Shop Hopping in Tampa

From used banjos and first editions to unique dangly earrings and top notch chocolate, Tampa's got you covered, whatever your weakness.

Tampa may not spring immediately to mind when you think about shopping. Coastal Florida? That's the land of big box beachwear retailers and cheap sunglasses. Of course, if high-end designer wear and trendy duds are what you're after, Tampa's malls certainly oblige, with major department store chains and boutiques for most tastes and budgets. But if more unusual items are on your wish list – one-of-a-kind crafts, first editions, vintage clothing, retro antiques and home accessories – Tampa has some really cool, interesting, fun or otherwise notable shops.

There's Artsiphartsi, for example. Since 1991, owner Carmen Smith has been gathering the greatest handcrafted things to offer in her shop. Around 30 artisans supply all manner of items: fabulously fashionable or funky earrings, gorgeous art glass pieces, whimsical hand painted furniture, metal garden sculpture, perfect pottery, fine paintings, and decorative odds and ends that your friends back home will covet, even adorable gifts for babies. You won't leave empty-handed.

If it's bargains you seek, make Big Top Flea Market your first stop. It has more than 1200 booths, so you're bound to get lucky. Need some bingo markers? Check. Collect die-cast cars? Here. Got a corner that's just screaming for an occasional table? There's a very good chance of finding the perfect one at Big Top. Along with pickles, cosmetics, DVDs, socks, reading glasses, costume and fine jewelry, stereo speakers, house plants, pets, vertical blinds, handbags, scrubs, personalized license plates, cell phone cases, Asian groceries, area rugs... well, you get the idea. Everything.

"Oddball" artist T. Oliver Kopian creates wonderfully bizarre sculptures, which are available at fine galleries around the country as well as here in Tampa, at his own Creatures of Delight studio/shop. Endearing, weird, wacky, cute, hideous – these critters have been called all sorts of names, all of which are appropriate. You just have to see for yourself. Don't be surprised if you fall in love with a seven-inch grinning fish, a foot-long orange dinosaur, or a googly-eyed purple ogre. And if the mood strikes, you can even create one of your own.

For the bibliophile, in addition to the usual chains, Tampa has a couple of great independent bookstores. Inkwood Books strives to maintain a balanced inventory of new books, with particularly good fiction and biography sections, and the best Floridiana collection in town. Housed in a 1920s bungalow, the shop is warm and welcoming, a picturesque example of indie spirit. Tampa Antiquarian Books provides similar service and style, with a completely different inventory. The focus here is used books – not the junky ones that were left beside the bathtub too long. These are high quality books, on a wide variety of subjects from military history to Southern fiction. But that's not all. They also keep an eclectic assortment of other goodies, like antique postcards, campaign buttons, and knick knacks you won't find anywhere else. Finally, there's Old Tampa Book Company. Now, this isn't a fancy shop where you'll find all the latest bestsellers. It's a time-tested used book emporium, with tens of thousands of volumes on every conceivable subject lining shelves clear to the ceiling, owned by people who love books. And it shows.