Bottom Line: Unique and quality toys and friendly service…read more OBX Toys and Engraving, formerly Monkey Business/Make it Personal, opened around June 2020 on the bypass/Hwy 158 at MP 13.5 in the same shopping center with Sound Feet Shoes and Radio Shack (maybe in Yellowhouse Gallery's old spot?). I enjoyed wandering around this toy store. I was looking for a family friendly game but I wasn't able to make a decision so I moved on to checking out the plethora of Melissa and Doug toys and the Create-a-Critter machine. I've always been a Melissa and Doug fan because I feel like they make quality, timeless toys. I like their wooden puzzles in particular but they offer offer lots of great toys. Anyone who likes Melissa and Doug will probably appreciate the diverse selection at OBX Toys. Create-a-Critter was new to me. Lucky for me there was a little boy making a bear so I got to witness a little bit of the creation process. Basically, Create-a-Critter is like Build-a-Bear. You pick the critter you want to make yours and then the staff help you use this big gumball-machine-looking-thing that fills the critter to make it a plush toy. Critters start at about $20 and then you can pick out outfits and such. In addition to selling toys, including hosting Create-a-Critter birthday parties, OBX Toys also has an engraving business. I saw some of their samples but didn't get a very close look. Also, I saw an advertisement that says they do gender reveal boxes which seems like a neat idea. I didn't interact with the staff while I was at the store but I saw them helping other customers and could see how kind, patient and helpful they are. I definitely plan to return the next time I am in the area.

From the owner: We are a promotional product distributor and proud member of the Advertising Specialty Institute…read more Promotional products, also known as ad specialties, make up a nearly $22 billion dollar industry and are used by virtually every business in America. Why? Items like mugs, pens and t-shirts are memorable and provide a better cost per impression for advertisers than almost every major marketing effort like TV, magazines and the Internet. We are able to supply your company with every possible promotional product from over 3000 suppliers. With so many ad specialties available there is a huge opportunity for professionals like you to boost ROI and leave a lasting impression with your customers. Our mission is to help you create long-lasting relationships with your clients through the power of promotional products.

Cute toy store. My daughter likes to stop here every time we are in town. This time she got…read moreShopkins. She was happy with it.

Bottom Line: Interesting and quality toy shop in the Scarborough Lane Shoppes…read more I really enjoy looking in independent toy shops because they always have interesting and quality toys that are not run of the mill. In the case of Toyriffic, I was immediately drawn in thanks to the G scale train weaving in and out of the store. Inside the store I particularly liked looking at the stuffed animals, Ravensburger puzzles and interesting games.

This store has strong, local roots and a quality experience for cards game tournaments (Magic and…read morePokemon presumedly), video games, comics, and a few tabletop board games in the back. A friend of mine was raving about this place and I had to take him to this place because they are not able to drive themselves to it. His wife's sister needed help with trying to fix an Atari system. We tried to buy an extension part from them and they didn't have it in stock. Too many logistics to try to get it later as I would not be around. It certainly didn't hurt that the worker at the time recognized my one friend's sister from a decade or so ago. The problem was probably that the specific TV model would not properly take any additional connections even though it had certain ports. There was so much back and forth and trying to order this and that that it was quite tiring for me. Galactic made that process a bit easier. They tested the woman's Atari. Ok my last day, my one friend had me make a request to return a device with no receipt. They refunded me even though I misunderstood from my friend what the device was and why they ended up with it to begin with. As a tourist to the area, I did not know about the separate space for the game room (there is another store between their store and their game room). But it makes sense because they have a tournament or some event occurring daily. There is also a back entrance/exit from the plaza for cars that is not obvious. As a separate online observation, Whether the comic book prices are above ebay prices not, if you don't want it, don't buy it and don't complain about that. These kind of games and comics stores and ones with super nice people are harder to come by. The convenience is worth it if things are priced more. You can see an item beforehand in a store but not online and maybe the online item's quality is not as good. I don't feel that this invisible cost and the potential additional costs to maintain the store were properly factored in by that others potentially and those things are important too.

This place is a scam for online orders. They don't ship their product and then ghost you. Do not…read moreplace any orders with this fraudulent business. I currently have a case open with the North Carolina attorney general office against them.

This is our go-to toy store in the Outer Banks! I was hesitant to stop in during the height of the…read morepandemic but I was so happy to see that they cared about their employees and customers with their mask policy!! Its a big part of the reason we keep going back during each visit. I was disappointed too see that selfish people left negative reviews because of it. The employees are really courteous and helpful. There is such a great selection of toys for all ages and so many quality books to pick from too. My kids love the 'gems' and fill the tube animals. Some of our favorite toys came from here.

Fun little toy store located on the Boardwalk. This store wraps around the ice cream stand that…read morealways seems to have a line outside. Inside the store is filled to the brim with tons of toys. Most prominent are items that you could use on the beach and stuffed animals of the marine variety. Other toys can be found within as well, you know, those toys that are basic at any other store you can stop at. Only downside here is the price markup for said toys. While some of these toys may be harder to come across while at a department store, there is no need for the price hike just because this is a toy store. Customer service seems to have improved from prior reviews. Smiles all around while we were in here.

I remember the early days, when Gray's was on the beach road in that old cinderblock building. Mom…read morewould shop while my brother and I played with the tom-toms and other toys conveniently located under the many racks of clothes. It was good times! Last June, on our anniversary, my hubby and I slipped down to the beach and stopped in, it's been over 50 years now. We bought six items of clothing, and I'm super pleased with all of them. The sweats for me (lovely willow color with a zippered crop top) look great on me, they're soft and wash well. I've worn the black cropped knit sweater many times, it really dresses me up. The hubster got three sweat shirts, and they all fit REALLY well. Not too snug, not too baggy. They look good, feel good, and wash well. We've planned a little day trip to the coast to add more of these quality clothes to our wardrobe.

Let me start by saying I like the merchandise selection in this store. I've been coming back for…read moreyears. However, this last time my husband and I went a sales associate followed me around the store like she thought I was going to shoplift something. Her hovering was so uncomfortable I decided to not buy anything and left. It will be a long time before I go back!

This was mostly a toy store with a small section where ice cream was ordered. It also seemed like…read moreice cream could be ordered on the outside at certain times too. They had a number of homemade flavors to choose from. The staff was friendly and patient as we decided what to order. I had a small cup ($6) of their amaretto cherry tide. There were chocolate shavings with enough of a cherry taste as well. The ice cream as a whole was very fulfilling and creamy. There was a subtle amaretto flavoring, but a big cherry in my scoop had plenty of the amaretto flavoring. It was an interesting flavor that was satisfying. I also tried the brownie wave. I usually do not like brownie pieces in ice cream, but I did enjoy this one. Without the brownie pieces, it was just a light chocolate flavor. Will I go back? Yes.

Best ice cream in the OBX... possibly my favorite ice cream place in the US. My favorites are the…read morelemon bar and banana pudding. These two options have a good balance of mixed in ingredients - similar to Coldstone. They have a good menu of other flavors.

Super cute coffee/bookshop combo. If you're looking for a unique souvenir to bring home, this spot…read morehas something that'll appeal to literally anyone. The coffee here is strong and fairly priced - they have the standard espresso, cappuccino, drip coffee options along with fun summer concoctions for iced coffee lovers. There's a small seating area in the front of the shop where you can enjoy your coffee and read the latest book. Service here is friendly, you may experience a bit of a wait for your coffee depending on how busy it is, but in my opinion it's worth the wait. They have a good mix of classic book titles along with new releases, so if you need something to read while you're sitting on the beach you'll find it here.

A booklover's dream! Duck's Cottage is the cutest and coziest bookstore, offering a wonderful…read moreselection of books, along with hot coffee and delicious pastries. An essential stop on your journey to Duck!

Super cool place with a colorful ambiance (ADHD galore) and so many board games in kites that you…read moreprobably can't find on Amazon! It was super cool to see the employee giving a whole lesson on how to fly a kite. I didn't know it was that complex! If I ever pick up this hobby, I will definitely come here to learn how to become a professional kite flyer!

10/10 best customer service and totally fair prices!! The…read moreowner, Cath was so friendly and helpful. She pointed out the different levels of kites she had available. Pointed us toward different ones my kids might like and showed us the various price points. There is a huge selection of kites, but also lots of things to keep you or your children entertained. There were gifts, puzzles, card games, other games and toys, as well as dog bandannas and even hand sewn kites made by her folks. I truly felt all the prices were way more fair than some of the more well known shops around the area. We got a 51" butterfly kite that flew easily for less than forty bucks!! It is beautiful and well made, and if you are a true enthusiast you have the opportunity to have fancy one of a kind trick kites. She also gave me some sewing tips that I intend to put to use! Honestly it was honestly the best bargain we found the whole time we were there. Highly recommend

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!

Bottom Line: A large, well organized discount store with a friendly staff…read more Wow! What a great store! Not all Tuesday Mornings are this large and well organized so visit this location in the Outer Banks Mall was a real treat. Also, the staff was very friendly. If you're not familiar with Tuesday Morning, it is a discount store kind of like a smaller version of Home Goods. Here are the types of things you can expect to find here: - bedding and towels - kids toys and puzzles - home decor like throw pillows and rugs - seasonal decorations - bath items like soaps and magnifying mirrors - kitchen tools gadgets like corn holders and cookie jars - dog beds and toys - lamps The variety is good and the prices are great. So far, I've been happy with all of my purchases here like Nicole Miller towels, Hometown Collection puzzles and a cute makeup bag.