Fun and colorful shirts, toes and hoodies to gift to someone else and yourself…read more My shirts have held up well in the dryer, washed in well water and eating my way through the Capital Region. It's all made locally in Troy. The shop also has greeting cards with funny sayings and cute pictures. If you have a custom order, they can accommodate that as well. Lastly, they do have events throughout the year where you can make a t-shirt and they usually involve some kind of adult beverage. I haven't done one and that should change.

Long story short: Order local (from here), not from Etsy…read more My friends and I were considering ordering bachelorette party shirts from Etsy but were concerned about sizes fitting all members of our party and overall shirt quality. That was until we got the idea to go to a local print shop. I found Troy Cloth and Paper on Yelp and headed right there. Dave was available to chat about shirt design, shirt style options, and suggested sizing. We settled on Bella Canvas tanks which are much better than the quality Etsy offers. There was a slight communication error that delayed the design process but as soon as that was fixed I had a mock up within 3 business days. Dave was awesome about modifying my mock up to meet my design preferences. I confirmed the mock up was good to go at 7 am and my shirts were done by 7 pm. THEY LOOK AWESOME and Dave gave us a hefty discount for the communication error. Awesome customer service and easy to work with. Definitely recommend these guys for all your events that require shirts.

Lots of cool Albany swag. Even if you live here, you'll want a sweatshirt! Or a shot glass with…read moreNipper on it. Lots of unique things too, from body butter to bar tender essentials to books about Albany. Stop by and browse! It's a small boutique located in downtown on Broadway.

While I do understand that the ownership has changed and inevitably will give the store a different…read morevibe, my main issue has been that in the times I have been into this store since the change in ownership and management, the staff has been unpleasant and on one occasion in particular, made my friend and I feel very uncomfortable as she had a loud and extremely personal phone call during the entire time we were in the store without even acknowledging that we were there at all. I do think the selection has always been great, and I appreciate the emphasis on supporting local work, although that also seems to have changed a bit since the change. It is a pricey location for most things, but I do always enjoy seeing what is in the store, the card selection is consistently excellent, and it is a great place to find a gift!

I first fell in love with Pilothouse Paper over the summer when I went to visit Reed Street Bottle…read moreShop across the street and saw they were a new business in downtown Coxsackie. They have a wide array of charming products that are curated by Susan, the owner, and her incredible eye for design. Yes, they have paper and pens and things like that, but they also have an amazing number and variety of locally made items and gifts. I get so many compliments on my Coxsackie tote that I purchased at Pilothouse. The splatter paint designed serving spoons from Pilothouse are a lovely addition to my kitchen. I love using the fancy colored pens and check box notepad I bought there at work every day. What really stole my heart was when I placed an order online for Christmas gifts. Susan was so helpful, so speedy, and I am beyond impressed. I was basically sending her screencaps of their (adorable) Instagram page and she was able to decipher wheat I want. The items all arrived in pristine condition, each one wrapped with care, and I am over the moon. I really can't thank Susan enough. I can't wait to visit over the summer (if not sooner)! If you are in Coxsackie, make sure to visit Pilothouse and Reed Street Bottle Shop because they are both gems!

Great gift shop for any of your needs. Staff is usually helpful. Great selection of cards! Always…read morethe first place I go when buying unique gifts for friends and family.

Loved this store…read more It felt like a kid in a candy store for someone who loves stationery. There was a great selection of books, diaries, wrapping paper, cards, and much more. I ended up buying a daily creative journal for myself.

Cute shop for stationary and cards! We were in town for a wedding and needed to stop somewhere to…read moreget a card for the happy couple and Social Type fit the bill. It's a little pricey but that's kind of typical for this area. The staff were attentive and friendly. They even offer gift wrapping services.

So much more than printing & invitations! This store is a lovely little gem, tucked back in the…read moreSaratoga Marketplace. They have exquisite little treasures and unique jewelry pieces, most with a Saratoga, racing and equestrian theme. Ann is just sparkling and we enjoy our visits every time we come into town. Style, flair and a little something for everyone.

I made an appointment for wedding invitation consultation for 5/7 online. Upon arrival, the woman…read moreworking didn't know there was an appointment, but helped us anyways. After receiving the mock-up invitations on 5/13, I asked to move forward with pricing via email, but never heard back. I called the store on 5/19, who shared the owners phone number. After speaking with the owner live, she said she would get back to me via email. She even texted me a follow up question asking about quantity so she could get accurate pricing. I have not heard from her since then and was more than ready to spend money on an invitation suite, menus and seating charts. As a customer, I don't believe in following up multiple times, begging for business

Despite my curmudgeonly facade, I really, really prefer to buy local, and to support small…read morecompanies and artists. However, I really feel like the Capital Region doesn't make it really easy for people to practice this. Yes, there are a few farmers' markets, but everything is so ridiculously overpriced, I just can't justify adding even a lowly bag of spinach into my budget. There's also an "independent" used book store around the corner from my place, but they specialize in text books for the local colleges, and are often more expensive than the UAlbany bookstore. Don't even get me started on the independent coffee houses and restaurants. It's like someone thinks that the people around here have really deep pockets. And while there surely are those people who do (politicians, etc., etc.), there are enough colleges within city limits to make the argument that there are enough people who CARE about independent business, but can't AFFORD to support them on a student budget. The Paper Sparrow gets it. Thank GOD. This is a boutique that would fit right in in Portland's trendy Hawthorne strip. Is it out of place for Albany? Hell yeah. Not so much in historic downtown Troy, which seems to have eons more personality, but it was nonetheless an unexpected treat. On a regular basis, the Paper Sparrow boasts a rotating selection of cards, bags, hair accessories, jewelry, soap, hand-spun and dyed yarn, and doodads, all (1) HANDMADE, (2) BY LOCAL ARTISTS, and (3) TOTALLY AFFORDABLE. In fact, most of their absolutely adorable necklaces and earrings could easily be passed on at other stores in the area for a cool $30+, but here, for only $10. Some really awesome and unique hair clips for less than $5. Here, you can purchase one-of-a-kind pieces at fair prices that go right back into the community, supporting local artists. Really, I love it. It's kind of like Etsy on crack. And this is the store's mission, too. I thought that maybe it was a fluke that all this adorable stuff was so reasonable. But then I checked out their website, and it was all in their ultimate plan--making beautiful, locally made things accessible to more people. Did I mention they have a gallery space in back? They do. And they have new showings every month for Troy's Last Friday event. It's pretty fantastic, and I absolutely love what this place is doing. I really hope that it's around for a good, long time, because we honestly need more places like the Paper Sparrow around.

The woman working was so rude. Everything's so overpriced, especially considering the necklace I…read morebought fell apart after a week. Bye $79

Simply the best!! My wedding invitations were perfect, exactly how I envisioned. And Justin and…read moreEmily were so easy to work with and the quality and pricing were better than anything I have seen out there. I can't wait to work with them again on future life events!!

Absolutely fantastic. I wanted to order a bunch of holiday cards and saw there was a wholesale…read morediscount when I checked out their Etsy storefront, and Justin was incredibly quick to respond to my request and work out pricing, and the package went to ship the next day! Unfortunately, someone stole the package off my porch in the hour before I got to it (thanks, San Francisco), and I was heartbroken. I let Justin know about the issue, which clearly wasn't his fault, and he immediately offered to resend the package. I received it today, still incredibly fast despite the mail theft, and can't recommend this company enough. Their cards are very high quality (both paper, design, and letterpress work) and on top of that, they are wonderful to do business with - highly recommended!

I went in to browse and found some lovely books for my grandsons and a birthday card for my sister…read more What a large assortment of stunning items for almost everyone I know. Free membership that doesn't expire. Discounted items (including book shelves of them as well) from holidays and their book selection offers. Helpful, kind present people working there. It's downtown Schenectady so street parking. (Best to go on Sunday)

The Open Door is Schenectady's locally-owned independent bookstore and gift gallery, serving the…read morecapital region for 50 years. We carry a wide selection of literature for adults and children, including those of local and regional interest, as well as an expansive variety of toys, gifts, jewelry, stationery, personal accessories and home goods. Located in the heart of downtown Schenectady on the Jay Street Pedestrian Mall, they are around the corner from Proctors Theatre and many restaurants. There is lots of parking. The knowledgeable staff is wonderful to deal with in person or by telephone. The store even offer a frequent shopper rewards card. I had to pick up a book I ordered. Like many people, I prefer to support small businesses rather than Amazon and large mall bookstores whenever I can. The store was packed with great displays of books and gifts artfully arranged. I am always impressed with the space and attention devoted to books etc. for children. Before I checked out with the book I ordered, I selected a children's board book, three greetings cards, a stained glass frame for a 5 X 7 photo, and an adorable pair of llama socks for my young granddaughter. Great retail therapy!