Pot-Pourri

I have been frequenting this gem of a store for 2+ decades. I have never been disappointed.
There are gifts of every size and shape and price point. Pottery, stained glass windows and lamps, candles, metal work, pottery for every need, jewelry; unique, hand crafted finds that you wont see at other places.
Allow yourself some time to walk through trying to catch everything that is there. It is a most satisfying experience to view the considerable talent that is out there; found and appreciated by Andy and Julia who are the helpful and pleasant owners.
Be careful though! It’s pretty impossible to walk out of there empty handed… Consider yourself warned!

Best place in the Bay Area for unique gifts. They have everything! Added plus-​prices are very reasonable.

Every item in this store is a delight, with each more beautiful than the next. A great place to buy gifts for others or yourself!

I love this place! A great mom and pop shop in the truest sense of the meaning. Even their sons work there (or at least one of them does). Affordable pottery, including pots for plants with holes (hard to find handmade), a wide selection of jewelry at varying price points, little artsy chachkes, blown glass (some on the tacky side, but hey, taste is in the eye of the beholder), lots of lovely cards, purses, lamps, small selection of children’s books and journals, etc.
A great place to go for a wedding gift or birthday gift. Though often I’m getting something for myself! Some of their prices went up a little recently, I noticed, but I also know their rent was insanely jacked up this year so I understand. I’m a tactile person so online sales at lesser prices are not the way to go on these types of items. Don’t forget to go upstairs where there are larger ceramic platters and bowls.
NOT a child friendly place as far as breakables at kid height go, but amazingly there is not one «you break it you buy it sign».
I love that there is no pressure to buy things and that they offer beautiful gift wrapping for free.
When you are done shopping you can treat yourself to a lemonade or coffee milkshake (made with real coffee!) over at Sparky’s.

Like my tip says, this place is a damn lifesaver. When we buy gifts for a friend’s party we are really trying to show up with the most thoughtful and awesomely wrapped gift so you are the favorite. Pot-​Pourri has you covered on both accounts.
Their wrapping is really classy and well done (even if the husband does it!), the store is HUGE and stuffed full of presents from kiddie books to very nice jewelry. I would say they are a little short on gifts for men, but probably because men are usually the ones who waited until the last minute to shop for their lady friends. They also have greeting cards for all occasions, fancy soaps and locally made goodies. Extra added bonus that there is cookies and Yuban coffee hidden in the store, you find it and you can have some. It’s also great because it’s a husband and wife and they are adorable and nice people who catered to my every flim flam wish as I buzzed around the store trying to figure out what to buy.
I left with a handmade Asian ramen bowl and a book on how to make grilled cheese all wrapped up in a classy box. Needless to say I was the favorite friend this time!

Julia and Andy have run this hidden treasure trove for decades. The items they stock are lovingly chosen and many are truly one of a kind. It’s tough surviving in the current retail market, but they survive because they know all the artists who make their products & it’s a great family business. Great selection of greeting cards, too!

Beautiful and unique hand crafted items; the owners are charming and friendly. A hidden gem. We absolutely love the lamp with hand blown glass shade that we got there.

I needed to get a wood gift for my 5^th year wedding anniversary and I went all over town looking for the perfect box for my husband. When I went to Pot-​pourri I saw some that would have suited this quest.
However, I did not purchase from this store because the sales woman was EXTREMELY rude to me and made me feel uncomfortable. She talked down to me and was very sarcastic when I asked questions. I was willing to spend a great deal of cash but I was so turned off that I had to walk out the door.

When I need to buy a gift, this is the place I check first, and its usually the only store I have to visit. They have such a huge variety of jewelry styles and prices. They also have great pottery, glass art, textile art, cards, wind chimes, and on and on… The owners have really good taste. They also have free and easy parking.

I went with my 8 year old cousin to get her mom a birthday present. We settled on earrings and had to look at EVERY rack and display of earrings. No earring was left unevaluated. We finally found THE earrings. When the owner overheard it was a gift it was then beautifully wrapped, with the colors of ribbon chosen by my cousin. Prices are quite reasonable. The older couple working were quite gracious and pleasant. I’d go back for a special gift. Now we have to see if my cousin can manage to hide it for five days. Don’t look under her bed!

This store has been there since the 1970s. It has great art & good variety. The only knock is the owners can be a bit rude if they dont like you.

I love Pot-​Pourri. If you are looking for a unique, handcrafted gift, either for yourself or someone else, this is the place to come. Stained glass, art class, pottery, jewelry, wind chimes, fountains, items large and small, expensive or very reasonable, the options are incredible.
The shop is tucked up in the back of Lincoln Square and always makes me think I’ve walked into Aladdin’s cave with Andy and Julia, the stores owners, being Aladdin and his wife. Such delightful people, with Andy knowing all the artists and the area.
Don’t miss this wonderful store. You will always find just the thing for which you were looking. And, you can then go across the way to Hunan Yuan for lunch. it doesn’t get better than that.

Wow… I can’t believe I’m writing a review (this is my first). The service I received has me burning up. How can a business operate like this? I contacted them about 18 days ago with a list of items and part numbers from a glass gift manufacturer. The manufacturer lists them as the Bay Area contact for obtaining these items. After 2 weeks, I got a sorry and that they only have 1 of those items (of 8) in stock. Immediately, I replied to the e-​mail asking for the price. Well, that was 5 days ago. I guess the gift that I wanted will not be that since I do not believe that item since I cannot get it delivered in time for their birthday. Thanks Max! I was planning 3 weeks out… It’s not enough time for this company.

This is where my hunt for a new soap dish ended. I’m not sure whether I bought my old one here or at the Berkeley Potter’s Guild, but the Potter’s Guild wasn’t open until the weekend so I came here last Thursday. It’s now run by the son of the original folks. I love their assortment of jewelry, ceramics, art glass, turned wood and other tempting crafts. One of the first things I noticed when I walked in was that they now carry Zealandia jewelry, which is beautifully designed and inexpensive for the quality. I have several of their pieces which I have bought over the years at Websters in Ashland.
He (I forgot to ask his name) led me over to the area where the soap dishes were and one immediately caught my eye. As I walked around the ceramic section I was tickled at how many of the ceramicists had contributed to my stock of platters, bowls, casseroles and other beautiful and functional ceramics. I even saw a set of kitchen canisters like I used to have. I brought my soap dish home and put it on the bathroom sink, where it looks perfect. After using it for a day or two I realized that it was probably made by the same person who had made the canisters. It’s different than the one I broke and I wasn’t sure at first that I liked it as well, but the longer I’ve lived w/​it the better I like it.

You walk into this place, and you just know that they’re an institution; they’re in a busy little strip mall, though nestled in a back corner in a bright and airy retro-​70s modern space.
They have a wide variety of hand-​crafted items — from pottery dishware to wooden boxes and cutting boards; to jewelry and ornaments.
They serve coffee and cookies — and the coffee was pretty good!
Last of all, I love Andy and Julia. I have spoken to Andy on the phone in the past, and though he might seem cranky on the line, he is really not. They are really such warm people, and you really feel their energy in the store, and how they handle their customer service.
They have always been really accomodating whenever I’ve had to return anything!

We stumbled upon this place and it was love at first sight. I grew up in an area with lots of crafters, and Pot-​Pourri does a fantastic job of creating a great selection, offering great prices, and, basically, giving the visitor a wonderful browsing experience.
I know I will be back in the future to buy more presents. FOR ME!

I found these guys on Unilocal because I was searching for a place that replaces watch batteries. The gentleman replace my watch in less than five minutes and charged me a very fair price. Apparently, they’ve been here for over 30 years and still going strong. They were very friendly and helpful.
They sell a lot of nice glass ware, frames, artsy stuff. It just so happened that I was in need of a gift for my co-​worker, so I got couple things here. I would definitely come back here again and recommend them for everyone.

This hidden gem is hidden towards the back of the Safeway/​CVS mini plaza. When I walked up to look at the display cases, the woman, probably the owner, greeted me warmly. I told her that I never knew there was a store here. She said that someone 15 minutes prior to my arrival said the same thing.
Although I thought some of the items were over-​priced, I did find some really cute glass magnets for 60 cents a piece. I snagged up 6. The woman rang up my items and we conversed some more.
I will definitely be back in the near future!

This afternoon, I went to Potpourri with my family. We have frequented this store for many years. Unfortunately, I will NOT EVER RETURN there. We were looking for a Christmas gift to start our shopping early this year. We were having a pleasant experience finding many ideas for a gift. That pleasant experience went away quickly.
My brother was using his iPhone to «check in» at the store location using Foursquare, a social networking app. The owner behind the counter was BEYOND RUDE, and YELLED at my brother, «NO PICTURES ALLOWED IN THE STORE!» My brother told him that he wasn’t taking a picture. Even after that, the owner did NOT apologize for his accusation, he just stared at my brother as if he did not believe him. My brother has a job and lots of disposable income, and was going to purchase a gift for my niece. That is now not going to happen at Potpourri.
Needless to say, we exited quickly and have vowed to never ever patronize this store again. We will be spreading the word about how mean and nasty the owner was without asking first if my brother was taking a picture with his phone. In reality, the social networking site was promoting the store. The owner really needs to be careful about jumping to conclusions. One negative experience like this goes far to stop sales.
This is very unfortunate. We have always supported this location. We strongly believe in local businesses. However, in this economy, customer service is of the utmost importance for any shopping experience. This yelling was extremely inappropriate.
We will be telling our friends on Facebook and Twitter about this uncomfortable experience.

This place is a gem – it’s hidden behind what seems like a dated façade and before I entered the store the first time I honestly didn’t expect much… but inside it is full of beauitful things! fountains, ceramics, windchimes, tea, specialty children’s books, jewelry etc. Really, it’s a one-​stop shop for hostess gifts, sweet nightlights, a girly gift… I can see why the owner might be nervous about toddlers in the store; even my big bag was cumbersome at times because the place is FULL of stuff and some of it pretty delicate.
I like their coffee and plate of cookies always stocked toward the back.
I like this store and think they need to be discovered by more people.