Plaza Indian Trading Post

Excellent variety and all handmade jewelry. The owner gives you a brief history of the jewelry, who made it, their style, and shows you a picture of the artist. Fantastic customer service and very fair prices. Best place to go in Old Town!

There is so much JUNK New Mexican jewelry in the southwest. It’s at the airports, drugstores, diners, supermarkets, street corners, even at the gas stations. You ask for southwestern jewelry, and out come the trays of turquoise and silver. Most I have seen belong in the toy section of Walmart or in a Cracker Jack box. The SW jewelry on the east coast is so culturally watered down and most likey made in China.
So during my last night in Albuquerque, I had a couple of free hours to do more xmas shopping and what better gift than something from New Mexico… but NOT JUNK. As I was driving around earlier, several large signs and stores caught my eye… NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN JEWELRY. As I was leaving my hotel, I saw one of the hotel managers and ask her which one of these places I would find some good southwestern jewelry.
Well she stopped what she was doing and only looked at me for 2 seconds before saying anything. But in those 2 seconds I could FEEL she was thinking, «Are you friggin nuts? Are your really that naïve to believe those signs? My 2 year old neice wouldn’t fall for those ads. You want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge while you are at it? And how in the heck did you get here anyways because I didn’t see any turnip trucks stop by here.» All that conveyed with a 2 second stare. She sized me up from the top of my head to my shoes. Her eyes in a fraction of a second going from looking me in the eye then top to bottom and finally back to my eyes. Her steely eyes penetrating my psyche. The corner of her mouth, wavering with resistance, almost going through contortions just to hint at a verbal lashing. All in 2 seconds. How in the hell do women do that??? At the 1.8 second mark, her mouth began to move and then she said…
«You don’t want to shop there. You should shop at Old Town because they have better quality jewelry.»
«What about that place that said „Worlds Largest Collection of Indian Jewelry?, Have you ever been there“ I sheepishly inquired.
She looked at me for another 2 seconds. Repeat everything above and then add…“You really are that naïve. You really should seek professional help when you get home. Amazing you even got through the airports. But I am going to help you not because you are a guest but because I feel sorry… no…I mean pity for you and you need all the help you can get.» At the 1.8 second mark, her mouth started to move and then said…
«No I havent been to those places (She was thinking „I would never set foot in those frigging places.“) But you should really go to Old Town. They sell real jewelry there. I shop in that area myself.»
«Any place you recommend there?» I meekly prodded as I emptied the turnips from my pockets…
«Hmmmm…I dont remember the name of the shops exactly, I just go there… but there is this Indian Plaza place… right on the right side of town.
«Thank you.» As I left I had to size HER up to see if I would take her suggestion. She had that «Don’t s%^t with me because I had to deal with f#$@ers worse than you all my life» look. With her demeanor you know she could run a men’s prison singlehandedly. Middle to late age, professionally dressed for a Hawthorn Inn… but not overdressed. Had that late afternoon, slightly frumpled hair look that said…“I have a 9 to 5 job but I work 12 hours a day. She had that look that told me she didnt shop on Rodeo Drive… but didn’t buy her clothes at WalMart either. She would be right at home at Filenes basement, but would buy wisely not impulsively on here Hawthorn Inn salary. So I took a chance.
And WOW. Was she RIGHT. The store looked like none of the display cases have been moved for 40 years. All the jewelry I liked were hand made by artists that the storekeeper knew on a first name basis. Prices seemed pretty resonable so I bought on the spot. As wandered around the rest of Old Town later, I discovered that store’s prices were almost half of the the other places I window shopped.
There might have been cheaper places in that area if I had more time to shop, but… the turnip truck was just pulling around the corner to take me home…