Last-minute holiday gifts you can find in Tucson
Vintage-style gifts from RetroTrek
😰 The holidays are officially here! If you have family, friends, and (hopefully) good food in your plans, then you may be thinking about gifts, too.
Gifts can take time―time to find, time to buy, time to wrap, time to send―and, in such a busy season, it would be easy to feel stressed about just how little time you may have to invest in gift-giving.
👍 Thankfully, local retail in Tucson is here to help.
From Historic 4th Avenue to the MSA Annex to the downtown retail corridor, there are a multitude of locally owned businesses ready to help you hit a gift-giving home run―saving time, keeping your dollars local and finding something unique for that special person in your life.
🎁 Speaking of unique―Proper Shops at 300 E. Congress St. is a flex retail space full of merchants and artists downtown where you can find everything from murals and metalworks to hand-made jewelry and handbags.
If you haven’t been before, consider stopping on Thursday through Sunday (hours vary) and connecting with any one of these local business owners―they’d be happy to help!
Beautiful Little Things is a Black-owned accessories business “celebrating the Bodacious spirit in us all.” Says Jennifer O’Neill, founder and owner: “Some of the pieces you will find here will be handmade by local artists in Arizona. Other pieces have been sourced from women-owned businesses, fair trade empowering women in developing countries, or contributes to social good.”
ENB Jewelry features “quality jewelry from award-winning silversmith and artist Erik Nakai Buckley.” Erik’s projects range from simple ring re-sizings to bolo ties to commissions for custom projects. He maintains an extensive (and varied) inventory at his Proper Shops storefront.
Ideal Metals Co. owner Andy Luna offers metalworking of all shapes and sizes―from the smallest custom items to the largest residential projects. “If you can describe it, we can make it.” (Wildcats, shop here―many of Andy’s items are UA-themed and officially licensed!)
For those that prefer experiences as gifts, Jennifer Burghard’s Lonely Angel Tattoo will work with you to bring your artistic ideas to life. Lonely Angel features a full studio inside Proper Shops along with a wide variety of custom and exclusive designs. (Be sure to ask her about her next merch drop, too―a gift less permanent than a tattoo!)
If you’re looking for merch to represent Tucson, consider Brian Dahl―owner of the handle @theguywhodancesoncongress. Says Brian: “ I dance at bars/nightclubs next to the DJ. I’m always dancing with Positive Vibes Only and Power Of Positivity. My intent is to get people to relax and allow themselves to dance freely and have fun!” Brian’s collection of shirts, stickers and hats is extensive―and every design is custom.
Tucson Handmade and RetroTrek share storefronts and feature a variety of products with iconic Tucson images―all sporting custom graphic design. RetroTrek’s product line includes “note cards, postcards, holiday cards, magnets” and more. Tucson Handmade features a collective of local makers and small businesses under their banner.
