Monroe Salt Works

Monroe Salt Works was my go-​to place for finding Christmas presents for the hard-​to-​buy-​for types on my gift list. They always had the greatest, oddest knick-​knacks, old-​fashioned style toys, cute Christmas ornaments, and jewelery.
They usually had smart-​ass-​y novelty things, like notepads with insults on them, random rubber ducks, blown-​glass Christmas ornaments shaped like lobsters, erasers shaped like brains, PMS doorhangers, and snarky coffee mugs and shotglasses.
It was much to my chagrin that I went past Monroe Salt Works a few times this summer, only to discover THEY HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS!
Now what on Earth am I going to get people for Christmas?

This place is pretty cool. Half of the store is full of really expensive hand-​crafted pottery, but it’s the other half that kept my attention for a good long while — lots of random stuff. An entire wall devoted to retro tin toys, tons of mad scientist goodness (magic gardens, grow-​your-​own-​snow, etc) and bizarre bug-​captured-​in-​acrylic jewelry are just a few things I specifically remember.
Prices are what you’d expect: higher than you might find online or elsewhere. Since you won’t find most of the things carried here anywhere else, it’s worth a few bucks more.

The next time I come in here, I need to be escorted on one of those little kid leashes. Every time I go in to touch something, my escort needs to yank me back and yell, BAD! My wallet suffered seriously this past holiday season due to my severe lack of restraint. For a small store, this place packs a lot of serious punch. I went stocking stuffer crazy getting silly items like the «my top secret passwords» notepad and a «Bush In A Box» kit (GW Bush… not the other kind of bush — get your mind out of the gutter!). They also feature some beautiful handcrafted jewelery and handbags made out of gum wrappers (I couldn’t stop thinking about how long that must’ve taken).
The other half of the store is devoted to beautiful hand-​made stoneware from Monroe, Maine. It’s, according to the cashier, what the store is truly known for. Apparently, each Monroe Saltworks store is unique and feature different products, some quirky, some quaint, etc.
Off to find that leash…

This is a nice little gift store full of snarky and playful knickknacks in the midst of the label-​conscious culture of Copley Mall. Come here for «Gin & Ti-​tonics» ice cube trays shaped like (you guessed it) icebergs and doomed cruise liners, smartass but adorable notecards, pretty wrapping paper and gift bags, and party cups with noses printed on the sides.
Yihwa was spot-​on, though, in assessing that this is «another of those stores filled with things you may want for the novelty but that you really, honestly don’t need!» See also: Toy Joy, Joy De Vivre, and Bed Bath & Beyond. I’d wager that Target could also fall into this category, even though the majority of their goods is useful. Actually, I’d like to call this category «Stores That Entice Me To Spend Money On Crap, Regardless Of Usefulness».
I’d come back if I were at the mall and needed to pick up a kitschy, silly little gift for someone and didn’t have a) the time or b) the motivation to make something myself.

This store epitomizes wanting everything that one does not need. Do you fall into this category? Yeah? Me too. So, you should come here. Often.
Spend an excessive amount of money for pottery, soaps, cards, puppets, toys, smart people games, figurines and rocks. Anything that is kitschy or knick knack-​ish will be here. Most everything is unique.
Just like Burger King and the Whopper, Monroe Salt Work is home of two bad ass gifts I recently purchased. Yes… this is where three of my four stars come.
Gift 1: cool handmade beaded drink coasters with matching wine glass charms. Oh so sheik…
Gift 2: Hand made appetizer serving trays and sauce bowls. They were made of pottery and even came with cool wooden serving accessories. Score… see coolness meter going up!
Now, maybe if I bought the string puppet or frog paper clips I would have felt a tiny bit guilty but since I left with two cool gifts that came from a «Cool» store… I felt somewhat justified in my purchase.
Full disclosure: I did NOT feel good about the amount of money I spent or the amount of time I spent playing with the toys, but I figure 20 bucks extra to make someone smile + 20 minutes of me playing around like an asinine little brat = happiness for all parties.
Fourth star is for the magnetic pieces that you can mold into shapes. I apologize that mine was a wee bit x-​rated.

So half of my finger puppets are from here (the other half from Joie de Vivre). Just FYI. haha. I feel like the store’s location is prime for business people staying at the Westin that need to pick up cute toys for their kids. No matter how focused I am in getting into the mall or just passing through to get some place. the bouncy hoppy chickens, ducks, and doodads in the window always make me stop and smile. Who wouldn’t? Well. maybe the relatives of Dick Cheney’s huntin’ friend.
My favorite part of the store is the card section. They have a bigger Borealis Press QuoteUnQuote selection then most other small knickknack stores. If you’re not familiar, they’re the awesome black and white photo cards that have quotes on the bottom. My fave being a picture of an old man walking down a side street. The photo was taken from the back so you can’t see his face. If you look on the wall at his shadow. you can see him playing a saxophone. «Some things have to be believed to be seen.» — Ralph Hodgson. Awesome.
So if you need a bath duck. flatware. or some Dirty Girl brand stuffs. or Sigmund Freud dolls. or cute toys. Go and visit. Even if you don’t need any of that stuff. haha. Not gonna lie, I applied for a job here. They probably turned me down because I had 3 other jobs at the time. and because I probably looked like I’d spend more time admiring things than actually stocking.

If you are ever looking for that unique gift, for any occation, This is the place. Everything is so eclectic. Great stocking stuffers, and old school toys, Magnets, jewelry, Ceramics, and lots more crazy stuff.
I just brought my friend here, and she said she was definately coming back before christmas.
Right across from O Sushi in the Westin…