Order Status & Tracking

Wondering where your order is?

Check Order Status   Click this button to track a recent order.

How will I know you received my order?

After you place your order online, you will receive an email confirming your order. Phone orders will also receive an acknowledgement if you provide us your email address. If you notice any errors in your order (mailing address, items ordered, etc.) please contact us immediately so we may correct it before we process your order.

Email confirmation? I didn't get an email confirmation.

If you have not received an email verification for your order, please check your spam or junk folder and add @historicalemporium.com to your email white list so that you can receive new updates to your order. We promise we won't spam you. See our privacy policies below.

If you still don't have an email confirmation, it may have been due to a typographical error when you entered your email in our website. Please contact our Customer Service Team via email or phone and we can help you track your order and correct your email address if required.

Where's my order? Has it shipped yet?

You may check your order status using the link that you received in your email order confirmation. You may also visit our order status form online and enter your order number and zip code to get an updated status. Your order status will be available on the first weekday following your order. Please note that statuses will take up to 24 hours to reflect in our status system. Order statuses are defined below.

Returns & Exchanges

Need to make a return or exchange?

Returns and Exchanges   Click this button for return / exchange instructions and a printable form.

May I return or exchange my purchase if it doesn't suit me?

Yes, you can. At Historical Emporium, we are proud of the products we offer, and want you to be completely satisfied with our quality and service.

Our returns policy is simple: if you aren't satisfied, you can return any product (including special order items) in brand new condition within 30 days for a full refund or exchange credit, excluding shipping costs. If the return or exchange is due to our error (mis-shipment, defective item, etc.,) please contact us and we will arrange shipping at no cost to you.

Our 30-day returns policy is extended during the Christmas holiday to allow for early holiday gift shopping: any purchase from November 1 through December 31 may be returned or exchanged prior to January 31 of the following year.

How do I return or exchange my purchase?

Simply visit our returns page and print a returns form. You do not need to call us or email us as long as you complete the returns form so that we know what you would like us to do and to whom we should issue the credit or send the exchange.

What are your policies around returns and exchanges?

• Returned items must be in brand new condition. You may try on an item for size, but if you've worn it, even for one night, you may not return it.
• Shipping charges are not refundable, unless the return is due to our error or damage in transit. Return postage is the responsibility of the customer.
• If you are in a hurry for an exchange, we recommend you order the new item online or by phone and send the unwanted item back as a return. Turnaround times on exchanges may be 2-3 weeks from the date you ship to us.
• We cannot accept any return beyond 30 days* after you received it.

* Year-End Holiday Note: During the Christmas holiday season, our normal 30-day returns policy is extended. To allow for early shopping and month-end giving. Orders placed between November 1 and December 31 have return privileges until January 31 of the following year.

Contact Us

Although we try our best, we can't anticipate everyone's questions with our website information. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments. We'd love to hear from you, and if we can't answer your question, we'll at least try to point you in the right direction!

If we aren't immediately available, definitely leave us a message or send an email. We check voicemail and email messages often, and reply as quickly as possible.

How to reach us

Shopping

May I visit your store to try on the clothing?

We are strictly an online store and do not have a retail brick and mortar store. However, you are welcome to place an order online and arrange to pick it up at our warehouse/office in San Jose, CA. We have a changing room available so that you may try on the clothing, but we do not allow customers into our warehouse to browse our products. All visits must be scheduled in advance. Please contact our Customer Service Team for more information.

How do I know which size to purchase?

Clothes are not much use if they don't fit, so we've developed sizing charts for our products. Because they're old fashioned styles and because we work with many manufacturers, each product has its own sizing chart, visible on the product detail page. Also, because many of our items fit differently than modern clothing, so please be sure to double-check your measurements against the product sizing chart for the best fit.

Most importantly, please be true to yourself about your size. If you order the size you used to be, the clothes you receive will fit you like the clothes that used to fit. Whether you've gained or lost weight, your Emporium clothing purchase will last you for years of wear, so be sure to buy something that will be comfortable as well.

What if something doesn't fit or I don't like it? May I return it?

At Historical Emporium, we are proud of the products we offer, and want you to be completely satisfied with our quality and service. Please see our Returns and Exchanges policies below.

Can I order a custom garment? Custom color? Custom size?

We're sorry, but we do not do any custom work. We offer garments only in the options and sizes shown on our site.

Please contact us if you have any further questions.

What do Limited Availability, Closeout, Special Order and Clearance mean?

In general, items on our website are in stock and will be shipped out within two business days of an order. However, some items have limited stock and will be noted as such on the product information page. Click here to see definitions of the various terms we use for items which are not fully in stock.

What if I order something but it is out of stock?

We update our website every day to accurately reflect our available stock. Despite this, occasionally the website is outdated and an item you order may be sold out. If that happens, we'll let you know right away by email, and let you know if and when we expect more stock or offer you alternatives.

Will I be charged sales taxes?

Our parent company, Historical Emporium, is a California Corporation, so any shipment to a California address will be charged California sales tax.

Orders shipped to addresses outside of California may be charged sales taxes, depending on the laws of your state and whether or not we have economic nexus. Even if we do not charge you sales tax, you may still owe use tax on your purchase. Please visit our sales tax information page for more details.

I bought something from you. How can I write a product review?

Every one of our product reviews was written by an actual customer who bought the product in question. We are proud of our high product ratings, and take all customer feedback to heart when looking at the quality of our products.

If you have purchased from us and would like to write a review, please watch your email for a customer survey. We send survey requests a few weeks after each order ships to ensure that customers have had a chance to receive the item and provide an informed opinion.

How can I write a review for Historical Emporium?

Our customer survey also includes a link to our third party ratings agency, Shopper Approved, which provides customers a ratings and review form. We are proud of our high customer service ratings, and invite you to read all of our customer reviews to see what other folks are saying. You may also leave us a rating on Facebook Reviews or >Google Reviews.

Order and Payment Options

What are my order and payment options?

We have several order and payment options available, as follows:

This list covers all of the common situations. However, if you still have questions, please feel free to contact us for assistance.

For mail orders, our mailing address is:
Historical Emporium, Inc.
188 Stauffer Blvd.
San Jose, CA 95125

Sorry, we do not accept personal checks, and please do not send cash.

For faxing orders, our secure fax number is 408-280-7379

We want you to feel completely comfortable when you order from us. If you have any other questions about our security precautions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Shipping Info - USA Orders

The following information relates to domestic USA shipments. Please click here for information on international shipping.

How long until I receive my order?

We offer two options for shipments to US addresses, as follows:

Important! We stock in multiple locations, and not every location ships every day, so it takes us up to 48 hours to get your order shipped out. So please don't ask for "2-day service" and expect it two days later. We'd hate for you to be disappointed!

What does shipping cost?

Shipping costs are based on the value of your order, as follows:

What delivery service do you use?

We normally ship orders via US Postal Service (Priority or Express Mail) or UPS (Ground or 2-day Air.) If you have a PO box for US Postal Service deliveries and a street address for UPS, please provide both so we can ensure prompt service.

Can you ship to a PO Box?

Yes. Orders to a PO Box are shipped via the US Postal Service Priority or Express Mail. UPS does not deliver to PO Boxes. Some of our products are stocked in a warehouse that only ships by UPS, so if you require us to ship to a PO Box, your order may incur a few days' delay while we transport the product to our main warehouse.

I'm in a hurry. How quickly can you get my order to me?

We stock in multiple locations across the country, and not every location ships every day, so it may take up to 48 hours for your to ship out. That said, nearly 90% of our shipments come out of our main warehouse, and if you are having a true sartorial emergency, please don't just put in an online order and hope for the best. We hope you will call our Customer Service Team and we can lay out the schedule and options that affect your order. We'll work with you to meet your required schedule.

Why don't you offer overnight shipping?

We used to offer "super expedite" service, including overnight shipping, but stopped for three main reasons:

1. It costs too much We found that overnight shipping costs were prohibitive. Very often, the shipping would cost more than the item itself! When that kind of thing happened, it just made us feel bad, because it didn't square with our goal of providing great products at a great value.
2. Order fulfillment can't be rushed Accurate order processing and warehouse operations take as long as they take. Trying to force the process to go faster only resulted in errors, rework, and grumpy customers.
3. It's too risky Too many times customers would wait until the last minute to order. No matter what UPS or Fedex may say about "absolutely positively overnight", overnight shipments do get delayed or mis-delivered. When this happened, there was no time left to react, and disappointment, or worse, outright disaster followed.

We didn't like disappointed customers. And we especially didn't like disasters. Neither did our customers. So we no longer offer super expedite shipping.

And we ask you. No, we beg you. Please don't wait until the last minute.

But I can order a book today and receive it in two days. Why not a complete outfit?

Books are easy. One size fits all. No accessories. No color matching. Easy to pack and ship. Massive automated warehouses. For many reasons, pulling together a complete outfit of authentic victorian clothing just takes a little longer.

We run an efficient operation with an emphasis on providing unique, high-quality products and world-class, human service, at a good price. We feel that our extremely high customer satisfaction ratings speak for themselves, and would be loathe to compromise our high standards for the sake of speed.

But, I'll pay for the overnight shipping on my account

We can do that. If you already have a Fedex or UPS account, we can use it to ship using a faster service. However, we still must allow up to 48 hours for order fulfillment, meaning that it may still be two to three days before you receive your goods. Again, please contact us and we can walk through the options with you.

You guys at the Emporium don't seem like you're trying very hard... On the contrary! Our thousands of satisfied customers will tell you that we work very hard to make sure everything works out just right for your needs. Sizing, color choices, and period-appropriate detail - we're here to help. We are absolutely focused on meeting our commitments to you: quality, value, and on-time delivery.

Our bottom line on shipping is this: we want to be absolutely sure you'll get your package within the time frame promised, and we're very focused on meeting our commitments. Not 90% of the time, not 95% of the time, but every time.

By clearly laying out what we can and can't guarantee, you can make an informed decision that puts you in control of when your order will arrive.

Can I ship to an alternate address?

We are able to ship orders to addresses other than the billing address on your payment account, but your order will be subject to review by our finance department to validate your identity, confirm shipping address, etc. If we are unable to confirm your shipping address by contacting your bank, we may contact you by email requesting additional information to verify your identity as the authorized account holder.

Can you send a package to arrive AFTER a certain date?

If you need something on or after a particular date, please let us know by indicating in the special instructions section on the order form or by speaking with us directly. We can usually accommodate this sort of special handling of orders, and we're glad to defer shipping until a later date if necessary.

Shipping Info - International Orders

International Shipping Information - Orders outside the USA

The following information relates to international shipments. Please click here for information on shipments to USA addresses.

Do you ship to my country?

At present, our website is programmed to accept credit card and Paypal orders shipping to the US, Canada, and parts of Europe and Australasia. The list of countries we ship to is as follows:

In certain cases, we can ship to other countries in Europe and the Pacific Rim. However, our international shipping capabilities are limited, and doing so is solely at our discretion.

If you are in a country that is not listed and are interested in ordering, please email us using our contact form, describing in general which products you would like to order and what country you would like us to ship to. We will reply with emailed instructions regarding next steps.

Gift Giving

Do you offer gift wrapping? What about engraving services or monogramming?

At this time we do not offer a gift wrapping, engraving or monogramming services.

What about gift certificates?

We offer Emporium Gift Certificate which can be used in any of our family of stores. Gift certificates are delivered by email. If you prefer to give a physical gift certificate, you can have the gift certificate mailed to yourself and then print it out for the recipient.

I am sending this as a gift. Do you include an invoice with pricing in your shipments?

We do not include pricing information in our shipments, unless you request it. The order will include a packing list that shows all the items in the shipment, but will not show the pricing. The exception to this is international orders, where a full commercial invoice with pricing information is required by customs services.

Do I have to wait to buy my Christmas presents to stay within returns window?

No, definitely not. Purchasing early will ensure you the widest selection possible. During the Christmas holiday season, our normal 30-day returns policy is extended. To allow for early shopping and month-end giving, orders placed between November 1 and December 31 have return privileges until January 31 of the following year.

May I include a gift message to the recipient?

Yes, please put any message in the Special Instructions box during the checkout process. We we will put that note on the packing slip for the recipient.

How will I know that they received the package?

Hopefully, you will receive an enthusiastic phone call thanking you for choosing such a wonderful gift. Failing that, you can use our order status system and ship notices to track the delivery of the package.

What should I buy for them? I can't decide!

An Emporium Gift Certificate is always a good choice. Easy to send, and you can be sure that the recipient will get exactly what they wish.

Please note: Gift certificates MAY be returned if unused. The refund will be returned to the original form of payment (i.e. to the giver's credit card) and no partial refunds will be issued.

If you have any other questions regarding our gift certificates, please contact us.

Other Questions

We do not publish a print catalog. All of our items are posted directly on our website for your review. Please contact Customer Service if you are looking for a specific item and can not find it. Even if we don't sell it, we may be able to help you find it elsewhere.

At this time, we do not have children's sizes available for purchase.

We do not offer any coupons. In general, we do not put items on sale, but focus instead on providing a great value for our products including excellent customer service and a wide selection. On occasions we will offer a promotion or clearance sale for items which are being discontinued. These sales will be announced to our email list, as well as on our Facebook page.

We do not offer a rental option at this time, however our customers often find that for the price of renting a good quality costume, can purchase an outfit from us.

Do you have an affiliate program?

We do not offer an affiliate or commission program.

What happened to Gentleman's Emporium, Ladies Emporium, Western Emporium and Steampunk Emporium?

Our company was originally founded in 2003 as Gentleman's Emporium Online and focused exclusively on menswear. Based on customer interest, we expanded our online portfolio of websites to include Ladies Emporium, Western Emporium and Steampunk Emporium.

Even though we incorporated as Historical Emporium in 2007, we had maintained separate websites and social media accounts for each of these stores. In April 2017, to simplify the shopping experience for our customers, we have merged the Gentleman's, Ladies, Steampunk, and Western Emporium websites into a single store, Historical Emporium.

I have my own store. Can you sell me items at wholesale prices?

We do not have a wholesale program. We suggest that you visit local wholesale tradeshows in your area.

I have a coat (or hat, watch, dress, cane) that belonged to my Grandfather, can you tell me what it is worth?

Sorry, no. While we do research our own replica products to ensure their place in history, we do not give appraisals of genuine antiques. We recommend that you consult a local antiques dealer who can point you to the correct resources, or try the bulletin boards on eBay.

May I use your images?

We work very hard (and invest a lot of time and money) to make sure our website images are unique and interesting, and we are flattered that so many folks request to use our images for various purposes.

In general, our policy on image usage is that we allow it for tasteful, non-commercial purposes. We generally do NOT allow the use of our images for commercial purposes. For any use of our images, we require you to request prior permission from us, using our contact form.

About Us

At Historical Emporium, we are proud to serve Victorian, old west and 19th century reenactors, performers, and living history enthusiasts across the US and abroad, and have thousands of satisfied customers.

Historical Emporium, Inc. is family owned and operated in San Jose, California. We have been online since 2003.

Please contact us if you have additional questions.