What the Rock?!

I think any store that has a friendly, attention seeking dog gets 5 stars in my book. When I walked it, I was immediately greeted by their furry friend, who then proceeded to knock my friend over every time he tried to browse the store instead of give snuggles. We would sit and pet the dog for a few minutes, then he would get up and the dog would lunge and take him out behind the knees. It was hilarious. I would have spent all day there.
There are some really cool things in that store, too. And the guys who work there know their way around all of it. They have answers to any question you may have. A cool, eclectic mix of items.

What the Rock?! is a kitschy gift shop at the far north end of the Short North. Love to stop in and check out their newest items, from Heavy Metal activity books (that new adult-​coloring-​book thing? They’ve got Steampunk and Hip-​Hop) to onsies with the Ramones logo. They have tons of kids items, guitar picks, lunch boxes, stickers, sugar skulls — you name it. The staff here are super-​friendly and helpful, and although it’s not a huge shop, I almost always leave with something in my hand (after paying for it, naturally).

I was driving down High Street with my cousin when this store caught my eye.
What the Rock? What is that?
And without hesitation I quickly turned around and pulled up in front of the store.
I’m so glad I did! What a great place– I could have bought a gift for everyone on my list here. It’s a great mix of local items, plus some other retailers. I bought my drummer brother in law a set of mixing spoons that are made of drumsticks. My songstress sister is getting guitar pick earrings. Tons of cool books, tshirts, jewelry, cards, accessories, drinkware and way much more.
I wish there was one in Cleveland, because I would be there all the time.
A lot of reviewers used the word ‘RAD’ in their description. THat’s really the best way to put it. This store (and the dude who owns it) are totally, wicked rad.

The store is small but chock full of cool things. Don’t just look in the window or step in and step back out. There’s more here than meets the eye. It’s eclectic, gifty, tchochty type stuff.
There’s nothing here you must have but it does have an off beat selection of things you might want. Nothing to go there for by itself but as others have said, the area will satisfy that need for some off beat quirky thing you must buy for yourself or someone else.
I picked up a baking soda powered submarine for my nephew for $ 5 for a Christmas stocking stuffer, I shop all year long. I’ll go back again to see what new things they bring in in the coming months.

What the Rock is located right across the street from the Travonna Coffiee house so I killed two birds with one stone. I wanted to visit it based on a review I saw on Unilocal but the long and short of it, it wasn’t so hot. By my definition anyway.

This is one of the hippest stores in the Columbus. This is my go-​to spot for quirky gifts for adults and children alike. The owners are pretty sweet, too. They are so friendly and welcoming!

A cute little place on High Street, it’s a nice stop for gifts that are a little out of the main stream. I have seen some of these items elsewhere, especially in the catalogs and such I follow, but you definitely aren’t going to find Cthulu Christmas ornaments and Vincent Price comics in any old store. Prices are comparable to those other places I mentioned, I think, but service makes a difference, and the man working the day I went was quite helpful, pointing out that the small stack of comics had all been created with some involvement by a local Columbus writer/​artist/​etc., which I thought was a nice touch. Friendly too, despite the holiday crush. Anyway, not a bad place to try for gifts and definitely one I’ll keep in mind for my friends in the future.

Very cute little biz packed-​in with clever arty and rocking gifts.
A good mix of hip stuff from national companies (Fred, Accoutrements, Sourpuss) mixed with locally sourced hip stuff, all at affordable price point.
LOTS of stuff for a baby with cool parents here (AC/​DC onesies, tiny rock t-​shirts etc) as well as some very fab housewares (Wonder Woman drinking glasses, tiki ice cube trays) cool jewelry, hip original Ohio-​pride t-​shirts, patches, great earrings. As a bonus, I must insist you get your «rock and roll fortune» out of the gumball machine when you enter. Yay!

I was immediately reminded of Spencer’s Gifts when I walked in the door of What the Rock?! With the exception of size. WTR?! is a small store that offers a few gag gifts, a smattering of «white elephant» funny trinkets and some rock ‘n roll t-​shirts and albums.
This store took about 45 seconds to browse, even during the height of Christmas gift season, and then I turned around and headed for other Short North venues.
Perhaps you’re in a pinch for an off-​beat gadget. WTR?! could fit the bill but don’t be disappointed in the fact I think you’ll be disappointed.

What the Rock?! is like a more hardcore version of Bink Davies, a little farther Nouth in ShoNo. There’s the obligatory moustache section, fun tees, gag gifts, band-​centric items for your home.
It’d be a great place to look for a unique little gifty for a birthday, but honestly no one needs anything that’s in this store (except for maybe a guitar pick or extra set of strings).
This entire block is great for gifts. If you can’t find something for a particular person in one of the half-​dozen shops in this particular stretch, then you should get new friends.

What friendly people, and what a cute assortment of things to buy! I purchased a weaving kit on clearance for around $ 8 and will use it to procrastinate – I mean, fashion together a couple decorative coasters. :-D As others have said, this is an ideal place from which to get rock ‘n’ roll-​themed gifts for family and friends, young and old. My weaving kit may not exactly adhere to the whole music theme of the establishment, but hey.
3.5 stars, rounding up.

I came here last night looking for jewelry by sweet stella and so glad I found this place!
The owner is great, very cool, and super friendly.
He’s got a funky assortment of little gifts and fun stuff.
Has a good time poking arund and will be back for the trunk show feb 11−12^th to hopefully pick out something great for myself.
I love independant, local businesses like this and am glad to support them anyday!

Hands down, one of my favorite stores in Columbus.
This is the place to go for gifting when you want something fun. I can’t walk out of there without something cute and kitschy, and 9 times out of 10 even if I shopping for someone else I end up with something for myself as well.

I avoided going into this place for a long time because all I could see from the window were ugly baby onesies with band names on them.
**note to owners: maybe move around stock and feature all the other CUTE THINGS you have in the store so people from the street can get a better idea on what you have inside!**
My boyfriend got me some really awesome Peruvian Day of The Dead coasters that I turned into wall art. We went in recently to look at the baby stuff for his niece who’s a 1 year old. So many cute things! We got her a pacifier that has a knit beard. Everyone on Christmas day thought it was hilarious and she kept it in her mouth all freakin’ day.
Go in here! There’s some nice stuff!

More fun per square foot than most stores. It’s small, but cool.
Got several gifts here. Not sure what I wanted when I went in, and found things I hadn’t thought of at all. There’s a lot of stuff here for all ages– clothes, books, mugs, little trinkets… Now that I’ve finally stopped in, I bet I’ll be back a lot.

I love the trivia board they set out front of their door! If you get the rock trivia question correct (there is a different one every day), you get a free sticker or other rock knick knack. I hope no one goes out of their way to go down and try to answer it, but it’s very fun to take a stab when you walk by.
It’s been a while since I’ve shopped here, but I recall seeing a bunch of onesies for your lil rockn’roll babies. I admit to not being crazy impressed with the selection, but I know they’ve expanded a bit since then. It is a swank little spot. Columbus needs more quirky joints like this to make it stand apart.

Oh have you not been to What The Rock?!
here are some reasons to go:
–you have a boyfriend/​girlfriend and you don’t know what to get them for (enter occasion here)
–christmas
–valentines day
–because you want something super rad… but you dont know what
–you want a skinny tie
–you want handmade jewelry you really cant find anywhere else.
–you need to waste some time in the Short North
–you had a fight with (enter significant other) and need to make it up to them
okay those are the reasons I go to What The Rock?!
I have NEVER left this store without buying something. It is small, It is AWESOME and every time I go, someone helps me find a gift. I have literally gone to a mall and not found a THING to get for that random someone, and walked in to What The Rock?! and had no problems.
This is a shop you NEED to go to the next time you’re in the Short North. Even if you don’t want to buy anything, it is such a cool little store to browse in. I highly recommend you check it out!

So, story of my life, I heard through the grapevine that my friend for whose baby shower I bought the Kiss onesie — was actually tortured by creepy old men singing «Elizabeth» to her at one point in her life. So, needless to say, I had to exchange the Kiss for a Black Sabbath onesie.
I arrived at WtR after they were closed (d’oh!), but the same guy I bought it from earlier was still there, and he let me in, saying he’d gotten my tweet (yes, I tweeted him about his awesome customer service and also that I needed to exchange the item) and had already put it aside for me! Impresssssive. Since the Sabbath was cheaper than the Kiss (haha?!), I ended up also getting a shower card to make the exchange even. The woman who works there brought out a whole bunch of non-​displayed cards for me to choose from — also impressive.
So, the moral of the story is — fun store with Above and Beyond customer service. Oh and I saw them at Hell City today, so if you’re going to the tattoo convention, stop in and say hi to the folks at What the Rock. :)

What the Rock?! is pretty much awesome. They have everything rock from old albums to coasters and baby onesies imprinted with rock band logos.
I’m really happy that they moved into a new location with a big, bright window. They usually do really great displays, so now they have more to work with. I’m also pleasantly surprised that they moved farther north. I’m digging the development that’s going on in the north end of the Short North with Rivet, Milk Bar, the Jackson, York on High, Smith & High, and talk of Kroger and the Garden Theatre both getting a facelift. Big things are happening.
But back to What the Rock?!.
Here’s something else I like about them: their underground marketing techniques. It seems like every time I hear about them it’s through some guerilla marketing (but nothing base) or word of mouth. The owners have really invested time into their business.
Speaking of the owners, they’re the only ones you’ll ever see behind the counter. If you’re a regular, they get to know you real fast. They’re funny and friendly and generally just big rock ‘n’ roll dorks. They can talk to you forever about trivial band knowledge, and they actually attempt to lure you into the store by posting trivia questions on a chalk board out front — another guerilla tactic. They’re also really into the whole green movement, so they offer a lot of green products like recycled rubber doormats.
PS, parking in the north end is much, much easier. There’s a free public lot nearby. Check it out.

What the Rock?! is exactly the kind of store you open up if you’re smart, cool as hell, and don’t want to waste your life away in an office.
There are two aspects of What the Rock that I find really appealing. For one, the products are a reflection of the style and taste of the owners. A lot of the stuff in there is funny as hell. You know, baby Run DMC shirts and George Bush coloring books. Mix that with killer locally made jewelry, screen printed pillow cases, buttons, magnets, plush ghetto blasters, a choice selection of sweet vinyl, and an endless supply of things you won’t know you need til you see them, and you’ve got a badass store you’ll browse for longer than you planned.
I liked the fact, too, that I felt less pressured to buy something than I would at a garage sale. And really, the prices are comparable. You can walk out with a handful of cool buttons and magnets for under 5 bucks, or you can go hog wild and lay down a 20 for an inappropriate gift for your mom.