Fun gift finds for Small Business Saturday in Columbia

‘Tis the season to start shopping. From your closest acquaintances to your office white elephant gift exchange, there won’t be a shortage of opportunities for gift giving.

With Small Business Saturday this weekend, we at Go Columbia did a little (OK, a lot) of hoofing it around the capital city to some of the locally owned shops for a few gift ideas that are outside the box – or in it. How you wrap it is totally up to you.

Bevello

Kendra Scott necklaces, $60

“They’re super fun and there’s a bunch of different styles so really they’re good for everyone,” said Taylor Polhemus, store stylist. “You can wear them with everything: dress them up or down. They’re really popular. People always come in asking for them. And all different age groups ask for them, too.”

Trenholm Plaza, 4840 Forest Drive #15. (803) 814-1525, www.bevello.com

Fab’rik

Votivo Icy Blue Pine Candle and Red Currant Candle, $32

“They smell like Christmas and they’re really pretty,” said Becca Carlton, sales associate. “And we have them in different sizes: we have the shot glass version in both scents. It’s a very unique candle and it burns for 50-60 hours. I’m going to a Friendsgiving and am taking one as a gift.”

Trenholm Plaza, 4840 Forest Drive, #240. (803) 764-1750, www.fabrikstyle.com/locations/columbia/

Artizan

Music of the Spheres Windchimes, $68-$451.50

“These wind chimes are phenomenal,” said Clayton P. King, managing director. “We’ve placed six orders in six weeks (25 to 30 chimes per order). They’re musically tuned to the standard A440 orchestral pitch and they come in different scales and different sizes. They’re very cool. ... They’re made of materials that just don’t let you down. We’ve owned one set for 31 years now.”

1217 Bull St. (803) 728-0282, www.artizansc.com

Cosmic Rays

Mini figures, $4.99

“These little guys are some of my best sellers,” said Ray Hunter, owner. “I know I’m the only one in town that carries these as heavy as I do. There’s every character you can almost imagine. They’re not true Lego’s, but I did my homework and there’s only one factory in America that makes Lego’s. The difference between these and real Lego’s is the shoot: one goes this way, one goes that way. Some of these figures, if they have the Lego brand you’re going to pay a lot more money for it. They’re a good gift because they’re very small and cheap to ship ... I sell these things online like hot cakes.”

4427 Devine St. (803) 661-8504, www.cosmicrays-online.com

Miss Cocky

South Carolina shaped and Williams-Brice Stadium coordinates necklaces, $11.99-$16

“These have been really popular,” said Joni James, manager. “One is the outline of the state and one has South Carolina spelled out in it, but when we tell them that this one is the coordinates for Williams-Brice Stadium they love it. It’s a conversation starter for sure.”

621 Gadsden St. (803) 748-4771, www.misscocky.com

Uptown Gifts

Personalized wine bottles and glasses; prices vary based on selection

“We can personalize the wine bottle and the glasses,” said Martha Studstill, owner. “We do a lot for engagements, celebratory things, anniversaries ... we did some the other day for someone who is going to become engaged. And we did three for one girl that all three of her friends were about to turn 21.”

“We have a curated selection of wine,” Studstill continued. “My wine reps know what we do so they know what’s good for us. Sometimes we put the vinyl on the back if there’s not a lot of room on the front. We also sell a Cabernet and a Chardonnay that’s blank on the front and just comes with the legal requirement on the back so we have the whole front of the bottle to play with.”

They also serve accessories so once empty, you can turn your celebratory bottle into an oil lamp. “So you drink the wine and save the bottle because you don’t want a bottle of wine just sitting there,” said Studstill. “We do a lot of personalization and that’s what we want people to know.”

1204 Main St. (803) 661-7651, www.uptownsc.com

This story was originally published November 23, 2016 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Fun gift finds for Small Business Saturday in Columbia."