If you've never been into Caves you need to make a stop. It's the perfect place to find random, unique and original gifts for ANYONE which are appropriately-priced unlike a lot of the boutiques or locally owned shops in Haddonfield & Collingswood (although you should still shop there, too...).
The night before Christmas I was running into CVS (which is across the street) and caught a glimpse of Caves Frame & Mirror Shop sandwiched between an Italian "bakery" and mini strip-mall; so I dodged traffic and ran in to check it out since I'd never noticed it before on my previous trips home.
I was greeted at the door by a jam-packed room full of stuff which I can only describe as AWESOME NONSENSE, and two friendly dogs roaming the store's small "aisles" which, incidentally, weave more like a tight maze. I talked to the store's chatty, down-to-earth owner that night for so long my husband called twice to make sure I hadn't died (no joke).
The store itself is like an antique shop but only it sells new things like original oil paintings, various ornaments (xmas / lawn / garden...), signs, trivets, flags, military shit, mirrors, sports paraphernalia, and really unique picture frames that don't suck or have stickers idiotically plastered to the glass. Lots of nautical and beachy stuff (you know, for that shore house you've always wanted), as well as holiday themed things that probably aren't there year-round. I bought my grandmother a little handmade Christmas/winter candle holder (2 deer and a little tree sandwiched between 2 little candle holders) from Germany which was carved out of wood from an olive tree. A friend of ours brought back something very similar (just a different scene) from Germany last year, so I'm confident it's legit. :) I also bought a little brass star for my brother who's going into the military and in total, spent about $30.
While there, I fell immediately in love with a giant oil painting as soon as I saw it. I'm not one to impulsively buy paintings but I really really wanted it for some reason. I asked how much it was and she impulsively quoted me a REALLY reasonable price, perhaps too cheap, because I late got the sense she had largely undersold me in our later conversation. I went back a few days after with the husband and bought the painting. We had the frame replaced for an extra $20 and it looks AWESOME. She built the frame herself in a day, which the owner had wrapped and ready by the time we left town. The whole thing is beautiful.
I hope Caves makes it, I really do. I will never buy Christmas presents or birthday presents in some crappy commercial store or mall ever again as long as Caves is an option. People can suck it with their junk gifts from Staples or Target rather than trying to give something original or, at the very least, unique to the personality of the giver and receiver. While it's possible that a lot of the stuff in the store is also mass-produced and/or made in China (minus the oil paintings), it's a totally different vibe and customer experience when you're actually IN the shop, talking with the owner, petting dogs, etc. Not to mention, she's not selling anything I've seen elsewhere, and that's refreshing in and of itself. read more