Brockito!

Let me just start today's post with a little rant (and warning) to those seeking Brockito for the first time:

Brockito is NOT located at #14 Robert-Maillart-Strasse. It is located at #12!

Okay, so it's just next door. The trouble is that the building is a long warehouse, a block in length, and if you're braving wind and rain (like I was yesterday), taking only brief glances out from under your hood to look for cars and bearings, you steer deliberately and precisely towards that giant #14 on the front of the building.

I did see some interesting sights on my detour - where they re-work bikes, where the city recycles and reclaims wood, the offices of many social projects, and a small annex (it wasn't the Brocki, so I didn't take good note of its contents).

In the end, I had to avail myself of directions (something I detest, seeing as my German is Neanderthal in execution, at best. Can't declinate, won't declinate, I'm afraid!), only to discover that the food tent selling hamburgers was actually concealing the entrance to Brockito.

So that's my advice: follow the scent of the burgers!

Also, my phone flatly refused to take photos on account of 'low battery', but then managed to stay operational for a further 6 hours. It's getting old and stubborn, like me. ;)

What I came home with. :) Purse for 9 Fr., cardi (cotton cashmere by Tommy Hilfiger) for 8 Fr., and a sweet tote for 1 Fr.

I'll take photos the next time I go. Without further ranting, here's the deets on Brockito:

• Supports the work of AOZ to help immigrants find meaningful employment
• Located in a spacious warehouse in the outskirts of Oerlikon (bus stop: Chaletweg on route 80, or a longish stroll from Bahnhof Oerlikon Nord, or perhaps Bahnhof Seebach, though I didn't test this)
• Sells new, handmade paper products as well (more on this under pros and cons and tips)
• Sells packaged (new?! Looks new!) bedding in an array of prints and colours, like any retail store (couldn't get a good look at this section - was set upon by a group of women doing some serious, in-depth comparing and contrasting, and I didn't want to interrupt!)
• Is wheelchair accessible, even the upstairs (there's an elevator somewhere that a handicapped patron was using)
• Sells houseplants (big ones!), located at the entrance. Nice ones, too, for a bargain price!

Pros:

• SPACIOUS! I at first thought I had walked into thrifting paradise (don't worry - I found faults!). Very open, tall ceilings, fresh air.
• CLEAN! Also part of that immediate 'nirvana' feeling at the front door.
• Lovely displays - they seem to know what sorts of objets d'art customers are seeking, and set up whole living rooms with all sorts of good stuff (horse plough yokes, vintage telephones and typewriters, lovely vintage mirrors, antique dolls, vases, and anything unusual and extraordinary). There's even a 'kids' section that's done up like a nursery - I don't even have kids (and no plans to) and I was already mentally decorating a nursery! Inspiring displays with 'good stuff' in them, like a 3' tall antique papier-mache giraffe. :)
• FRIENDLY staff - good grief, that's rare enough in this city! LOVELY, lovely staff! Greeting you at the entrance, at the cashier's desk, in the aisles.
• ORGANIZED. Alright, its competition is the chaos that is Brockiland, but still - there was a purse section separate from the baggage section, and there was an upstairs section dedicated to sewing and crafts that included bed sheets and curtains (which makes good sense, doesn't it?!). There was also a tool and backyard section (under the stairs), a book area, and the chairs are displayed vertically on high shelves (ask for assistance!) which makes browsing fast, efficient, and frankly, enjoyable!
• High quality furniture (not in the market myself, but there was stuff I wanted for a good and fair price, nicely displayed and easy to 'try'). Dining room and living room furniture downstairs; office furniture upstairs... you could buy a good-looking bank of lockers for 200 CHF. If I had space, I'd totally get that over a traditional wardrobe!
• Clothing selection upstairs is sparse (see cons), however there was a high proportion of good quality labels (Hilfiger, YSL, etc.) and it also included a couple of nicely-made Halloween costumes for kids. Random, small assortment, but held some legitimate goodies.
• Full tea-sets are available, and they also have a section of household electrical items... not sure of their policy (remember: Arche Brockenhaus is the best place to safely buy used electrical goods!), but many appeared to have been tested, and most were in original boxes.
• I like that you can buy hand-made stationery there! 
• Large and tempting selection of novels and books, organized alphabetically by author, or by subject
• They offer large, brown-paper shopping bags with handles, or small, Brockito-printed plastic bags. The lady at die kasse was very sweet, commented on my nice purchases, folded things nicely, and took much care and attention in choosing a suitable bag, even asking my preferences. :)
• Practically DEVOID of other shoppers! :D Such a nice change of pace!

Cons:

• Wrong address. ;) But all is well now!
• Rather out of the way (but that's pretty typical of the Brockenhaeuser, eh?)
• Small clothing selection (but to be fair, I bought something from it.)
• I didn't buy a cahier (notebook) online because I wanted to browse the covers in person... and there weren't any cahiers, and the selection was quite different than on their website.
• No shopping baskets (at least, I missed them if they were around! Didn't see anyone using them!)
• Prices on kitchen utensils can be comparably high... but admittedly, the quality was good (as if they had only kept the nice things to sell? Not sure).

Tips:

• Don't bother getting there at opening - I can't see it being the sort of place you want to get to ahead of (or with) the rush! Relaxed, sparsely populated, no one in my demographic at all (I might have seen only 5 or 6 other shoppers, and they might have been trainee employees, even!)
• Most things are priced (reasonably, it should be said!), otherwise the lady at the till comes up with a price (a nice one). So check the tags. Also note sales - they had a buy 3 for the price of 4 book sale on as well (and a good selection).
• There's a "1 Fr. Fundgrube" upstairs. I didn't find anything I wanted, but I liked that they put the plastic ice trays, chintzy tea light holders, ugly mugs, trophies and trinkets all in one area. Worth a browse, just in case!
• They were also selling large bundles of scrap (fire)wood for 6 Fr.! Looks like they were the off-cuts from the reclaimed wood shop (located for real at #14). ;)
• Don't forget where the entrance is! ;)

Anyway, that's my two cents on Brockito! I rather wonder if it's a recent venture by AOZ - I hadn't heard of it before, and only came to hear about it when I saw one of their trucks driving past me at a tram stop! 

NOT at number 14, but at '12'! :) Look for the food tent!

Enjoy, and if you visit it, please leave a comment with your opinions for others to read! :)

-TiZ