Austin Gift Company: Supporting Local Artists and Keeping South Austin Weird since 2000

Looking for the perfect gift or souvenir in Austin, Texas? Ditch the big box store. Go local, support local artists, and keep Austin weird: head to Austin Gift Company! Deep in the heart of South Austin’s 78704, this locally-owned and operated business has supported hundreds of local artisans by selling wares since the turn of the century.

“What we have to offer is not what you will find at the mall. I guarantee you that if you visit us once, you will be back! We host over 125 vendor booths, seven days a week,” says owner Mike Lopez.

Shoppers never know what they will find at Austin Gift Company, with everything from handmade jewelry to garden art, wind chimes, and Elvis memorabilia available. “It’s like visiting Fredericksburg and Wimberley without ever leaving town,” jokes Lopez.

The store is fully stocked with new market gift items, small antiques, jewelry, and handmade wares. “I believe we are the largest gift store in Austin. Just this past November, we expanded the store to over 8,000 square feet.”

Yet this gift store is not just for locals. For tourists in town for F1, SXSW, ACL or any of the other hundreds of Austin-area conventions who need to buy a little bit of Texas or Austin to take home, Austin Gift Company is the go-to spot. “There is no other store like it in Austin. We have one of the largest Austin and Texas souvenir selections around,” says Lopez, who keeps the shop stocked with plenty of UT and Keep Austin Weird T-shirts, dog bandannas, CDs by local musicians, and more.

While dozens of other local businesses closed down during the economic downturn, Austin Gift Company is thriving. What’s its secret? “Good old fashioned customer service should not be a thing of the past, and at the Austin Gift Company, it isn’t,” declares Lopez. “We work really hard for our customers.”

By making purchases at Austin Gift Company, shoppers are not only supporting a local business — they are supporting the 125 vendors it represents. This local business also works very hard to support local artisans.

Artist Cheryl Hale began with a 2×3 foot space seven years ago. Today, her booth is 20 times that big and represents six different artists. “It’s a dream come true for me,” she exclaims. “It’s like I have my own store, but I don’t have to work there. I can just be an artist.”

Artist and singer-songwriter Jodi Adair couldn’t agree more. “I’m thankful for my little booth and the good people at Austin Gift Company. Being an artist and a merchant at the same time is challenging,” she affirms. “It is so nice to have AGC to sell my wares. It gives me more time and more space in my head to create, instead of figuring out how to sell, market, and promote!”

Here is a list of a few of the hundreds of artisans represented at Austin Gift Company:

SOAP. South Austin People
Bin Bil
Scrapology
Hill Country Haiku
Designs by Diane
South Austin Galleries
Hall Craft
Texas Trash and Treasures
Katy Sweet Confectioners
Cat Studio
Tyler Candles
Creations by Marlene
Texas Products
Fredericksburg Farms
Texas Wild
Lammes Candies
Letter Art
Backyard Birds
Jody Coyote
Berdoll Pecan Farms
Texas Elvis
Klip Klap Candles
Circle E
Diva Designs
Faust Creations
Randy Smith Photography
Jodi Adair
Namesakes Collection

Looking for Austin Gift Company? Customers with homes in Travis Country and other South Austin neighborhoods can take Hwy 71/290 to South Lamar Blvd. Shoppers coming from homes in Sendera or Circle C can take MoPac Expressway north to Hwy 290 east, exiting at Lamar Blvd. The store is in Lakehills Plaza on the northeast corner of the intersection of South Lamar and the Ben White/Hwy 71 feeder. Still can’t find it? The phone number for Austin Gift Company is (512) 326-9460.

Head down to 78704 and check out the Austin Gift Company. Don’t miss out on this Texas-sized treasure house!

“I only wish I’d thought of AGC myself,” laughs Hale. “All my friends and family have started shopping there for gifts! Maybe someday another location will open. There are so many artists and art-lovers in Austin. There should be Austin Gift Companies on every side of town!”

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