Ransack The Universe

The shop is open again! This place is so cool. It is expectedly dusty for those with allergies. All fantastic antique shops are! So happy they are back

Ransack is the best destination in town for vintage items and collectibles. The owner, Jesse, has a talent for finding this stuff, and I appreciate how welcome he makes you feel as you peruse through all of it. You'll more than likely end up picking up at least one item when visiting - and be sure to check the bin of vintage pins to look for some treasure.

Got a lovely Moorcroft vase for my Mom. Check out their Instagram for all the goodies!

This is one of my favorite oddity stores. It feels like everything I go, I find some nostalgic item from my childhood closet. They've got all sorts of stuff, but I've really only bought their $1 books when I notice them as I walk by. I also love the name.

Quirky little vintage store. If you're looking for a strange gift for someone...this is the place to go lol

Jesse has great stuff and a great authenticity and sense of humour. I highly recommend following his insta to check out daily scores at a price fit for a fellow dealer!

Tons of selection, but getting in and out of the place, browsing etc is really a chore. There's so much stuff on the floors, wall to wall, even worse in the basement as far as getting around. It unfortunately ends up being more of an unorganized messy feel. Prices can be a bit high for some items as most antique places downtown.

So rediculously packed and tight.. I went there last year and it was much nicer.. There was a basement too but that's gone now. There is no room to move and just messy.. Even dirty!

The shop is open again! This place is so cool. It is expectedly dusty for those with allergies. All fantastic antique shops are! So happy they are back

Ransack is the best destination in town for vintage items and collectibles. The owner, Jesse, has a talent for finding this stuff, and I appreciate how welcome he makes you feel as you peruse through all of it. You'll more than likely end up picking up at least one item when visiting - and be sure to check the bin of vintage pins to look for some treasure.

Got a lovely Moorcroft vase for my Mom. Check out their Instagram for all the goodies!

This is one of my favorite oddity stores. It feels like everything I go, I find some nostalgic item from my childhood closet. They've got all sorts of stuff, but I've really only bought their $1 books when I notice them as I walk by. I also love the name.

Quirky little vintage store. If you're looking for a strange gift for someone...this is the place to go lol

Jesse has great stuff and a great authenticity and sense of humour. I highly recommend following his insta to check out daily scores at a price fit for a fellow dealer!

Tons of selection, but getting in and out of the place, browsing etc is really a chore. There's so much stuff on the floors, wall to wall, even worse in the basement as far as getting around. It unfortunately ends up being more of an unorganized messy feel. Prices can be a bit high for some items as most antique places downtown.

So rediculously packed and tight.. I went there last year and it was much nicer.. There was a basement too but that's gone now. There is no room to move and just messy.. Even dirty!

Great name! The staff was friendly, happy I came across/stopped in. Having been in a lot of antique shops, this spot desperately needs an 'organiser', someone to help arrange the aisles, make sense of the stock. A lot of it gets lost, missed due to the clutter. A few people inside makes it difficult to navigate the very tight thin aisles. Looking forward to returning.

Things I regret in life: Not finding out about this store years ago! After randomly passing by Ransack the Universe earlier today while driving down Bloor St, I was able to snag a parking spot close by and make my way here. The store is packed with everything you could think of from old magazines, VHS tapes, vintage clothes (including an OJ Simpson jersey I regret not snagging), CDs, old jewelry, records, and a thousand other little knick-knacks and do-dads you would expect to find at a little antique shop. The store is two levels and features a few different rooms full of stuff to sort through. Sadly, I didn't find anything today that caught my eye but this is definitely the type of store that fills up with new merchandise weekly. I will definitely be making sure to stop in at least once a month to see what new stuff has entered the store!

The owner seems tasteful and thoughtful. Often I feel he prices things a little low actually. Any time I'm by the neighbourhood I stop in and get lost for a while, it's a great way to spend some time.

This is a wicked little store in the basement of 69 Vintage, a collective of tiny vintage shops in Bloordale. The owners have seemingly 'ransacked the universe' to put together a sweet collection of new, old and reworked items. It's one of my favourite places to gift shop and occasionally pick up things for myself. My boyfriend hasn't taken off his up-cycled plaid handkerchief scarf since I gifted it to him for x-mas. Most of the things sold at Ransack are made by local artisans but there's quite a few solid vintage finds(old posters, records and some furnishings) as well. Very happily there are no old fur coats or stuffed dead animals at all to ruin my vintage shopping experience or create that narsty smell you find at some vintage stores (I'm looking at you Kensington market). This store is strictly awesome. You really need to discover this place for yourself though. There are so many things to regardez-vous I find myself circling the shop several times taking it all in before I can decide what I can't leave without.

I have a particularly soft spot for exploring clutter. I like mishmashed collections of "stuff" and I especially like it if I have to work a bit to find it. This is probably why I enjoy thrift shops so much, and it's definitely why I like Ransack the Universe -- while they don't actually encourage me to ransack everything, it's ok because they already did the legwork of weeding out the undesirables (like old used syringes, so that I don't stab myself with HIV). Equal parts vintage shop and craft store, RtU is a smorgasbord of creativity, a "best-of" shop where you won't find any stank crud... awesome hides awesome, which conceals wicked, while wicked obscures the super-secret stupendous (you'll only find it if you're extra careful and James Bondian). Some personal favourites: truly old, vintage buttons; silk screened ties; sketches by local artists; weird Dungeons & Dragons paraphernalia; t-shirts that aren't threadless (not that I don't like threadless, I do!); antique typewriters and sewing machines; softcore pornography of all sorts. I also like the owners/clerks/managers/whomever-happens-to-be-hanging-out-down-there-at-the-till. They're pretty universally excellent, in the Bill & Ted sense of the word. In closing, I'll say that I also appreciate the ethical message of RtU -- they firmly believe in not being assholes to the planet or the things that inhabit it. That gets them the elusive fifth star. So lesson learned, shops-out-there: want a 5-star review? Be a great store AND a great global citizen.

I never thought I'd find a thrift shop this cool and full of eclectic knick-knacks outside of Kensington Market. The colourful storefront display drew me inside, and soon I was browsing everything from clothing, to pins, to watches, to furniture, to postcards and books. Things were a bit pricy, but nothing out of the usual for a vintage shop. Although I only walked out with $2 worth of goods (a vintage pin of my high school mascot - such a cool find! I was stoked.), I really enjoyed browsing through everything, because the shop is laid out so wonderfully and interestingly! I will definitely be back.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS STORE! Me and my mom were walking on Bloor after the hunt for some Fire King and Pyrex at Value Village. We found this random store and when we came in, it was like a dream come true. I just wanted everything from there.

This is a random little shop on Bloor West between Lansdowne and Dufferin. They have all sorts of knick-knacks- clothing, antiques,etc., but what I go there for is the vinyl records. Its not organized, but that makes it pretty fun to dig through and I have actually found some pretty cool rare stuff here for great prices. Some of the stuff like Beatles and other classics might be $20 or more, but most stuff is in the $5-$15 range. I like this place.

This store is a thrifters dream come true! With an array of household items, clothes and other fun finds, Ransack the Universe is a fun space with awesome vintage finds. - Nice staff - Awesome shoe collection - Pricing (currently 50% off all clothes!) - This place has VERY unique finds - Clothing selection: the clothing section is not that big...I could do with more of these wonderful finds!

I highly recommend shopping at Ransack the Universe. This place is a smorgasbord of unique vintage picks and curiousities. Very affordable vintage furniture, housewares, vinyl, clothing, tchotchkes, board games - there is so much to see and you will be tempted to spend all your earnings.

great shopping experience---incredible amount of vintage items at excellent prices!!! "fun spot to explore and get bargains galore"---can't beat that!!! check with jesse, the warm and helpful owner/ collector and his wonderful staff---exciting new finds all the time---like vinyl?+++---check out ru!!!

This place is a hidden gem. They have all the tacky stuff you could possibly hope for, as well as some great furniture too. You like owls? They got'm! UNICORNS? You betcha! I even saw an antique glass breast pump in there. The owners are really funny and have an eye for kitsch and Toronto talent. Home of most of my future birthday present shopping.