With a week to go, the BRO Gift Guide is now showcasing some last minute holiday surprises. So far 22 fun and fanciful items have been featured. It turns out that there are a ton of gifts around every corner in the city these days, with lots of new shops carrying a diverse range of products.
Continuing on with the Lexington/Elmwood Avenue area, I couldn’t help but pass by Wild Things, where I discovered these super cool Robo Tins robots by Eric Schwartz. The robots are all made from old tin boxes, gauges, tools, and anything else that Eric could get his hands on. It’s as if he walked into a flea market, grabbed a bunch of retro looking items, and then set out to build his fanciful robotic creations. The Robo Tins start at $85 and go up from there. Currently, Wild Things has a bunch to choose from – some more masculine and a few that are actually quite feminine. There’s something for every robot-loving person on your list.
Wild Things | 224 Lexington Avenue, Buffalo, NY | (716) 882-3324
Sticking on Lexington Avenue, I had to pop my head into Turnstyle. That is where I came across this incredible array of miniature hand blown Oil Bell diffusers. You can hang them from your neck, set them out on a table, or dangle one from your rear view mirror. To me, they are the perfect gift in the form of a necklace – they come complete with a cord, leather, or silver strand and range from $20 to $42. These Oil Bells are made right here in Buffalo, as are the oils, which come from an apothecary affiliated with Wild Things. There is a great selection of essential oils (oil vials sell for $4) to go along with the tiny glass bottles. Just drip some oil into the Oil Bell, and the only thing that can escape is the fragrance. It’s like having a never ending supply of aromatic perfume of cologne with you at any time!
Turnstyle | 298 Ashland Avenue | Buffalo, NY | (716) 362-0790
So far, I have not featured very many Buffalo gifts, as I have in the past. But I am going to make a couple of exceptions here. I couldn’t resist these handcrafted winter hats. One has earflaps, and the other is more of a beanie style. It would be hard to choose which one is the perfect gift, as they are all super cozy and attractive. They are also made in the USA, which gets some serious points with us. The hats range from $45 to $48 and come in a range of sizes. If you’ve got a serious Buffalover on your list, and you want him or her to stay warm this winter, then this winter hat could be what you’ve been looking for.
Buffalo Fleece & Outerwear | 758 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo, NY | (716) 883-4380
This next gift was a bit unexpected. It’s a beautiful, stunning, captivating prism magnifier that I found at Fern + Arrow, one of Elmwood’s newest gift shops. Instead of donning your readers, or holding up a magnifying glass, simply move this prism over the words and they are magnified by 1.5X. This gift is super clever, and very handy for anyone who might be looking for the quick edge when it comes to reading. It really works too. I have added this one to my own personal wish list this holiday season. The prism retails for $30. It’s a work of art that your eyes will adore.
Fern + Arrow | 773 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo, NY | (716) 882-5858
Her Story Boutique has the most incredible bath soaps that you will ever come across. These soaps look like semi-precious stones – star sapphire, banded opal, smoky quartz, black onyx, aquamarine… the list goes on and on. These “soap stones” are gorgeous and they glisten in the light. They are fascinating to look at and come in all sorts of scents that match their beauty. Made with organic herbal extracts, veggie oils, vitamins and minerals. These Soap Rocks are also made in the USA. I’ve seen different versions of these, but the ones at Her Story Boutique at bigger and more visually stunning than the rest. There are no animal products used, and the soaps were tested on humans (really!). These glistening beauties retail for $14.
On the lighter side of the Gift Guide fence, you just can’t beat the Jam Banz wearable Bluetooth speakers that I found at TreeHouse Toy Store. These handy devices allow people to listen to music and talk on the phone, thanks to the Bluetooth technology. It’s a wireless speaker and speakerphone for smartphones and tablets. There is a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The speakers simply ‘snap’ onto your wrist – easy to use and fun to play. I am told that the sound is actually quite good too. The Jam Banz come in all sorts of colors and retail for $34.99. This is the perfect gift for someone who likes to have the sound on music with them at all times, without holding a phone to his or her ear.
TreeHouse Toy Store | 793 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo, NY | (888) 882-1322
Even though Pasteurized Tees was closed when I stopped by, I couldn’t help but get a kick out of a t-shirt that I spied hanging in the window. It’s a t-shirt that resembles the Buffalo Sabres’ star Jack Eichel – “Jack of Sabres”. This brilliant shirt is a real eye-catcher due to the colors, the design, and the star hockey player that continues to impress. Pasteurized Tees always has a crazy assortment of Buffalo shirts that you just won’t find anywhere else. Their new location on Elmwood is super sharp, and broadcasts their shirts perfectly. If you are looking for additional Buffalo t-shirt ideas, check out their Facebook page.
Pasteurized Tees | 795 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo, New York (716)885-TEES (8337)
This next gift got me cracking up at ShoeFly. It’s not even a gift – it’s a gift box. Actually it’s Prank Gift Box that you assemble like a real gift box – except this one is a joke box that gets the receiver of the present thinking that there is some totally bizarre item inside. Each gift box is different. There’s one that is designed to look like packaging for a face heater called HotLips. Another one is called NapSack, for people who want to take naps in public settings. Then there’s the Pocket Wok that plugs into a computer’s USB port. The Turn & Churn ice cream maker attaches to the lug nuts of a car wheel – arrive at your destination and your ice cream has been churned. There’s also a video game called Extreme Chores, which include rakes, and shovels. Ha! Of course none of these products are real. They are simply gag boxes to put your real gifts in. It’s a fun spoof and real trickery, when you want to puzzle a friend or family member. The boxes go for $8.
ShoeFly | 801 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo, NY | (716) 886-3595
Funky socks is the big hit this year. Just about every store that I came across had their own unique lines of fancy, crazy colorful socks. Some of the best ones that I saw were at Spoiled Rotten. These socks say it like it is. Anyone wearing these socks know exactly where he or she is coming from. Instead of wearing it on their sleeves, in this case it’s easier wearing it on your socks. There’s bacon for the bacon heads out there. And booze for the booze hounds. Nerd, dork, coffee… there are many to choose from. Apparently the hottest selling sock thus far was “weed”. They will be restocking that one in coming days. The socks run $12.
Spoiled Rotten | 831 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo, NY | (716) 884-3883
Finally, I had to feature this somewhat odd Buffalo book. It’s a photo book of Buffalonians… from some iconic looking souls to memorable types, to those of on wackier side of life, along with some people that happened to be at the right place at the right time. It’s a fascinating book (and look) that shows the people that populate all parts of the city. Incredibly, the photographer, Donald Blank, shot the black and white images in 1967, and the color images between 2014 and 2015. Talk about mixing it up! I couldn’t believe it when I saw a photo of my BSC (don’t ask) neighbor as I flipped through the pages. Thankfully, I recognized some other not so frightening faces in there as well – it was pretty neat to see the wide variety of people that Blank managed to capture. The People I Don’t Know book is a study of the people of Buffalo. It retails for $30.
Thin Ice | 719 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo, NY | (716) 881-4321
Click here to see additional Gift Guide ideas – Vintage luggage, HisHis-HerHer mugs, Howdy Bounce Cow, Exec turntable, block lamp
Click here to see additional Gift Guide ideas – A tech purse, sassy soaps, pooch puzzles, Buffalo blurbs, skinny ties, and rattan clutch.
Click here to see additional Gift Guide ideas – A snood, cat cap, cologne, Buffalo rompers, Yeti Colster, and snazzy socks
Click here to see additional Gift Guide ideas – Green thumbs, beer enthusiasts and dog lovers
Click here to see additional Gift Guide ideas – Cartographic kicks and hand crafted honey jar