If Gus & Ruby Letterpress' high-quality products could be paired with high-quality customer…read moreservice, they would be great. Unfortunately, their poor customer service makes working with Gus & Ruby Letterpress frustrating and disappointing. We worked with Gus & Ruby Letterpress to create an invitation suite and day-of stationery for a formal wedding in Boston. It started out great with an initial meeting in the store. We looked through samples, felt the quality of the paper, and left with exciting ideas for the invitations. Little did we know this would be our last in person meeting, and that even reaching a live person on the phone would be extremely difficult as we moved forward. After our first meeting we submitted ideas and details for the first draft of the wedding suite. Then we waited 14 business days for a first proof. The proof was completely off the mark. The designers at Gus & Ruby Letterpress did not seem to read what we had asked for. For example, one envelope liner option contained fall-colored abstract daisies for a spring formal wedding. We tried to convey our ideas as clearly as possible but the communication channel from us, to our salesperson, to the design team, played out like a game of telephone with a tin can and a string. The message did not get through. After several weeks of revisions, we eventually arrived at a beautiful invitation suite that fit our vision. If communication had been better, we would have reached the final product a lot sooner. During this whole process we never felt like we were a priority, a valued customer, and we often felt dismissed. We continued to work with Gus & Ruby Letterpress for our day-of stationery because there was not time to search out a new stationer and because their products are high-quality. However, it was frustrating to only communicate through email. Our concerns never seemed to be acknowledged by our salesperson. No human ever answered the phone at Gus & Ruby Letterpress. Our overall experience with Gus & Ruby Letterpress fell far short of what we expected from a high-end, custom stationer. I cannot recommend them.

Wandering around Portsmouth after lunch, my friend and I wandered into this store because she loves…read moreall things print-related. Me, not so much unless I'm in need of something, but I tagged along. So glad I did! This is a cute little store with lots of things to catch the eye. Not just the obvious--print services, cards, stationery, etc.--but also things like recyclable bags and other gifty items. I walked out of there with a small size (there was a large variety of bags for different uses) Baggu reclyclable bag I can fold up and pop into my purse for use when I need it. Handy for carrying leftovers from restaurants, quick trips to CVS/Walgreens or other places where you just want a couple of things. In fact it would have been handy for my trip to Gus & Ruby! Next time......

Nahcotta is literally the cutest shop ever. They sell a variety of neat things such as prints,…read moreartwork, jewelry, stationery, small-batch treats (funky chocolates! cool jams! interesting hot sauces... ghost pepper-tequila-lavender sauce anyone?), and body care. Oh, there's also a small sales section tucked in the corner of the room! I had one H E C K of a good time browsing the stationery + prints sections where I picked out a peach gel pen, an adorable animal sticker sheet, and a fun pug print (which came with an envelope!). I'd highly recommend checking this store out for all things artsy, neat, whimsical, and fun.

This was a fun little shop! They have great items for kids and adults alike. They have a wonderful…read moreassortment of house warming gifts, kitchen items, and art...oh the fun art! My husband and I couldn't leave without purchasing some accessories for our office (click and felt coasters). When we got home from our trip, we were describing this shop to some friends that own an art gallery and they knew exactly the store we were talking about! Ha. Stop by and pick yourself out a little something.

It's got a wide variety of items for sale, but I was kind of disappointed at the actual lack of…read moreSTATIONERY. They do have tons and tons of cards but I was hoping for paper, envelopes, and pens. That kind of thing, and they don't have much actual stationery. You'd have much better luck at Michaels or an art store. Prices are typical for a store like this, which always means a little high.

I love this place! Each time I visit NH I spend hours here. Lots of lovely clothes,jewelry and…read morepaper products, friendly staff and reasonable sales and ambiance special! Love they carry books and childrens toys there as well.

A variety of vintage goods, I find a treasure at each visit. Jewelry, records ceramics, linens and…read morewall art abound. Some prices seem high.

Lovely selection of vintage goods, vinyl, and a little section of cozy handmade baby clothes and…read moregoods. The wonderful owner invited my kid to pet her sweet little dog, chatted us up, recommended some good local things to do, and just generally made us feel like welcomed friends rather than out-of-towners dropping in for the holidays. 10/10 can't wait to go back here and shop some more for nieces and nephews and some vintage for myself the next time we are in the Portland area.

Don't be thrown by the location - this is a neighborhood gem. We went in right before closing with…read moretwo energetic kids. The staff could not have been more kind or helpful. They took time to get down to the physical level of my four year old, asking him what he liked and helped give us recommendations for his first chapter books. The diverse books and Maine authors featured made me really happy and although the shop is small, there was quite a wide variety. They also made it very easy to order anything they didn't have in stock. We will definitely be repeat customers!

Great place and very helpful service. The woman with whom I dealt even mailed the gift certificate…read moreI bought!

From the moment I entered, I heard great relaxing music playing and a fun shop owner singing along!…read moreI certainly felt welcomed right away. The shop has so many card options, no matter what the occasion and all of high quality! She also does custom orders for events! Not only does this shop have great card stock but many fun gifts. I walked away with bath salts and a bath bomb and a cute Christmas ornament. You could easily find so many gift options so this becomes your one stop shop!

I went looking for a planner - and found a cute little store and was greeted by the very nice owner…read moreand her cute little doggy!! Really interesting store - she gave me a planner for free since there's only a few months to the year left. So kind! I bought a few other cute things, a sparkly food safe glitter for drinks and a tea candle holder. Will be back

If you love bookstores that feel like a warm hug with a side of coastal charm, Sherman's is exactly…read morethat girl. I popped in during a fall trip to Portland, and within two steps, I understood why this place stays busy. It's cozy, it's nostalgic, and it has that "you're definitely leaving with something you didn't plan to buy" -- and I absolutely did. The book selection is diverse. They do an incredible job curating local authors, Maine-themed reads, and those charming "I'll never find this anywhere else" gems. It's the kind of shop where you browse slowly because every shelf has a little surprise. The gifts + stationery section is dangerous (in the best way). Cute cards, puzzles, journals, mugs... basically an stress-free way to knock out gift shopping. Staff was friendly without hovering. Asked for a recommendation and got a great one -- points awarded. Yes, the aisles are a little tight. Yes, you might bump into people. But honestly? That's part of the cozy bookstore ecosystem. If you want Barnes & Noble spacing... this isn't that. And that's why it works. If you're in downtown Portland, Sherman's is an absolute must-stop. Whether you buy a book, a puzzle, or just soak up the cozy, indie-bookstore magic -- you'll leave happier than you walked in.

Very touristy but wasn't very crowded. Perfect for kids and Adults alike. Apart from the wide…read morevariety of books you'll found a huge selection of aboard games and toys postcards and knickknacks and souvenirs!

Love Ferdinand. Always surprised by something new. I especially love the birthday animals. Diane…read moreis wonderful!

Cutest store. Obsessed with my new hand dyed pillow!! There are a bunch of local gifts and knick…read moreknacks that make for the perfect gift. Will definitely have to visit when I'm back in Portland again!

Cute place! I stopped in only because I happen to see it when I was stopping at a bakery nearby…read more I walked in and was met with two options, left or right. I went to the right and found honey for your health, honey from around the area, and different products that either had bees on it or had honey in it. I found this super neat and I spent some time looking at the different items before settling on some honey from the area. Someone did come and say hello to me while I was shopping around. But then promptly went to help someone else that had walked in. Once I made my selections I went to wait to check out, lots to look at. It seems they have some bee keeping items and also have beekeeping classes. So, all around they support bees and I love that. There was a comment made in the shop by one of the workers that made another customer feel less included, but I don't think it was meant to be offensive. But I did happen to notice it and felt well, there's some validity to what was said. Nonetheless, great place to get honey and very lovely staff.

Love, love, love this place! Having a bee keeper in the family I have learned alot about the health…read morebenefits bees and their hives can give us. Honey is sold in small and large quantities but nothing gigantic. Honey is from all over the country and many local hive producers sell their products here. What better way to support small business in your area! My favorite is the "rubie red" honey, you hold it up to the light and it's a deep red and has a fantastic flavor..yum! The store sells everything honey and bee: honey, wax, propolis, mead, candies, gift sets, honey decantors, aprons and linens, and jewlery. This store also has classes for those interested in learning this art form. In the store they have a live hive you can look at from behind glass, facsinating! People may not like the high prices ($15-30 depending on the quantity and location honey is from) but it's to support our local artisans and the product is MUCH BETTER then any honey you will find in the grocery store. It's raw and unfiltered so all the healing properties are intact. I am a regular there, going weekly during the winter months to help keep my immune system strong.

this place had every trinket & souvenir you could think of! Typical tourist shop - but was perfect…read moreto get the gifts I wanted! Think magnets, ornaments, spell jars, hats, sweatshirts, you name it! The woman who checked me out was fast & very sweet!

Many different stores to choose from down in Salem, selling similar things but this one I went back…read moreto! Bought a couple things and then also bought a super soft sweatshirt at a decent price. Worth the stop if you are in the area!