Insider's Guide to Reno Specialty Shopping
Baubles, Bangles, Bumpter Stickers, Books and More
Sep 12, 2008
From one of the country’s most complete model railroad stores to businesses that are quirky to the max, Reno shops reward visitors who step off the beaten tourist path. The sampling below are a cross section of what’s available.
Reno Rails
Customers from all over the world visit Reno Rails (1229 East Fourth Street) when they’re in town. The store is one of the largest O-gauge stores in the country. It’s also carries one of the West’s largest assortments of engines, rolling stock and accessories in other sizes. Even people who aren’t model railroaders will enjoy the store’s back room where the computer operated railroad tracks run on several levels. Alongside the tracks, Nevada buildings add to the layout’s appeal.
Art Dogs & Grace
To visitors who enter Art Dogs & Grace (218 Vassar Street), it’s like traveling back in time to the 1960s, when the hippie counter-culture became a part of American life. The two-room space, formerly occupied by an aquarium supply store, is stocked with imported clothing from Southeast Asia, handmade jewelry, furniture, bric-a-brac and bumper stickers. On fair days, a tarot card reader often sits at the store entrance..
Sundance Bookstore
Sundance Bookstore (1155 West Fourth Street #106) is Reno’s independent bookseller, and
carries one of the state’s most extensive collections of contemporary books about Nevada. Guide books from everything from hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail to taking the family to Las Vegas, as well as books on Nevada history comprise a large portion of the books for sale. Subject matter of others ranges from botany, geology and trivia questions to celebrities, architecture and native peoples. Sundance also carries a large selection of fiction by Nevada authors and of stories with Nevada settings.
The Spy Shop
As its name implies, this shop at 1085 S. Virginia Street specializes in surveillance equipment. A black media voice recording pen ($249.95), GPS trackers (various prices) and a covert system outlet air filter camera ($649.95) are among the articles for sale. Devices like voice changers, listening devices and, of course, martial arts supplies are among other inventory items.
In fact, the store advertises “We have everything James Bond has…well except for the girls and cars.”
The Melting Pot
Billed as “Reno’s Coolest Counter Culture Store Since 1996, The Melting Pot (1049 S. Virginia Street) offers an amazing variety of items, ranging from the ”largest selection of Belly Dance apparel, accessories and music in Northern Nevada” to hookahs made in all shapes, sizes and materials. The merchandise – much of it imported – includes wall hangings, winter hats, showcases filled with jewelry, gift cards and lots of brass objects. Out-of-the-ordinary clothing hangs on racks placed under fancy parasols. As a bonus, the shop’s entry is decorated with posters advertising alternative events currently taking place in the Reno area.
Des Idees
What started out as a bathroom accessories shop has evolved into s boutique for upscale home décor and even a selection of at-home wearing apparel. Items inside the former 1930s-style residence at 145 Vassar Street are of the sort you usually find in larger cities. From bottle bags and botanical swags to decorative switch plates and wreaths of roses, Des Idees is perfect for people who aren’t sure what they’re looking for. Belaverra, Lamps Berger, Crabtree & Evelyn are among the dozens of companies whose products are sold both on site and via the Internet.
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