Brand X Antiques

Over the years I have purchased many great items at Brand X.
Brand X is an eclectic collection of hard to find items including rare and hard to find art and jewelry items. There is something for everyone there and you need to take time to look at the collection that Fred and Tim have assembled over 25+ years in the Castro. Anyone looking for a wedding gift for a same sex couple would find a great selection at Brand X. Brand X can meet any couple’s needs for a special gift you will not find anywhere else…
I’m sorry to report Fred died a couple of years ago and Tim has tried to run the store by himself; I know this is difficult and sometimes Tim takes a day off now an then.
If you want to see an item I’d suggest you call him at the store number if he is not in the store. I do know Tim has reduced store hours because he has been running the store himself while he recovers from his loss.
Both Fred and Tim are very much loved throughout the Castro Community and San Francisco in general, Brand X can serve your needs for a special gift — But I’d cut Tim some slack as a Widower it takes time to get over the loss of his life and business partner of 25+ years.
Should you come to the store and find it closed then please give Tim a call at the store number and arrange a time to meet there. I understand Brand X is no longer open on Sunday…

I see a lot of reviews on here saying that the shop keepers are friendly and what not, but that was not the case for me. I found the customer service to be rude. It looks like the only people who get acknowledged are those who frequent the store. I felt unwanted in here. Even though I had intentions to buy something that day, I chose to spend my hard earned money somewhere else.

If this place would EVER be open I’d actually be able to buy one of their beautiful rings. According to Unilocal,they are open every day until 530= not true. According to their hand written sign, they are open «Monday-​Saturday 12 – 5 (mostly).» Be very wary of this «mostly.» We have gone on three separate occasions, getting off work early, going on the weekend, in the middle of the day and found a locked gate. I’ve called the number on here a couple times and no one answers and there’s no message. Incredibly frustrating and unprofessional.

I love antique stores that have cases and cases of little treasures, and this is that place. I found something there that I have only imagined in my mind as the perfect gift for a particular person, and the guy working there and his friend that was I think was just stopping by, were both so nice. I hadn’t been in for a long time, and was delighted to find that these days, when so many stores that have been around a long time are disappearing, this one still exists.

Brand X is one of my favorite places in San Francisco to go window shopping. It’s the kind of place that you might walk by, thinking that window is full of generic costume jewelry. But if you stop and actually look, you’d be amazed at what you find…

Woah, this place is expensive!
Little brass figurines for a hundred bucks? No thanks, but they sure do look purdy.

RIP, Fred. You were a cornerstone of our neighborhood. You will be missed.

When my fiancé & I started talking about getting married, I knew that I wanted the engagement ring to be very special, and eco-​conscious in some fashion. We also wanted to be sure we were working with someone who was trust worthy and respectful of our decision making process. As soon as we walked into Brand X, I had an instant feeling of trust with Fred, one of the proprietors. Turns out, so did my fiancé, and we spotted my ring right away, a beautiful art deco inspired ring from the 1920s with a miner’s cut diamond & side baguettes. Fred was very sweet about our purchase, and remembers me every time I come in. Recently I had the ring resized through their jeweler. The ring came back looking AMAZING!!! It truly is more beautiful than before, which was hard for me to imagine but awesome to have on my hand! I have strict standards about customer service and they have gone above & beyond each time I have been in. I highly recommend this shop for someone with style & taste looking for a delightful treasure!

If you walk in the store you may not notice the amazing Jewelry selection due to the large variety of items on display. I was pleasantly surprised by what a large mens and women’s ring selection they have. My husband got me a lovely white gold art deco engagement ring here.

I don’t shop, but i do look.
And i look closely.
Vintage everything and anything. i’m in a complete different era when i get there. nothing is really organized by any particular category, which makes looking for things that much more of a surprise.
Fred and Tim are two amazingly wonderful people. the fact that all other reviewers know them by name says it all.
they showed me their MILK pictures, but wouldn’t let me buy one of my lover James Franco.
it was only for show and tell… haha.

Visited Fred and Tim twice during my week in San Fran… Fabulous guys– so friendly and helpful– and so much to look at here! And the stories just kept coming… I could have spent a whole day just ‘playing’ in this stuff with Fred– (Fred– «prickly»?! really?! I thought he totally typifies the kindness we encountered in The Castro… He even recognized me and said hi as we passed on the street at one point)
Some items did seem a bit overpriced to me… others seemed very reasonable– Taste and Price alike: Something for everyone here! Ended up buying a lovely silver claddagh ring… Had been looking for one for quite a while and finally found the right one at the right store at the right price… No idea of its worth (I was told this was made by their own jeweler) — but I would have paid a dollar for a nickel from these fine guys… Stop in and say hi!

This is primarily a review of Fred and Tim’s great friendliness and generosity. A friend had bought his wife’s engagement ring here and when I asked her to recommend a place to resize an antique ring, she recommended Brand X Antiques. (As far as I know, my friends are happy with their purchase.)
I brought my fiancé here to have my great grandfather’s ring resized as an engagement ring for him (he gave me his great grandmother’s ring — it’s a nice balance.) It was a surprise — he had no idea where we were going. I had never met Fred and Tim before, but they were very welcoming when we came in. They then spent a fair amount of time with us to get the ring, without resizing (which is great, because it preserves the original ring), over my fiancé’s large knuckles (soap and Windex — who knew?). They were very friendly and made the whole event fun. All this despite the fact that we bought nothing and even ended up not resizing the ring. That is, we never paid for any service. They were just friendly, strong personalities for sure, but definitely kind and friendly.
I can’t speak to what they sell, but I would trust these guys and will go back to check out their wares.

I simply don’t get the bad reviews! If you know anything about antiques (especially antique jewelry), you know that this place is truly remarkable. My partner bought me my engagement ring from Brand X and I literally get stopped everywhere I go. If you want something truly unusual and stunning, you’ll end up here. As for Fred, he’s wonderful but he also doesnt take any crap. If you want someone to kiss your butt and sell you a piece of crap that every Marina girl has, go to Zales…

We buy a fair amount of fine jewelry and I am completely pleased with the immense amount of quality estate pieces that Fred and Tim always have. They get so many unusual pieces of fine gold and platinum jewelry — things you will really never see anywhere else. Since we do so much business there I am sure we get better customer service than most, and I understand wholly how Fred might come off as a bit prickly. But he is very good at what he does and will warm up to you if he knows you are serious. I highly recommend this place on the merits of the honesty of the owners, the truly unique and quality selection, and the customer service that I get personally.

Rip-​off alert. Against my better judgement, bought an «antique» engagement ring from there. Wasn’t GIA certified (though he told me it was). Wasn’t an original early 1900’s ring with original diamond (though he told me it was). Had a fake inscription on the band. Note a true antique, actually a modern ring modified to appear antique and to sell at such a price. Can’t believe I was swindled. Fortunately he knew it and offered me a full refund. BUYER BEWARE!!!

Im not sure why it has low ratings, I went to buy an engagement ring and was completely floored by their selection. I was treated with respect and Fred remembered which rings I liked when I went back in. I was looking for an antique because the thought of buying new diamonds hurts me. I found the engagement and wedding rings there. Full certs and appraisals and they even gave me discount through some layaway loophole. I paid in full but the loophole was nice. they clean my wife’s ring whenever she is in there, and have pictures of us on file. they like to have pics of all the brides and groom s they have serviced. It was recommend by a friend and I always do the same.

It’s like a really bad Sanford and Son episode…
You keep looking for Fred and Lamont Sanford, but all of a sudden you get creepy Aunt Ester with a pony tale who lurks out of some dark grotto that’s surrounded by all the drek.

I got a ring resized by the Brand X guys. The ring was bought from an antique dealer in Half Moon Bay and was supposedly from the Edwardian or Victorian era. Mostly, I liked the big ‘olé amethyst and didn’t put too much stock in it being authentic. The Brand X guys called me when the ring was ready, cleaned the ring up beautifully, and gave me tips on how to maintain its shine. They also provided a cursory appraisal which matched the one I got from the antique dealer. I was happy.

The type of place that reminds you your own is already overcrowded with too much junk, but a fun browse nonetheless. Considering the prices, a name more glam than Brand X would have been appropriate.

Huge selection but I think you need an old Victorian before much of this will make sense. And by old Victorian I mean a house or a lady.