I love this store! Bluegrass Island Trading in Manteo, NC rocks! They have the coolest T-shirts in…read moretown. I love how friendly the staff is every time I walk in. There is a really fun history exhibit inside for us history buffs. They have everything from snacks to memorable takeaways. They have information about upcoming events and music festivals! Prices are decent. I look forward to coming back and getting more gifts for friends and family!

BLUF: Unique and nostalgic gift shop that plays off of local history in the area…read more I feel like Bluegrass Island Trading Company has been in business for a long time so I am surprised it's not on Yelp. I love this store so I wish I had taken more photos so the people of the Webernet could see what a neat vibe it has and be sure to stop in. Immediately upon walking into this unique and quaint gift shop, you feel like you have been transported somewhere else with a magical story to tell. We enjoyed looking at classic National Park-esque shirts from Woodsy Owl with slogans like, "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute," Sasquatch-brand soaps, gifty food items, and novelty drinks. Also, I loved the moonshine merchandise and that they had a really nice exhibit on Buffalo City right in the store. Having studied the history of Dare County a bit, I was somewhat familiar with Buffalo City being known for logging but I didn't realize that where all of the moonshine magic happen was just about 20 miles away. We visited nearing closing time so I didn't want to be too thorough in my perusing by now I wish I had spent more time in this chill store. Neat place with neat stuff and a neat story to tell.

Bottom Line: There are many small businesses in Manteo and souvenir shops in OBX that earn their…read morecustomer's business but this is not one of them. Roanoke Marshes Trading has customer service equivalent to a vending machine. Instead of interacting with customers, the store has decided to just post handwritten signs about everything, everywhere. I can't really think of a more obvious and potent way to passively, aggressively insult customers than to scotch tape handwritten signs to everything. Don't do this. Don't do that. Don't touch. etc. I was in this store for about 15 minutes on a weekday and although I was one of only three customers, no one even said hello to me. I enjoyed my slow stroll through the store checking out the merchandise and marveling at all of the off-putting signs. Having worked in retail in a bustling touristy town, I know first hand that customers can present challenges (minimally supervised kids, dripping ice cream cones, etc.) but rather than post signs all over the store I know that it's better to directly and kindly approach a customer with a smile, give them great service and influence their behavior so it's desirable. Roanoke Trading does have some nice brands and decent stuff so it's too bad they've cheapened the experience by all of their signs. I left the store empty handed but I have some great ideas on writing a business management case study.

Would give less stars if possible. Not a very pleasant atmosphere. Very crowded as far as walking…read morespace vs merchandise. The layout isn't very accommodating. We went here as a family on vacation. We all carry cash on vacations as to not run up credit card debt. My 9yr old son wanted to purchase 2 outer banks stickers for his bicycle with his own money that he has saved up for vacation. Mind you that he pondered this decision for quite a while as he is very careful about what he spends his money on. These stickers came up to about $14 together before tax. He only had a $50 bill. His entire vacation savings. The store wouldn't sell him the stickers when he got to the counter and said they don't take any bills over $20. (Kind of strange since a lot of their inventory is over $20). None of us had bills under $50 for him to borrow and as I said, we carry cash on vacations. In the end, he had to leave without being able to make the purchase that he was hoping for with the money that he has saved up for months for vacation. He was very upset. This was late in the day. I would think that the store would have tried to make an exception for a young child trying to buy something with his own money. I am sure they were able to make the change by this point in the day. In the end, I would suggest you shop elsewhere. Somewhere that puts effort into customer service. It is experiences like this, that make people choose to shop online. If there is no customer service, than what is the point. It is more convenient and easier to shop online. More brick and mortar stores are going to the wayside and this is why.

I always shop here on my annual OBX vacation. There is such a vast selection and I never leave…read morewithout a bagful.

The 2 curly hair boys that work up front are very rude. They will sit there and talk and when you…read moreask them for help they are very rude. I would not recommend giving this store your money. Or time

Bottom Line: Shells, driftwood and beach inspired decor and jewelry…read more What I really like about Shipwreck is the scenic causeway location overlooking the sound and the very friendly employees. I also think the name is very cute. Shipwreck is an Outer Banks staple that has been in business for decades. They have tons of sea shells and driftwood. They also have jewelry, ornaments, home decor and toys all inspired by the Outer Banks. For those looking for hermit crabs, they have those too! For vacationers wanting a great beach souvenir shopping experience, Shipwreck is a good place to check out!

Sweet ladies, great artful finds. Some large coral and shells are pricey, but good and rare finds!read more

I really loved this store! As soon as i walked in I wanted everything! The owner is very friendly…read moreand down to earth. She makes her own candles and wax melts each make you think your enjoying a day with your toes in the sand. This place has become a staple in our trips to OBX. Their decor is more reasonably priced then many of the other stores. If you are looking for that unique beach decor with a reasonable price tag make this place your first stop.

Came for a wedding and forgot my earrings. Found the cutest sea glass handmade earrings here!read more

This place is a hidden gem. We drove past and I saw the big rope door mats. Came back Saturday and…read moremet the owner in the parking lot. Wish I'd asked her name. They were fixing the roof so she offered to take us in the back way. They wholesale shells and stuff, amazing selection. The retail side had great stuff at very reasonable prices, ended up getting way more than just the door mat. Had a great time.

Bottom Line: Small shop with seashells and Wanchese apparel…read more This shop looks so fun and beachy from the outside and I have been curious about it for years. I recently finally stepped in to do a little exploring this August. The retail store has shells, more shells, driftwood, nautical home decor, some jewelry, small gifts and Wanchese apparel. By Wanchese apparel I mean t-shirts and such paying homage to the charming fishing village. I was expecting local shells but it seems a lot of them were from overseas. Everything was so nicely labeled with the type of shell and the origin - I really appreciate those details. The retail store is just a small portion of their building as I believe the core of their business is being a wholesaler. The business participates in various trade shows throughout the year and retailers can sign up for wholesale accounts. Overall this was a neat stop in the quaint village of Wanchese.

Lots of cute mass produced items. Loads of jewelry- great selection of larimar. If you are…read morelooking for typical but nice beach decor or souvenirs this is a great spot.

Great beach shop with various stones /sea glass jewelry. Kim was fantastic to work with in helping…read morepick out gifts of different types of jewelry. Unique necklaces, pendants, rings and bracelets! Love the sterling silver chain choices and prices! Highly recommend this shop as one of your stops at the beach!

Shop was recommended to me by my ex's wife after she saw how I decorated...couldn't wait to check…read moreit out...quite touristy when I first got there and very limited parking....bought a few metal pieces of art I feel was priced fairly....asked to hold my 2 pieces while I finished shopping and the service was provided with a smile... So much to see and I couldn't believe how someone could leave and not have a purchase on them.... Definitely a stop to make...you won't be sorry...

This was such a cool place to visit. Our first time to the Outer Banks during Spring Break and we…read morewere pretty disappointed to find that most stores closed early or were only open on certain days until the summer season starts, which limited our places to shop. We were really excited to see this place open until 6 on Easter Sunday so we rushed over around 2pm to ensure we could walk around and browse. So glad we did! This store is choc-full of unique items, from local artist prints, gems, hand-made pottery, stationery, cards, jewelry, sculptures and art pieces made from repurposed items to garden decor. We can't wait to stop back by when we're in the area.

Beautiful array of coastal home decor, linens, houseware/kitchen and jewelry from local artists and…read moresources. Special unique items for your home or to buy as gifts. The staff was attentive and so friendly. If you are visiting the Outer Banks plan a stop at the store. You are guaranteed to find something special.

Bottom Line: A beautiful display of quality and tasteful housewares and gifts…read more The Cottage Shop in the Outer Banks Mall is definitely one of my favorite stores in the area! The Cottage Shop is a fairly large store consisting of tasteful home decor and gifts. Many items are beach themed but there is plenty of cool and cute stuff for (in)land lovers too. Here are the types of things you can expect to find at The Cottage Shop: - linens like tea towels, hook rugs and bedspreads - home decor like candles, artwork and Fiestaware - scarves, flip flops and jewelry - drinkware like Tervis, Yeti and decorative wine glasses - Christmas ornaments - stuffed animals and toys for little ones - greeting cards You can also expect a friendly staff! This is a great place to get a gift for someone else or yourself!

Loved this shop on Sir Walter Raleigh in Manteo. My husband & I always visited here when we were…read moreback on The Outer Banks. The owner always had the best hand carved artwork as well as gorgeous pottery. We bought several pieces of art to decorate our cottage in KDH. I regret not writing down the owner's name and contact info now. He was so nice & so very talented! What a loss to the shopping community.

Typically, I don't rate a shop very often. I will make an exception when to comes to the Roanoke…read moreHeritage Extended which my wife and I found some excellent nautically themed gifts and house accessories. We initially found a beautiful glass bowl with multicolor shells at an excellent price. The owner of the shop asked that we if could come back he would box it for my wife as the store was very busy at the time when we came there. We had just started our visit in Manteo and we're thankful to have it boxed and had plenty of time to spare. We came back later with it ready to go and we shopped some more finding some hand crafted nautical fan pulls and wooden carving of a red fish to purchase as well. The owner was a very friendly native of the area who had traced his family back to the 1600's when they arrived on the island. The name and sign may be a little misleading to a great shop that has some of the more unusual nautical themed merchandised that are priced very reasonably. Definitely worth stopping in if you are ever in the area. I know we will be back when in the OBX again!