Handmade glass ornaments and votive candles sold for two for $15 at the Our Lady of Hope holiday flea market.
Photo by Eugénie Bisulco
Does the notion of taking a trip to the mall to do your holiday shopping give you the heebie jeebies? Are there people on your gift list who seemingly have it all?
Shopping for gifts can be a challenge at any time of the year, but around the holidays, it’s downright exhausting. That’s why it can be helpful to start your shopping earlier in the year (and during after-Christmas sales is not too early!) and to expand your horizons when it comes to the potential gifts and where to shop for them. Shopping early allows you to make your selections in a leisurely manner and to not miss an opportunity to buy the “perfect” gift just because it’s, say, April instead of December. While shopping very early (and at most unconventional locations) disables the possibility of the gift recipient returning your gift, as most stores don’t allow returns beyond the 90-day mark, let’s be honest. Most people don’t want to stand in long return lines after the holidays anyway, so unwanted presents are usually donated or re-gifted.
Flea and Farmers’ Markets
Queens offers a number of indoor and outdoor markets that run year-round, with vendors selling everything from vintage jewelry to handmade crafts and designer goods. A recent visit to the indoor holiday flea market at Our Lady of Hope in Middle Village was a veritable smorgasbord of gift-giving opportunities. New, packaged children’s toys (ideal for stocking stuffers) started at $2. An array of beautiful, handmade glass and fabric tree ornaments (the perfect hostess gift) were also for sale at under $10 each, and displays of cellophane-wrapped pastries and zeppole were perfectly prepared for gifting. The real find of the day was located in the secondary room, where a display of designer sunglasses caught this writer’s eye. Presumably purchased or donated from overstock or outlets, the boxes and retail tags were all in order, and a pair of oversized Pucci shades with a $335 retail were had for $50. At Aquaduck, formerly Aqueduct Flea Market, surprisingly well-made cocktail rings are available for $1-$3, as are Chinese silk coin purses and other knickknacks, ideal for party favors. At farmers’ markets, check out the handmade goat milk soaps, jarred honey, and candles in an array of perfumes. These are usually inexpensive, and your purchase helps support our New York farmers and artisans.
Estate and Yard Sales
Sifting through someone else’s junk may not seem like the ideal pastime to you, but as they say, one man’s trash is another’s treasure. At a recent estate sale in Howard Beach, a small box on a high shelf revealed a number of tiny, old blue glass bottles for under $5 each, to be gifted as a collection. In the kitchen, there were a number of commemorative bicentennial carnival glass plates for around $10 each, presented to a collector of carnival glass born in 1976. If you want the best selection at these sales, arrive early, but if you want the best deals, show up at the last minute, and don’t be afraid to bargain.
Dollar Stores
Think you can’t find holiday gifts at the dollar store? Think again! These stores regularly update their merchandise, so it’s always worth a browse if you haven’t been through one in a while. A recent visit yielded a variety of decorative soaps, fun nail polishes, and wool and knit scarves in a number of colors, prints, and styles starting at $1.99. For your gift-wrapping needs, dollar stores can’t be beat, and with the money you save, you can buy extra trinkets or ornaments to attach to the presents you wrap.
Flea markets offer boys’ and girls’ toys starting at $2, the small ones ideal for stocking stuffers.
Photo by Eugénie Bisulco
Thrift Stores
Goodwill and Salvation Army thrift stores may not seem like an appropriate source for holiday gifts, but keep in mind that these stores receive regular donations of brand-new merchandise from department stores like Target.
At the Goodwill Outlet on Van Dam Street in Sunnyside, open seven days a week, everything is sold by the pound, with textiles, i.e. clothing, at $1.69 per pound. Leather goods, vintage coats, and designer clothing (Caché leather pants, for example) are frequently available. The store puts out new merchandise (unsold stock from regular Goodwill stores) at scheduled intervals throughout the day, so the stock is constantly changing. The outlet is a good place to find interesting bar-and dinnerware (including milk glass), vintage handbags, and old, distinctive children’s books, and buyers even get frequent-buyer points toward future discounts.
At the Worthy Pause in Bayside, you can find beautiful antique China, decorative pieces, and jewelry. They’re open every day of the week except Monday, and profits give assistance to “people actively helping animals,” thus, this is a great place to shop for the animal lover on your list. Catnip toys are available for $2 apiece, and Peking glass recently went for $75.
Book Sales
Books make ideal holiday gifts because the chosen subject matter can make them seem incredibly personal. Old books have character and look attractive on a shelf, and coffee table books, particularly in an unusual or dated subject matter, can be great conversation pieces. For gifts to friends in your peer group (or their children), children’s books from the period you originally read them are a thoughtful and nostalgic choice and are usually inexpensive. For a list of book sales in your area, booksalefinder.com is a great source; otherwise, check with your local Queens Library branch. Library sales are a little-known secret that book dealers pounce on because of the rock-bottom prices. Most book sales reserve the last day of the sale as “bag” day, when you can get a bag stuffed with books for one low price.
Make Your Own
There’s always at least one person on your list who doesn’t want you to spend any money, or is a bad “gift-receiver” – you know the type. Time to google “bath salt recipe” and pick up a few mason jars at the dollar store to hold what you make. (If they don’t like the bath salts, they can use the jar.) Another filler is homemade cocoa mixture with mini marshmallows, or quick-pickled vegetables. If these ideas don’t appeal to you, the gift of your time will always be appreciated. Offer to run errands or babysit the kids for a couple of hours. After all, isn’t that what the spirit of the season is all about?
If you are inspired to do some unconventional shopping, we want to know! Send photos of your finds to eugenieforumnews@gmail.com.
By Eugénie Bisulco
