The owner of this shop is absolutely abominatable. I understand that people have bad days, and we don't know how his was, but there was still no excuse for his behavior. I stopped by a few days ago, pulled in by the Tshirts in the window. This is predominately what is sold, walls and shelves and racks full of them. As I was browsing, and out of town visiter stepped up to the counter to ask, politely, whether he carried any Kamala Tshirts. The question set him off into a yelling monologue about how he doesn't care about politics, and he doesn't want to hear anyone coming into his store making comments about anyone they don't like and telling him what to sell. He was in fact so wound up that he pulled off the mask that he was wearing to stand up and spew spittle as she tried to defend herself, not rudely, but yes, she continued to defend herself, as he wouldn't let her get a word in. At this point, when it had escalated to the point where she was cowering and I felt like he was going to pull a baseball bat out, I walked up and said exactly 3 words, not specifically directly at either; "in all fairness". This made him turn on me and direct his fury. I managed to squeeze in that she had not mentioned that he could carry shirts representing both sides over his yelling. At this point, a few people browsing in the store came up to stare at him, as well as a few coming in, who backed up. I am not exaggerating this story, though it sounds like it couldn't possibly have been that bad. He not only ruined someone's day, but represented as a nasty town. There are plenty of other shops with welcoming staff and wonderful goods, so I highly recommend that you avoid this place. read more

This is the place for some of the best sarcasm. If you like to think and find being a follower is repulsive this is your place. I've been here a number of times and enjoyed EVERY visit. read more

Amazing store with the best wind-chimes cards and gifts. It has a funky hippie vibe, and a really cool owner. I love this place.

Hahaa, the reviews for this establishment cracks me up. Energy is energy and not all mix well--the owner was awesome to us. He let us roam and I could compare the five tarot decks I had in front of me and he stated to go with my instincts and what my eyes were drawn to. I purchased two! I love them. I took my family back the next day for them to explore. read more

horrible experience, went in with my siblings looking to buy something, he kicks up out 3 minutes in because "he wants us to leave". We did absolutely nothing to this man, even after he asks us if at least 1 of us is over 18 (weird?) we were completely respectful didn't even touch anything. How this man continues to run a business is beyond me. read more

the owner is impeccably rude. People supporting the idea that "he has a business to run and doesn't want to deal with nonsense" clearly doesn't understand the concept that customer service goes hand in hand With running said business. There are multiple ways to talk to a customer that doesn't include degrading remarks and continuing to make sly remarks one after another. I dont just go in get treated like trash then feel obligated to purchase something, because "he has a business to run", run where? to the ground? I encourage you to read google reviews if you haven't already, regarding the sexist comments as well. Such a disgrace of a store in a high traffic/tourist spot. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS ESTABLISHMENT. read more

Cool shop, especially if you're looking for incense, tarot cards & other spiritual needs. There were some nice Buddha statues & wiccan memorabilia. I bought some incense matches & magnets. read more

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Absolutely amazing shop with a wonderful selection of wind chimes. I have been in twice, once with Miss Lee working and the other with the gentleman, I cannot remember his name but started with an H. A lot of shops on the busy streets tend to get disrespected by people coming and going throughout the city. We were locals who were shopping for our first wind chime for our house. We had an error on our first one and we had to return it. We are actually thankful we got to be assisted by the gentleman since we ended up with a far nicer chime than we had originally purchased. As with most shops, if you go in and are respectful and polite, you will receive the same in return. Honestly, I am so thankful I did not read the reviews before coming here. Amazing service and very caring staff. Also note: Their prices are not marked up from online. We were originally going to get one off of Amazon but well worth it to come in person and support small business. read more

So we walk in to the store, the only customers there and the Woman behind the counter did not lift her head up to welcome us into the establishment. She was so damn engulfed in her cellphone. We stayed in there a cool ten minutes looking at things, which this place clearly has some dope items but because of her lack of customer service I refused to buy anything from here. I decided to leave and search somewhere else. And can you believe when we were walking to the door she then wants to pick her head up and tell us about the damn card rack. Unbelievable. She just lost business. I bought want I wanted and needed from Instant Karma. They were welcoming and interactive read more

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The man at the desk kicked me and my girlfriend out because she rang a wind chime as a harmless joke. He said "I'm trying to run a business, not make jokes," and I can promise you his business is exactly that. This man does not take any of the metaphysical objects he sells seriously, and single handedly made us both extremely anxious for no reason. I hope he reads this :) If anyone reading this has a passion for the metaphysical and asian religions, please go elsewhere for your items. There are plenty of stores willing and able to make your experience so much better than it would be here. read more

I NEVER leave poor reviews. The world has too much negativity to hear any of mine in addition. However, I love downtown Asheville. In my opinion, it is the heart of North Carolina. However, my best friend and I came in this afternoon and were highly disappointed with the treatment we received. We did not get so much as a hello when walking in. When she looked at the price on a deck of tarot cards, the old man behind the counter snapped at her and refused to answer any of her questions. He said he didn't want our germs to be spread around and to only touch the sample binders. You know, because no germs can be spread by everyone touching the same book of course. She then asked if she could touch them to buy them and he offered no response. Thus, no purchase was made. And we left with the knowledge that binders do not retain terms. The overall energy in here is quite odd and uncomfortable. This store is not a reflection of Asheville and should be avoided by tourists and locals alike. read more

Came in looking for a wind chime with 5 kids. We expected our children to read and follow the directions posted around the store and we disciplined them when they didn't. We found a fantastic wind chime and had a pleasant conversation with the owner! I guess if your children behave and you discipline them when they don't (as you should) this is the place for you!! read more

Didn't even make it into this shop before the guy working there CAME OUTSIDE to yell at my son who had just exited my vehicle and stepped on his skateboard. Maybe try just asking him to stop (not that he was actually doing anything) instead of swearing at/verbally assaulting a 14 year old. Needless to say, we chose not to shop at this business. Perhaps it's time to get yourself out on a retreat and find yourself, jerk. read more

I can see why some people don't like the owner. He's gruff and to the point. He has a business to run and doesn't want to deal with your nonsense I went in looking for a new tarot deck and I hit the jackpot. Flipping through the vintage out of print decks was amazing. He has some true treasures. If you're a collector, you must stop by. I ended up with three decks (one is a gift), some delicious tea, and a couple of talismans. He knows his stuff. We gabbed about artwork and life. The selection of decks is phenomenal, and he has a vein you want to pick. The chimes are deep and beautiful, the range of incense is amazing, and the t shirts support the Asheville vibe to a t. If you're genuinely interested in the products he offers, you will have a wonderful experience. read more

Easily the worst customer service I've ever experienced. Paid $30 for a t-shirt and when I got it home noticed a hole in it right out of the bag. Brought the shirt back to exchange it and instead of a simple and normal exchange, the owner berated me in the middle of the store in an extremely disrespectful and sexist manner. If you choose to go in this store, be sure to inspect your items before leaving. Would not want any other women to have to experience the same treatment. read more

Came here to buy a new tarot deck, left empty handed. The owner is extremely rude and bigoted. Was called names for having a phone in hand and wearing shorts on a hot summer day in his store. Everything is overpriced, things aren't labelled properly, and I will absolutely NOT be returning to a place where customers are insulted for the way they dress and simply having cellular devices. Order the same stuff online for half the price. read more

Where else will you find a shop that says "Don't Gong the Gongs" in Asheville? Or where else can you find a Nuke a godless, communist, gay baby seal for Christ. T-Shirt in this town? Sure the owner might come across as a little odd but chat him up. He's just a delightfully absurd old new yorker. Celebrate diversity people! All the freaky people put the beauty in the world, even the owner Haidar. read more

I would not recommend this place to anyone the owner (I think he was the owner) is a bully. I was trying to by a pair of their sandals and was attempting to use my phone to find more information on the shoes and he basically bullied me off of my phone. I told him I had every intension of buying the shoes but he was mean and I told him he just lost a customer. I would say other things about him but I am trying to be polite. read more

Prepare to be either ignored by staff or bullied. The merchandise is poorly made and you had better inspect you items twice if you wish to purchase something. If you wish to exchange an item for another size and there is the tiniest flaw, you will be accused of sabotaging the item yourself. There are plenty of other good local shops in Asheville that will appreciate your business. Stay far away from this place. read more

TERRIBLE representation of Asheville. I took a photo of a t-shirt I thought a friend of mine might like as a souvenir and I heard a gruff voice say "NO PHOTOS!". I turned around and said "who said that?". A guy at the register said "we don't own the rights for these prints and could be in trouble for unauthorized images being photographed!" I attempted to explain that's not exactly how things work but was cut off by an older man who said "I don't want photographs in my store! How's that?!" ...Well, I of course had a few snarky comments back and left the store to buy t-shirts from the very friendly, very "Asheville" shop next door. Pretty ironic how a place with tinkly wind chimes and new age music in one of the friendliest towns on earth is so full of negativity, unprovoked anger, and hostility. Support the Asheville vibe and AVOID this awful place. UPDATE 11/15 The user Kim A. who posted a glowing review of this place sent me a message saying she's been employed at this store for 10 years, and defended the owner's behavior as being completely justified. So much for her fraudulent review. UPDATE 11/16..new message from "Kim A." "Go ahead Steve. Go be butt hurt. You are making such a wonderful difference in this world. Do you understand how many tourists we get every day? Do you understand how many of them are complete jerks just for the sake of being jerks no matter how nice we are? The owner just doesn't care when somebody is a jerk to him. He doesn't have to care. He is from New York and it is more hostile here. I get terrible service on a daily basis in Asheville and that is because the service industry is really tired of tourists being mean you think that this is such a wonderful town, well good for you.. The economy here is awful. Our rent has tripled in the last 10 years while our wages are still as low as they were 40 years ago. The locals here are sick of entitled tourists coming here being jerks and tearing up our beautiful town and mountains. Maybe you should consider asking permission before you take photos of somebody's property. It's just rude." read more

The owner is very rude. Stopped in to buy some gifts for my mom for her birthday, and when I mentioned I also sell inspirational stickers he seemed to have thought I was making up the story to simply sell him my products... he told me he was "disgusted" and to "leave his damn store." Very un-Asheville and he will never be getting me, my friends, my family's, and hopefully your, business ever again. read more

Was about to make a purchase, but left the store empty-handed instead. Owner and employees are very rude. My kids touched the wind chimes- BIG mistake! Instead of politely pointing out the "don't touch" sign and asking them to stop, the owner yelled at my kids and an employee suggested to "take them out of here". Good idea- I took myself out too! I don't want to support an establishment that treats their customers with such disrespect. Bad vibes in there! read more

I initially gave this place a bad review years ago. The customer service has since improved. Still no prices marked on the tarot decks but when I asked the cashier she gave me a very detailed and helpful response. The tarot deck selection is incredible. They also have a lot of other gifts that you don't find in the typical hippie stores in Asheville. Tons of t-shirts and quirky home decor type items. read more

The stores pretty typical for Asheville. But not a whole lot of selection here. They do have some awesome windchimes though. There are some really nice items if you take the time to look all the way around the store, their prices are decent and the service is good. read more

we made a stop inside this so called store on 6-22-15. We were not greeted with a smile and the old wrinkled up man sitting at the register was one of the rudest people I have ever came in contact with. I was in shock with the way we were treated by this man in Gaea gifts. We took our business elsewhere and the odd thing is the very nice lady in the store we spent our money in KNEW exactly who this man was once we told her how we were treated. This store and old man put a very bad light on Downtown Asheville for me and I will spread the word to everyone I know to NOT visit Gaea gifts. Also I will note on every website I can alerting to all just what a despicable place this is. BEWARE and STAY AWAY from Gaea Gifts in Asheville, NC! read more

The owner here is the coolest guy ever. Best selection of tarot I've ever seen period

Love this shop! So much fun and the owner is great! Beautiful selection of windchimes, fun and unique Tee Shirts as well as THE LARGEST selection of tarot cards and oracle cards in the South and quite possibly the entire US! Definitely a must see when in Asheville! I will be back. So, if you had a problem with the owner it is probably because you don't pay attention to your children or the many signs which state NOT to allow children to touch the chimes. The chimes he sells are very expensive and are of the highest quality. Children tend to bang them causing the tubes to hit each other which is not how they should be handled. I can understand the owner's frustration when parents come in, let their children run around touching and hitting everything and don't bother to read the signs or reprimand their children. I would kick them out as well. The sale is not worth the potential damage. I have witnessed children break things and parents walk out without paying. Also, people really should not be using amazon to compare prices and if you pull your phone out and start taking pictures of inventory, it's just rude. You should always ask before you take pictures and never assume. The owner has kicked people out for comparing prices with Amazon. Small businesses cannot compete with the mega mogul Amazon. People, read the signs, they are everywhere! read more

Gaea Gifts - The LARGEST selection of Tarot and Oracle cards in the US. - Gift Shops Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I stumbled upon this shop one night during my first visit to Asheville. The owner was fantastic and after perusing an entire wall of tarot cards (the biggest selection I have ever seen), I wound up chatting with him for at least 30 minutes. It is a great store and I can't wait to go back... read more

My fiance and I were in there a few weeks ago. I had picked a bag of myrrh to purchase, walked around showing things to my fiance. I decided not to get the resin and put it back. A few minutes later, I was leaning against one of the case of tarot cards because I was dizzy. The owner asked very rudely what I was doing and why I was doing it. I said I was dizzy and my fiance reiterated as well. He then asked if that was really the issue. We walked out and I said, "I can't believe he thought that I was gong to steal the bag of myrrh that I put back while he was looking right at me. He saw me put t back before I got dizzy. That's no way to treat people." We will never go back there again! read more

I highly recommend not coming here, the man who works here is extremely rude. Me and my friends came in today and the moment she said hi to him he questioned our age and told us we couldn't be in the shop. Accusing us of how we might steal or break something, and kicking us out when we barely in there for a minute. We of course had money and he was just extremely rude towards us. I ended up buying tarot cards else where. read more

Excellent shop in downtown Asheville. Amanda is extremely helpful and the locally made products are great. The T-shirts are clever and hilarious. I am disappointed to see negative reviews. It is clearly posted that children are not to play with the wind chimes and the owner is simply trying to protect your children as some the wind chimes weigh 50+ pounds hanging from the ceiling. He is simply making sure that no child is hurt! read more

I was in this shop a few years ago and was amazed by the beautiful things. The owner is not your typical guy, but I found him to be so knowledgeable and wound up having an incredible conversation with him. Don't let his abrupt manner put you off. He's great!!! The store is great! read more

Very sweet little gift shop and not the normal crap that most gift shops carry. Excellent quality T-shirts. Staff was helpful, but not overbearing. Will go back! read more

We just left this store in disgust! We came back with the intent on purchasing some wind chimes for a relative who saw them over the Christmas holiday. The item we where looking at was priced at 1500$. My wife was looking up information on her phone about the company when the owner walked up behind her and started reading her phone over her shoulder. He then confronted us about using our phone in his store. He missed a huge sale! His rudeness was unbelievable. I would NOT recommend this store. read more

Gaea gifts has the best selections of tarot cards I've ever seen. While the owner can be gruff, I think he is just very protective of the energy in the space and wants to be sure the people who are shopping have the peace necessary. I have already bought many decks there and will continue to do so! read more

Great staff, Amazing items all over the place. Unlike some shops the owner is not to busy to help you find what you are looking for

Was in the process of buying my son a wind chime when the store keeper began screaming at my son for touching the wind chime that we were going to buy. Please do not shop at this store. I can't wait until this store goes out of business! read more

shopkeeper was extremely rude just now. i came in looking to price some windchimes and couldn't get a word in edgewise. he seemed emotionally disturbed and kept getting louder til i walked out. avoid this place at all costs. read more

I have been around the various shops in Asheville for over ten years and love GAEA gifts. The shopkeeper, despite several bad reviews, is actually a wonderful person who does not bother with any high pressure sales or does not annoy people who want to look around. He's just a New Yorker and some don't know how to take his forthright nature. He does have a strict policy on his windchimes as he's had many parents who do not tend their children and go around crashing on very expensive chimes. The quality of the tee shirts he sells is outstanding. I bought a shirt for my daughter there 4 years ago and it still looks like new! I'd say anyone who did not have a good experience at GAEA brought something bad with them as the owner does not *need* the patronage of rude people. The store has plenty of friends and fans who frequent it often. I love buying my incense, tarot cards and pottery at GAEA. I have been reading cards at GAEA for three years and he has made my experience there a delight. These other bad reviews do not represent the hundreds of weekly satisfied customers. Cheers! read more