Wabi Sabi

My family and I stumbled upon this shop while on vacation in Taos. The store is very warm and inviting with an aura of spiritual calm that made me want to stay for a long time. While perusing the items which seemed to be selected with a careful mindfulness, the shop owner gave us a wonderful cup of tea. Great selection of tea kettles, cups, plates, chopsticks, teas, incenses, and even a neat little section for the kids. I look forward to visiting again on our next trip to New Mexico.

They have a great selection of authentic Japanese wares. As a local, I have been buying unique gifts there for years. I do not understand why someone would refer to this as a tourist trap, as they do not carry anything touristy. If you’ve ever been to Japan and love the design, you will love this place. Besides, the owners are very friendly, you get complimentary high end tea while you shop and they have gifts for as a little as a dollar. Moreover, they will wrap your presents beautifully. Since you can touch everything you buy, why would you need to return anything? Also, most handmade teapots drip a little bit — it’s no big deal.

This is my favorite store. It is stock full of wonderful things. I’ve never had a problem with anything that I’ve bought there. I’ve bought a wide range of things there: tea, calligraphy stuff, one-​of-​a-​kind watercolors, bells, chimes, etc. Most of the stuff I’ve only been able to find there. What I have been able to find elsewhere is priced higher, if of comparable quality.

I first met the owner of wabi sabi when I moved to New Mexico as a young woman. I was so poor I couldn’t afford Christmas presents for my family so I was going around town trying to see if anyone would trade massage therapy for gifts so I could send something home. Cassandra already had a therapist so she didn’t need my services but she kindly sat me down with a cup of hot tea and some cookies and asked me about my adventures. I have loved her ever since! She and her husband built this place from the ground up and the room itself is a work of art! They really work to make the energy of the place peaceful and welcoming and when you walk in you are immediately struck by how grand it is.
After I found work I came here to shop often during the time I lived in Taos. They have the most amazing selection of teas! She stocks really high quality products but she looks for the best teas at the best price and passes the savings on to the customer. The tea alone is worth the visit. Get the rich, soothing Mate Chino or the austere, elegant Ti Kwan Yin. She also gave me a very fair price on an exquisite statue of Tara and always leads me to the best deals when I am shopping for gifts. The stuff here is classy. Really classy. As a result some of it can be spendy but where else can you find unique handmade tea pots and ceramic dishes? Most of the things in here are one of a kind pieces made by local artisans as well as imported objects that Cassandra goes to Japan and selects herself for quality and beauty. This is not your run of the mill mass produced junk. This is stuff made consciously by people who are really skilled.
I have since moved from Taos but every time I come back to visit I shop here, even if to just say hi. I am actually typing this from somewhere in Arroyo Seco and you know what? I’m gonna pop over to Wabi Sabi right now.

This place is the definition of a tourist trap. My mother-​in-​law bought me a teapot there for Christmas which dribbles like crazy. The price was insanely high. When I tried to return it, they claimed they had a 10-​day return policy, which is useless for any gift during the holidays. That’s ironic, because they seem to cater largely to gift-​giving tourists. I definitely got the sense that they do this on purpose, knowing they will never have to take the return from out of town guests.