inspect there is a radiator which fits all of my requirements. Except that is extremely rusty.
After spending another twenty minutes looking for a similar radiator which might be more accessible I resign myself to the rusty hulk in the middle of the pile.
Figuring in my head that it is going to run about $ 45 to $ 50 per fin to have the piece dipped, media blasted and painted due to the rust, and then I might still have to spray the interior with an epoxy if there are any leaks. I am sure this hasn’t been pressure tested and with the amount of rust, who knows.
I am figuring this is as plain a radiator as they come, it has 7 fins, so it should be on the lower end of the pricing spectrum. Knock a few bucks off because of the rust and a deal in the $ 10 per fin range would be manageable. Still expensive, anywhere outside of NYC I would expect to pay in the $ 6 per fin range for a unit in better condition. However the «relative» convenience is worth something and who am I to begrudge someone trying to make a living.
With my thoughts in mind I walk back into the store and look to strike a deal. Upon re-​entering the gentleman behind the counter is busy helping another customer who is purchasing a hanging lamp and having trouble discerning how to take it apart to change the bulb. While waiting my turn I stroll around the shop look to see what other goodies they may have.
I have to tell you I was amazed at the consistently poor condition of all the items. From light fixtures to chipped ceramic bath fittings. Most of this stuff was crap. I understand shabby chic but this was beyond the pale.
After an extended interval the gentleman acknowledged my presence and I explained what I found in the yard. We ventured to the back and I pointed to the radiator I was considering.
The very first thing out of his mouth was, «Oh, she is not going to want to sell that it is too far down in the pile».
To which I replied, «I didn’t stack them that way» continuing, «I looked for something that was more accessible but to no avail.»
«well you are going to have to talk with her to see if she wants to sell that, how are we going to get it out of there?»
«before I speak with her how much are we talking about?»
He actually said the following, «it has 7 fins at about $ 20 per fin, I guess about $ 200.»
Now, I know its Friday and he was probably looking to spend the weekend with his significant other or his cat but come on.
«you can’t add» came out of my mouth before I had a chance to check myself. «That’s ridiculous, first of all it is completely rusted, and you said they range from $ 15 to $ 45 per fin depending on the ornamentation. This is as plane as they get.»
He responded «they are all rusty».
«Exactly!»
«Look at $ 75 it makes sense but nothing more then that. I am going to have to get it refinished»
To which he proceeded to scurry off into the office to hide.
Avoid this place like the plague. You will be ripped off!

If you are buying plumbing fixtures, make sure that your modern plumbing can hook up to the vintage. You don’t want to get stuck with a sink that can’t be connected properly to 2010 plumbing lines. Just sayin’ that if you don’t know, ask.

It’s SUPER expensive.

You want it? They probably have it, either in the Harlem store or in Connecticut! Why buy from IKEA when you can get a piece of furniture made from REAL WOOD!

This place is INCREDIBLE and so FUN! I could spend hours exploring in there. It’s a 3 story warehouse full of old toilets, vanities, light fixtures, doors, sinks, tubs, hardware, window panes, stained glass, everything that you can think of! It’s all neatly organized by category and numbered. You write down the numbers of items of interest and you can obtain the price, a picture & other information about the piece; you simply type it into one of the computers on the main floor. An incredible resource for any type of renovation or simply just browsing. Definitely a fun place to check out. They also have an antique store with smaller items across the street, I believe it’s by appointment.