As promised, here is Spark Plaza’s 2015 Geek Gift Guide! Spice up your shopping list this season with the top 10 unique, innovative, and geeky gift ideas from downtown Johnson City retailers. Thanks to everyone who came to the First Friday presentation, and to each of these awesome local retailers!
•Freelancer Bag: $99; The freelancer held up in back of the coffee shop, the travel writer jumping boat-to-boat in Malaysia, the student with a class across town and two wheels to get there—these fast and organized individuals love the Graph 12. Big enough to haul a tablet, notebook, and a clean, folded shirt, small enough to sprint with you for the closing doors of a subway train, this bag is a one-strap, shoulder-mounted tactical asset.
•Journey—HybridLight: $35; A flashlight engineered to keep up with every lifestyle, whether it is snorkeling in Cabo or walking the dog. Solar charges in sunlight, or can be manually charged by mobile devices. Lightweight and compact.
The Fouled Anchor: Field Notes: $9; County Fair regional edition. Printed on 100-lb. linen cover stock. Includes three notebooks with 48 pages of graph paper with light blue and grey lines inside. The back covers feature a bevy of meticulously-researched state facts and figures
The Edisonian Brew Supply Shop: Stainless Steel Growler: $27; This growler holds 64oz of liquid, making it standard growler size and fillable at anywhere that does growler fills. The Stainless Steel construction allows no light to come into contact with your beer, keeping it fresher for longer, and giving it an edge over the standard glass growler. Also, it is virtually indestructible, making it perfect to bring your favorite brew on whatever adventure you desire. Additionally, the air tight gasket seal insures the beer makes it from the growler station to your glass with the appropriate carbonation.
The Downtown Paw Company: Leashes, collars and crate beds from Cycle Dog that are repurposed out of either plastic water bottles or bicycle inner tubes taken from landfills. $20-$50 range.
Reclaimed Inspired Goods: Tennessee Jigsaw Puzzle by True South Puzzle Company: $23. True South Puzzles were created to combine a love of jigsaw puzzles, the south, and local artists. The goal is to showcase the work of local and regional artisans while delivering treasured images of the cities and places we love. Each puzzle is 500 pieces and 18”x 24”, which fits in a standard frame.
Fizz Soda Bar: Flying Cauldron’s non-alcoholic Butterscotch Beer: $8 (four-pack); Some wizards claim that this brew places a ward of protection on those who drink it. This delicious beverage is the first wizarding drink to have widespread cross over consumption in the non-wizarding world. A magical refreshment for wizards and unrealized wizards alike.
Campbell’s Morrell Music: You no longer need to be a DJ, with thousands of dollars in equipment to make electronic music. Campbell’s Morrell sells plenty of traditional acoustic instruments, and now customers also have electronic music options. A new line of at-home synthesizers and programmers make it possible to make your own electronic music and custom beats. This is the new wave of work or exercise music, tailored for you, by you. $80-$300 range.
Holidays: Johnson City ornament: $50; The design is inspired by the the Freiburg’s/Spark Plaza building and the Lady of the Fountain. This brand new custom ornament just arrived to the store on Friday, December 4th. It is made of custom-blown glass and is hand-painted (in Poland, not locally).
Trek Bicycle Store Johnson City: Smartphone Bike Mount: $35, One of Trek’s best-selling items is a smart phone handlebar mounted holder for a bicycle, with expandable upper and lower clamps to fit larger phones.