Much of this store is local/regionally-made art. Jewelry, paintings, photos, sculpture, wood…read morespecialties, apparel like hats and gloves, wall art, all made by area artisans are here. The prices are reasonable for the quality of work. This store is run by a non-profit artist organization, The Pillar Group. There's another similar shop at College Mall in Bloomington, where Victoria's Secret once stood past Target. The art is diverse and has a local and Indiana theme to it. While most jewelry is focused towards women, there are a few pieces of men's gear. It has the feel of a gift shop, and indeed there are greeting cards, and wrapping available for purchases. It's a very wide variety of handmade art, and it's all well-presented. I'm embarrassed how much I've purchased here; the values are pretty good for what I look for. Parking is downtown-crappy, but the store is bright and easy to shop.

One of the benefits in shopping in store is that you get to appreciate the quality of the goods…read morebeing sold. Another benefit of getting out to explore your community is finding a business you didn't know was there and you are pleasantly surprised by what you find. Kind of like finding a hidden treasure! My wife was shopping next door inside Tivoli Fashions in the Fountain Square Mall just south of the county courthouse in Bloomington. Since the shopping she was doing had nothing to do with me, I wandered out into the mall and found By Hand Gallery just across the hallway. If you enjoy looking at hand crafted items like wall hangings, ceramics, and small items that can be gifts for either your friends or for yourself. When I walked in, I was immediately greeted and asked if I needed any assistance. Even when I explained that I only stopped in to pass time while my wife shopped next door, he said he understood and to feel free to browse and ask questions. I was feeling welcomed, not watched or like I was wasting his time. That's good business. I really enjoyed looking over the items. I don't do a lot of decorating in our home, but I did see things here that I thought would look nice. I didn't make any purchases at this time, but the items I looked at seemed of good quality and worth considering coming back for. Review #3911

Consistently good smoke shop, but lately it smells like terrible farts. Please change your baby's…read morediaper. That's all.

Great customer service and very knowledgeable about their products. My main place to shops for all…read moremy vape needs. Always friendly and helpful!

Very friendly little shop with all the goods, great service and recommendations. Great price for…read morethe value. Quite a variety of selections as well!

A super cute store with lots of fun items! They have a wide variety of clothes and gift items as…read morewell as kid items. Worth a visit!

Cute but pricey stuff…read more We stopped in when we were walking around this cute area of Bloomington. Very welcoming and inviting. We were greeted immediately by the employee at the counter. We browsed and chatted with her. I touched all the luxe looking items and wished my bank account was fatter. We left without buying anything but having feasted our eyes and certainly *wanting* things! I am sure to stop in again when I am back for my semi-annual trek to the town!

Favorite shop in Bloomington! Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Great loyalty program too. I always…read moretake my friends from out of town here. Oh don't forget to spin the birthday wheel!

it's a real shame that this business is willing to take a customers money and when the product is…read morefaulty and they return it full of product yet are unable to receive an exchange. Terrible customer service!

Such a wonderful place! They offer top notch books, events, food/drinks and fun little gifts…read more Staff are super nice and knowledgeable. Make sure to check out the calendar of events!

The bookstore looks wonderful but I just came for the cafe. There's a good amount of floor space…read morededicated to the cafe with a lot of tables and even a little patio outside. Even with all the space they look pretty busy whenever I pass by, but that's only been on weekends, so it may be quieter during the week. On a weekend afternoon, though, you will not find quiet here. They have all the standard drinks you expect at a coffee shop and lots of fun specials, but the food selection is a little limited. I think they normally serve soup Mon-Sat but they were out when I got there. I got a bagel with schmear, a zebra (chocolate crinkle) cookie, and one of the February specials called "Opposites Attract" which was a raspberry chai latte. Everything I got was pretty good, especially the fresh, chewy zebra cookie. They warmed it up which made it just a little gooey. The raspberry chai was an interesting combination. i wasn't completely sold on the raspberry - I didn't dislike it but probably wouldn't get it again - but I think I liked the chai itself. The baristas and bookstore staff were all welcoming, and the vibe is very inclusive. I've come in and looked around the store a few times, and the staff seems approachable if you need anything but will leave you alone if you're just browsing.

I remember visiting magic shops like Rich's when I was a younger man. Back then they were not…read morecommon, but also not rare. The friendly clerk that greeted us when we entered Rich's proclaimed it one of the few "Brick and mortar magic shops still open in the country" and I believe him. You don't really see them anymore as toy stores and Amazon have taken over the novelty magic department. However, the store is so much more than a place to buy novelty tricks. It's a show all its own. We were in Nashville for a Fall Sunday out in Brown County and stumbled on Rich's by happy accident. My younger son is very interested in stage magic, so we went in to see what they had to offer. The shop is fairly sparse, but in an Apple Store way--meaning that I felt they went for quality over quantity. The best part of any store like this should be the clerk, and Rich's didn't disappoint. A good magic shop clerk needs to be a competent magician with the ability to pull in kids' attention and get them interested in tricks. Our clerk performed four or five different little tricks for the small group of kids that had gathered at the shop counter. Finally, my son saw a trick he couldn't figure out at all. So I bought it and the clerk took the time to not only teach him the base mechanics of the trick but also some tips for how to make his performance of it shine. My son left with not just a new trick to add to his magic kit but much more than that a life experience that I have a feeling will be with him for a very long time.

My wife and I were wandering Nashville when we stumbled upon this small shop. With grandsons who…read moreenjoy magic, we stopped in to see if there was anything that might appeal to them as a Christmas gift. When we entered, the shopkeeper was finishing up with another customer. As the customer turned to leave, the shopkeeper asked him for a dollar. Intrigued, the customer turned and handed over a dollar. Magically, the dollar was crumpled in the fist of the shopkeeper, then floated right in front of us. As the shopkeeper talked, his hands passed around the bill as it continued to float and twitch. We were hooked. Of course, we knew there had to be an element of illusion, but we were completely baffled. We purchased the "trick" and appreciated the suggestions on how to misdirect and sell the illusion. We can't wait to see our grandson spring this on the rest of the family. Reasonable prices and personnable service made this shop a worthy stop. Review #171

I purchased a bison from the owner here and never received it. We contacted multiple times only…read moreasking for what we bought. They eventually stopped responding and refused to send the item or process a refund. I would not recommend purchasing from here or Sadly Harmless. If the review is still up, they never refunded or sent the item.

The perfect activity for a sunny, Saturday morning…read more With 50+ creative shop vendors selling everything from gorgeous, handmade cutting boards, kid's pillows, silver jewelry, Indiana clothing, and more, you'll definitely find something for you. There's even Cardinal Spirits cocktails. Win-win. A DJ was spinning 90's tracks and the market is located very close to the Bloomington Farmer's Market, so you can hit them both in one morning. There's a summer and winter handmade market, so if you missed the last one, stay tuned on their website or social media for the next one!