Coffee A.
Yelp
I like going here because the strip mall itself is kind of a cultural emporium. You've got your Catholic Gift Shop, your comics (Dragon Lair), your Japanese grocer, imports, and pirated DVDs, your wig store, and, of course, Turquoise Trading Post. Turquoise Trading Post has a black cat that sleeps curled up in a woven basket on the counter. I believe said feline also has a business card available upon request. Last time I was there, the staff thanked me for "visiting our beautiful city"; funny because I live here, but was profiled somehow as a foreigner. Could it be I wasn't wearing moccasins?
The Turquoise Trading Post is my current favorite go-to for gifts that fall into the category "wood arts". I mean that in every sense: T-shirts depicting animals which reside in the woods; countless carvings and crafts made out of cherry, oak, pine, etc; jewelry and adornments made from wood. Obviously, there is a plethora of turquoise, mostly in wearable form. Lots of petrified wood and Native American relics for sale and on display. I noticed a few "We don't call 9-1-1" gun-pride magnets, and there's plenty else here to associate the place with rural culture in general, with cowboy culture specifically, all with an overall affinity for Native American religion and art. It's such an interesting place; in addition to all that, you have the added dimension of New Age chakra adherents and energy healers, coupled with the spendy energy of young hipsters eager to co-opt the aesthetics of any culture not their own. Plus, don't forget there is a cat with a business card. It is truly the dive bar of precious rocks boutiques, with much more diverse a consumer crowd than say, Nature's Treasures (giggle).
All that aside, at least for their wooden goods, I would say their pricing couldn't be more fair. I purchased a beautiful, stained, hand-painted small wooden box and a petrified wood, laser-cut Christmas tree ornament for $25 dollars, which is nothing compared to prices I've seen at similar special interest/ Country Western stores. I've seen those little boxes start at $30 in places in rural North Dakota. And it's true that North Dakotans love their wooden boxes, but so do Texans, I'd wager, and $25 for two carefully-created items is a straight-up steal. As I'm not a collector/ aficionado/ Native American/ pranic healer/ cowboy/ sorority sister, I can't really speak to much of the Turquoise selection, for which this institution is probably most revered, but I can say it was very large. At least half the inventory in this store appears to be Turquoise jewelry/ belt buckles/ decorative adornments.
The staff is very nice! I've been told punny jokes on more than one occasion. And they gift wrapped my purchases for free!