I love this gift shop and try to stop here when I am in Oak Island, a couple of times a year. Unfortunately the hours are erratic when it says 10am to 5pm, more or less that is exactly what it means. The last couple of times I have been here, including this time, she is not even open, and it's a weekend in August! So very disappointing. The thing that I really love about this shop and the reason I keep coming back is because she highlights local artists, and there are usually many unique things, priced reasonably. read more

Tucked in an adorable little cottage off of an industrial main highway, Blue Crab Blue is home to local gifts, art & jewelry. While not large (4 12x12 rooms total), the quality of each room is high and the variety of items is huge. From pottery to home decor, from sterling jewelry to matted prints, this is now a new addition to our roster of "Must Shops" when we come to the Southport/Oak Island area! read more

This small blue cottage holds a vast treasure trove of items! The handcrafted music boxes are beautifully tuned, the candles are remarkable in their design while wonderfully scented never overpowering. The jewelry is quite exclusive and comparable to that in much larger stores. I could go on and on, but, you have to see it to believe it. One more treasure must be mentioned, the owner Barbara Donahue, her knowledge of all things is encyclopedic and she is happy to share that with customers who are curious. read more

Blue Crab Blue Inc. gift shop located at 4310 Long Beach Rd SE, Southport, NC is cool gift shop, but pass on the "sea potatoes" as they are nothing more than a fraud. Barbara Z. Donahue, President of the Blue Crab Blue gift shop claims to possess and sell something called a "sea potato" that looks like an egg-shaped piece of opalescent glass that has a slightly textured, frosted finish with an interior that reflects light in changing hues depending upon the light source to which it is subjected. Back-lighting results in the most interesting color effects. These so-called sea potatoes are sold for approximately $8.00 each and come in a nifty little white box nested in a soft straw-like material. What bothers me most is that Ms. Donahue claims these glass eggs are harvested from the ocean and presents the customer an "unpolished" version which appears like a small tan-colored potato. In reality, these eggs are nothing more than opalescent glass eggs manufactured in China that can be found on the internet for far less than the $8.00 price charged at the Blue Crab Blue gift shop. Also, I've seen these glass eggs appear regularly on eBay for less money as well. These eggs are sometimes referred to as "Magic Eggs" having special powers. One thing to note, I found that no one is misrepresenting the origin of these glass eggs except for Blue Crab Blue. For all the people that have been scammed out there, do any of these look familiar? https://www.google.com/search?q=Magic+Opalescent+Glass+Eggs&rlz=1CASMAE_enUS524US525&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=3p-RUf7TPImS9QSi9YDIDA&ved=0CDQQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=701 If you don't believe me, just google "opalescent glass eggs" or "opalescent magic eggs" and see what returns. Notice the prices at some of the wholesale vendors and it's easy to determine Ms. Donahue's motivation for the tall tales. I'm a reasonable man with no conflicting interests. I saw an egg that my sister purchased last winter and being familiar with geology and a little with oceanography, I decided to dig deeper as I just didn't believe the story behind this item. I was surprised to quickly find the egg's origin by some easy internet searching. Henry read more