What a wonderful find! My bf and I randomly stumbled in on a snowy, wintery day as we had gotten…read moretoo cold during our adventuring but I am always happy to check out bookstores! I was surprised to see so many things on sale for 50% off when we stopped in! I bought a book for myself and a board book for my baby nephew for $17 total, after the 50% discount. I regret not stocking up on graphic novels while they were half off! I doubt this discount will exist the next time I stop in... Brain Lair Books also hosts about 7 different book clubs - I'll be joining the romance one when I move here in a year-ish. The bookseller on staff the day we stopped in was also so kind and very funny! Make sure to stop by this well-curated, local bookstore next time you find yourself in the South Bend area!

Wow is all I can say. How could I be so lucky to stumble across this gem. Back in the day when I…read morelived in South Bend this location was a hardware store with a neighborhood grocery store next door. Kathy, the owner took time to greet me and my sister and chat with us. We're both book lovers and we're impressed with the selection. I brought my friend back hours later who is also a book lover along with my two nieces. Again, Kathy was very personable, shared why she opened the bookstore. There is something for everyone here. There's even a little nook with a pillow seat for me and my niece to read a book together. You have to check this place out. If you don't live books you know someone who does so why not support a small business. We all left with a book!

I love that we have this store as a resource in South Bend! I have mostly bought baby gifts here-…read morebright knit infant and toddler socks were a very big hit. The other items I have been back to purchase in the past few months were for us: stainless steel food containers with lids were a life saver for day care. I'll be back in soon- I really appreciate the range of products here.

Wonderful store. First of all, it has moved and is no longer across from the farmers market. This…read moreis a fair trade store. Wonderful clothes, accessories, cards, baby items, environmentally friendly products and more. So great to buy amazing products that are fair trade and good for the environment. We are so lucky to have this store in our community.

An absolutely incredible place! So inviting and perfect for all skill levels. The exceptional staff…read morewas there to assist in every step of the way! They have so many colors, stencils, tools, and of course the beloved eraser for the mistakes. The prices of the items are similar to what I have seen at other pottery settings, with so many unique items to choose from. The care that went into the firing and finishing process is evident in the lack of damages in my work and the thoughtful packaging when I picked up my piece. In my experience there was no extra charge for the firing process and the project took about 2 weeks to get my piece back, and I received a helpful message letting me know my piece was complete. Could not recommend this place more! For a solo trip, girls day, or even a more organized event with a group! Hope to be back soon!

They have a good selection of ceramic pieces and a lot of paints and finishes. The atmosphere is…read morechill with good music, and the workers are always friendly and helpful. I think the prices are good for the experience you get, I can easily use my whole 2 hours finishing up my project.

THIS is one fantastic bookstore. In fact, it is *the quintessential* small town bookstore, the one…read moreyou actually read about in books and wish you had one yourself. If you're anywhere near Elkhart, YOU DO. Lucky us!! Things we love: The work in progress Harry Potter closet under the stairs. YEP!!! The amazing staff! The owners are SO community-minded. It's remarkable. Of course, excellent selection of books THE CUTEST kids area Rolling bookshelves for event space (!) Events! (such as poetry open mic, or local authors) Local authors are featured Knowledgeable staff FANTASTIC sitting clever signs Things that make me sad: We live an hour away. Go! And, perhaps, you'll write your OWN novel, about a bookstore, and this will be your model. LOVE!

This place was a huge disappointment. I took my 3-year old granddaughter on an outing and chose…read morethis local bookstore as part of it. She LOVES reading, and I thought it would be fun to visit a local, independent bookstore. It is a used bookstore, which was not clear from website description. The book choices for preschool children were minimal - a single small bookcase of books - most of which were ancient. (There was a Dick and Jane book there if you want to gauge age of the books). The books were poorly organized and many were very worn. As my granddaughter said, "This bookstore is boring." It was a shame as small communities need good bookstores. This wasn't it. I've been to some GREAT small independent bookstores; I know they can be amazing. This was just depressing.

What a cool store! They have a large selection of SuperHero, Villain, Anime, Video Game, Cult…read moreClassic, Nolstagic, and Fantasy items. The store itself is small with narrow aisles, so not super accessible, for people with mobility issues. They are conveniently located on Grape Rd (next to Outback Steakhouse).

Casey and Kelly are amazing! I was into comic books in my teens and early twenties, but after I…read moregot married and had kids, I had to let it go for a while. A few years ago I was able to get back into it and this quickly became my shop of choice. Since I was out of the mix for a while, I have had a few questions and they both are always eager and enthusiastic to answer me. They never make me feel like I am a bother to them and they have learned what I like and make suggestions accordingly.

This gift shop is located inside Memorial Hospital on the main floor. It is a bright spot in a…read moresometimes scary place. They have lots of pretty knicknacs, cute stuffed animals, and miscellaneous items. The prices are not great, because you're paying for the convenience of the location.

This is a gift shop nestled inside of Memorial Hospital that I encountered while I was visiting a…read morefamily member. I remembered the first time I visited this place I and saw their cute merchandise and trinkets I knew I had to come back. The merchandise they carry is similar to Hobby Lobby, or T.J. Maxx's merchandise for home decor, gifts and trinkets except more unique and a tad bit more expensive. But I love anything unique that's not mass produced with that unique personal touch. But a lot of their merchandise are marked higher than most places. They have a nice variety of selections from jewelry, to baby gifts, home decor, snacks, cute pens and pencils for the office, etc... But if your gift shopping for someone and want a special non generic gift or looking for something unique for yourself and for your home this is the place to go. Their merchandise also comes in different styles from contemporary to traditional pieces which appeals to different tastes. Awesome!!! And their shop is coordinated by color. Sometimes they have discount specials... where if your first or last name starts with a certain letter in the alphabet you save 20%, and they also have a rewards card. Once that's filled up you can save money, but otherwise when shopping there just expect to shell out some extra cash. This is one cutest gift shops I've been to. I go here even if I'm not visiting someone in the hospital. But because this place is located in a hospital parking can be hard to find. But I recommend checking this place out.

The Cubs Den had an excellent selection of shirts, hats, etc. It is open year-round from 10 AM to 5…read morePM and Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM, but it's closed on game day unless you have a ticket to get into the game. It's easy to find because it was once the B'nai Synagogue, which is transliterated from Hebrew as "Sons of Israel." It was renovated and reopened as a gift shop for the former South Bend Silver Hawks, which are known today as the South Bend Cubs. There is a historical placard at the right entrance of the building. Also, the staff was accommodating, and it would get crowded during a game.

I still miss the Orbit Music Store of the 90's; it sold lots of cool items in addition to music and…read moreincense. However, the selection of music is good and I'm happy to see this store surviving on some level. I love the 5 for a dollar section that allows me to get some retail therapy while spending next to nothing. I listen to a variety of music including lots of oldies. I also like rain tracks or classical to help me sleep, so I always find something. I think they probably dislike me since I only shop the "Super Clearance Section" but 'oh well, I'm having fun'. PS ~ 1 do occasionally browse the other sections. I was excited to find the Jason's Lyric soundtrack!!! It was only $8 bucks and l'd literally been looking for it for years; as it's not on Amazon. Spotify Playlist of Super Clearance CDs; https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2DM7Oi3HJd1PqbcmjG9WOf?si=2qIeY8wpQq6JLER_4CKD2w&pi=KOTrUZTiSv2sb

Great selection in vinyl records. I come here when I am in town and prouse the vinyl records…read moreselection. Doug is great to talk with. I always score here. Although some of the more collectible vinyl has escalated in price, I usually already have them. But I have found some good deals here. Check it out if you are in the area.