Updated: World of Tile — Closing information

UPDATE: CLOSED.

I went to World of Tile — the amazing time capsule tile store located in Springfield, New Jersey — yesterday. Here is the liquidation sale information I received directly from the owner of the company running everything:

World of Tile closing sale information:

• The liquidation sale will operate daily — yes, seven days a week — from 8 a.m. until whenever customers clear out, even as late as 9 p.m.
• The last day of the sale will be Monday, Nov. 17. At least that’s the current known schedule. Update: I now have a report for a trusted source that Friday, Nov. 13, will be the last day. Update to followers of this thread: I just talked to the liquidators (time, 11 a.m. Thurs.). They said that Friday “may” be the last day. Dumpsters have been ordered, and tile will start going into dumpsters on Saturday. It’s not clear whether the place will remain open on Saturday or subsequent days. Update to followers of this thread: I just talked to the liquidators (time, 3 p.m. Friday). They will be open Saturday, but that “may” be the last day. Dumpsters have been ordered, and tile will start going into dumpsters on Saturday. MIDNIGHT SATURDAY update: Just got home from spending 10.5 hours at World of Tile. I closed the place down. They are going to be open Sunday, boxes of tile will be $3-$4, they say. Oh my word. The treasures. Still. SUNDAY MORNING 11-16 UPDATE: I am getting weary of calling every day to get info – they keep saying it’s the last day, then they keep extending. Here is the office phone for the liquidators, call for updates: 973-672-2777. CLOSED. KAPUT. It’s over.
• The entire space is open to the public to hunt for treasures. There are no treasure maps. It’s a funhouse madhouse like you have never experienced, I am not kidding you.
• All sales are cash only.
• Bring extra to tip all the workers who help you!
• There is a sign on the front door saying that the original owners of the store are relocating to another spot. Clearly, they have taken some stock with them. It’s just difficult to know which stock, because there is so much still. I would not depend on any future for replacement tiles.

My shopping tips:

• The space is ginormous. Plan a lot of time to be there hunting.
• If you need tile for a big project, bring your list of requirements with you. Or else: Your head will be spinning and you may not be able to think. Drats, I bought a bunch of tile for my kitchen backsplash, but I forgot — I need some bullnose, too. I don’t even know if they have the bullnose for this tile. I may end up donating it to my local Re-Store. Drats, it’s gorgeous. Bring your list and “hunt to it.”
• Yesterday, I was paying $10 per box of tile. Everything else was priced when I brought it to the front. I thought prices were super reasonable.As other readers who’ve been there have said, it is very dusty. If this is a concern to you, bring gloves and mask. There are bathrooms. Bring your own TP, to be safe. If grody bathrooms bother you, plan on bio breaks, there are lots of restaurants nearby. There’s also a Goodwill close by on 22 – readers have previously indicated good stuff may be found there, if you want to make an even bigger epic of the day.
• The place also can be dark in spots. A flashlight helps. Reader Louis, who I met there yesterday, had a fancy flashlight that threw “true” light. Thank you, Louis, for your help yesterday! It was also great to meet Sue, my first tipster that something was up.
• You are mostly on your own in this endeavor, although Jerry, a longtime World of Tile staffer now working on the liquidator’s team, may be available some days to help locate stock coded on display boards in the upstairs rooms. This part goes slow, because Jerry is the only one who knows how to decode and is being pulled in all directions by customers on site.
• TIP JERRY if he helps you!
• There are also very helpful workers on hand to help you carry boxes of tile, if you buy a bunch and/or need help. TIP THESE WORKERS, too.
• Rent a truck with a payload if you are going to buy a lot of tile. This stuff gets heavy. You might bring your own staircart… Note, though, the basement is on levels.
• Wear one of those weight belts if you are concerned about stressing your back. I should have.
• The globe on the big sign, and the 3-D wire globe on the front of the building: Sold. I know, ‘cuz I tried to buy the wire globe.
• For more comments from readers who have been to the sale, see our Monday story and the comment thread.

What’s left inside World of Tile

• If you go through all the images in our previous stories, you will get some sense of what you may find.
• There is still tile galore in the basement. And when I  say “basement,” I mean, like seven areas of basement.  I was there for four hours+, scanning all areas for treasures, and I still think I missed a few rooms.

It took me nearly four hours to drive down, I was there four hours, then four hours home. Once I got on the Garden State, it was also Gotham traffic. I have not been this exhausted in a long time. I might go back next week. With a truck.

Update: What did I buy: Beautiful white 2″ x 2″ white tile for my kitchen backsplash. The stuff is stunning — Made in Japan — but a half hour into my trip back home, I realized I forgot about bullnose. I will call to see if Jerry can identify whether any exists, but I seriously doubt so. I also bought some pretty green tile to tile my living room fireplace (cover the brick) but I am not sure I will really do it. I will likely just hoard the tile. Ugh. Finally, I also found some vintage chrome recessed bathroom fixtures. I’ll do a follow up on those!

Nov. 13 — Update from the original World of Tile team and their plans:

• I heard from the original World of Tile team. They plan on opening in a new location — Keansburg, NJ — within a few months. Before they left, they took much of the vintage pastel colored field tile — with plans to reopen their replacement tile business.
• So, if you were planning on using them as a source, they may still have what you need. You will just need to wait. They promised to let me know when they are up and running again.