It’s hard to avoid the Valentine’s Day present rut. Flowers, chocolates, flowers, chocolates. Instead, check out these LOCAL, unique gift ideas.

by Max Fisher

Go above and beyond this Valentine’s Day – go local!

You’ve Suddenly Become a Valentine’s Day Gift Genius

Is your heart aflutter for that special someone? Have the days seemed to be going by too slow until that day where you can really show how much you appreciate that person in your life? Or does your heart sporadically start racing around this time of year because with every passing day you think “what the $&@8 am I going to get them?” People forget that Valentine’s Day puts a lot of pressure on the designated gift giver, but have no fear we are here to make sure your Valentines Day goes great because you were able to give some wonderful local gifts to your significant other that’ll have them swooning as soon as they see them. Leaving you to proudly gloat as if you had it planned all along.

Because let’s be honest, is it really Valentine’s Day if it doesn’t look like you winged it? Well, this year it’ll only look like you winged it, because in actuality, you’ll be nothing less than a regular Valentine’s Day mastermind. Let’s get to it!

Old Edition’s Bookshop and Gallery

Do you have a book lover in your life? (Word to the wise hold on to them, for dear life for they’re in short supply these days). Does the idea of hearing the crackling of a new spine send a thrill throughout your significant other’s body, that you never can quite understand? (Don’t worry book lovers have their quirks). The takeaway, however, is if you decide to get a gift from Old Editions you won’t just find the newest books on their shelves, but you might stumble across a rare classic or a particularly special old edition of something out of print. Who knows what you’ll find, the only thing you’ll know for sure is on Valentine’s Day when the book lover in your life gets the gift in their hands, their hearts bound to skip just a little bit faster out of apperception.

Buffalo Cigars

What’s a good gift no matter the holiday? I know those more practical-minded readers will undoubtedly say socks, and although I can’t put up too much of a fight with that choice, the answer I was thinking of was cigars. I get it cigars may not be your go-to gift idea and you probably weren’t thinking of it as a go-to gift for Valentines Day, but think of it this way, the person in your life that smokes cigars enjoys their leisure time. They like to sit back on the most comfortable appliance to have in their possession take a few poofs and watch the smoke rise and disappear like their own personal mist. And one thing about a person who enjoys their leisure time is that they always are looking forward to more of it and they want their leisure time tools stocked and ready whenever they’re ready.

So if you want to do the cigar smoker who impressively can blow a smoke ring in the shape of a heart a big favor and make sure the next time they relax is nothing short of pure bliss, head on over to one of the three Buffalo Cigars locations. They have everything a cigar aficionado could want from imports to the tried and true classics like Montecristo, and Arturo Fuente, not to mention it’s locally owned so if you’re looking for a present this Valentine’s Day that’ll surely have your partner blowing heart-shaped smoke rings!

Rustic Buffalo Artisan Market

Shopping for presents during Valentines’ Day can be tedious. You don’t always want to get the same thing (life may be a box of chocolates but that doesn’t mean you want one as a gift every Valentines’ Day). Perhaps you want to find a more creative gift this year? If a creative gift is what you’re looking for I have just the place for you. The Rustic Buffalo Artisan Market. They offer an array of decor items such as Farmhouse, Rustic, Buffalo Themed, Vintage, and Shabby Chic.

With over 110 Artisans, they have thousands of items such as Custom Signs. Floral, Antiques, Handmade Jewelry, Re-purposed Furniture, Hand-poured Candles, Textiles/Clothing, Metal Art, Concrete Art, Photography, Handmade Soaps & Scrubs, Pet Accessories, Pillows and much more. So if you’re looking for a creative gift with a hometown spin, give the Rustic Buffalo Artisan Market a try!

All That Chocolate

Got a sweetheart with a sweet tooth? Of course, you do, but how about this year you jump shot the store-bought box of chocolate in the trash (remember to say Kobe as you release the shot, R.I.P.) and go over to All That Chocolate? All That Chocolate has been family-owned and operated for over 20 years. They’ve got a giant assortment of chocolate goodies ranging from assorted truffles, and chocolate clusters, to milk chocolate dipped miniature biscotti and much more. So if you want to make that sweet tooth sing this Valentines’ Day, head on over to All That Chocolate.

Russells Steaks, Chops & More

What’s Valentine’s Day without a fancy dinner? Well just another day, but Valentine’s Day isn’t just another day. It’s a time where you go all out showing your significant other just how much you appreciate them. And what shows more appreciation than a big juicy steak with all the fixings? Granted not everyone’s going to be into steak nowadays, with all the “healthy options” out there, but the fact that not that many people are into steak will make the act of going out for a fine steak dinner to a steak lover all the more impactful!

So go ahead and treat the passionate carnivore in your life and think about having a delicious meal at Russell’s this Valentine’s Day!

coocoou27

Do you have a partner that loves and appreciates items from a bygone era? Do certain rooms in their home resemble more museums than living spaces? If so, consider getting a gift from coocoou! Coocoou has an assortment of antiques to choose from ranging from furniture, lighting, art, decor, and much much more. They have reputable sellers so you never feel like you’re in the middle of getting swindled during a less than respectable deal. It’s all professional and it’s all above board. So if you’re looking to add a nice knickknack to your partner’s already large collection of antiques, maybe give Coocoou a try!

Show Some Buffalove

It’s hard to get out of the Valentine’s Day present rut. Flowers and chocolates, flowers and chocolates. Maybe a poorly stuffed teddy bear, that starts to scare you as soon as you put it in your room and nighttime hits (you get the idea). At this point, Valentine’s Day gifts are programmed into us, and it’s hard to come up with new gift ideas. Hopefully, this piece will help you break out of the rut and have a great Valentine’s Day filled with unique gift ideas. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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