Barrett’s Gifts

I liked this shop much better when it was Abigail’s Crossing. Overall, this shop mostly carries the same things it used to — Vera Bradley bags, greeting cards, & Yankee Candles. Since it changed to Barretts, it has become a disappointment for me. It just doesn’t have the same stuff it used to when it was Abigail’s. Today, I went in looking for some holiday cards with images of Quincy, MA on them, and of course they didn’t have them (Abigail’s had these 2 years ago!), however they do have some other interesting Quincy merchandise! They also don’t seem to have as much cool jewelry and other small gifty items. To me, the store seems empty compared to when it was Abigail’s. Overall, it’s okay if you’re looking for something at the very last minute, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to shop there.

The situation: On our way to visit my mother-​in-​law for her birthday, we find ourselves without a gift. We plan on stopping at Pure Chocolates and getting her a lovely selection of confections. Seeing as it is is 3:45 p.m., we don’t bother calling to ensure they’re open. We arrive; they are closed. Fail.
The solution: We bust out the iPhone, hit up the Unilocal app, and search for a local gift shop. We find Barrett’s.
* * *
We drove into Quincy Center, and the parking was scarce, so we ended up parking quite a ways away and then walking. And it was sketchy. We passed a number of questionable establishments, my favorite being the one down a back alley that had 1) no sign, 2) frosted windows, 3) several drunkards loitering in its entryway, and 4) wild and crazy sounds emanating from beyond its walls. I really wanted to know what was inside, but I was too scared to wait around and find out. The sun was starting to set, afterall.
So we hightailed it out of that alley and finally arrived at Barrett’s. It’s a decent little gift shop with many of the typical gift shop items that are sure to please mother-​in-​laws the world over. We found one of those sweet little wooden angels that she likes, and it was carrying a teapot, and it was perfect. And we found a card to go with it. And since we didn’t have a pen, the lady at the counter let us use her pen to fill out the card. And we thanked her for saving our asses.

Barrett’s is a cute little gift shop in Quincy Center. As far as I am concerned, this little store has the largest selection of Vera Bradley items I have ever seen around the Boston area. The front of the store is full of the handbags, luggage, dog leashes, stationary, even Vera Bradley clothing! It is pretty impressive and it is set up very nicely right in the widows.
The rest of the store is filled with Yankee candles, Boston and Quincy nick knacks and gift items. They have a nice selection of holiday items. At Christmas, they sell figurines, houses and buildings for Christmas Village scenes, and angels etc.
This is a cute little store with a lot of charm. The staff are very nice and helpful and the store is always very neat and organized. They have a mailing list as well, and if you provide them with your address, they send you a coupon for 10% off around your birthday!

This little place used to be Abigails Crossing. The new owner has dropped a few things that Abigails had, but kept the best and added some really great funky jewelry. They seem to carry all of the Vera Bradley bags etc. and also Crabtree & Evelyn. They have great baby gifts and alot of unusual things. Yankee Candles smell great. They did have some great cards that made me laugh out loud. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I picked up some Webkins for my nieces. The shop was all decked out for Halloween and looked really cool. A great addition to Quincy Center.