This blog will cover the best time and locations to shop for gifts. Hope it will make gift shopping a fun experience for gift givers!

Finding Joy is established to serve acupuncturists, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and supporters. We will definitely have a few suggestions for our beloved TCM families.  

 

Before you go shopping, you need to do two things first. 

1. Make a list

No matter if you have 10 people or one person to shop for, make a list of names and when they would need to receive the gifts. 

Doing this will help you have an overview of the “scope” of your shopping and also set a budget  beforehand. 

One general rule of thumb of the gift budget is 1%-2% of your annual income. If your annual income is $50,000, you will have $500 to shop for gifts. 

Also, when doing the budget, don’t forget about shipping cost. Will you be the person who sends out the gift or a website might provide free shipping? 

 2. Consider delivery time 

When you have a list in handy, you start to look for Christmas gifts in March. You will have plenty of time to go to all brick and mortar stores to browse, feel, and pick. 

If the person’s birthday is 3 days away and they live thousands of miles away, you might need to consider a gift which can be delivered digitally. (ebook?) 

Now is where you can go shopping. We will divide into online shopping and physical locations.

 

Online

Since everyone knows where the big box stores are, we will save space for unique and designers’ marketplaces. 

• Etsy

Etsy is the marketplace for unique gifts. A lot of shops are run by designers. Because each shop is owned by different designers, Etsy provides a lot of varieties. 

If you just search for Acupuncture, you might find something you like. 

 

• Uncommon Goods

Uncommon Goods is similar to Etsy in a way to feature unique and designer’s gifts. In my personal opinion, I like Uncommon Good’s interface as it is cleaner to navigate through. 

 

• Kikkerland

If you are looking for a fun and economical choice, Kikkerland would surprise you with tons of creative yet practical choices. 

 

• Moma Design Store

If you want to find modern and contemporary gifts with a touch of art, Moma Design Store is where you should shop. 

If contemporary art is not your friends’ favorite, try the shop for Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met has a large fine art collection which could give you a lot of inspiration.     

 

• National Palace Museum Shop

I will highly recommend the National Palace Museum Shop. If your acupuncturist friends really like Chinese culture, you will find plenty of choices of fine Chinese art. If you prefer a modern take, this shop will not disappoint you. 

 

 

Real world locations

• Shop your local small business

Is there a small gift shop in your town? Maybe this is your chance to give them a visit. A small shop might surprise you with their local gift choices. 

Also, why not support your local business and surprise your friend with your local designs?

• Shop at your farmer’s market

Is there a farmer’s market near where you stay? A local farmer’s market might have some local treats or artists which solve your gift needs! 

• Shop at a flea market

Flea market? What? Why? 

Why not? 

You might be surprised by the variety of goods they have at a flea market. You might find some inspiration to layer it up with some other gifts. 

• Shop at a thrifty store

A thrifty store is similar to a flea market. Most of the time it is not the first place when people think about buying a gift. 

If you are sending your friend a nice flower arrangement, why not stop by a thrifty store to find a vase. 

If you are repurposing a piece of art and make it your own, a thrifty store could be a great starting point. 

Other than big box retails, there are plenty of places you can be inspired. No matter if you are shopping from your laptop or heading into your local market, I hope you have a great time finding the gift for your acupuncturists and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner friends.