Sites Like Uncommon Goods: 12 Unique Gift Marketplaces Worth Browsing
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About Uncommon Goods
Founded
1999
USA
Ships to
US, Canada, and select international
Editor-reviewed
Every recommendation read and refined by hand
Honest tradeoffs
Drawbacks listed, not hidden
No paid placements
Brands cannot pay to be ranked
Uncommon Goods has quietly become the store you visit for ideas and then buy somewhere cheaper. The catalog is still genuinely charming — a Constellation Cutting Board, personalized star maps of the night someone was born, the birth-month flower candle, whiskey stones shaped like something clever. It's the place you go when "they have everything already" and you need a gift with an actual point of view.
The problem is what that point of view costs. A $48 succulent kit or a $65 keepsake that reads as a $25 impulse buy at a museum shop is a hard sell when the same maker often lists on Etsy for less, minus the markup for being merchandised in a nice grid.
Credit where it's due: the B Corp status is real, the ties to independent makers are real, and the editorial copy still does the emotional heavy lifting better than almost anyone. But the assortment has gotten thinner and the novelty-tax more obvious, and once you've scrolled the whole "gifts under $50" page twice, the walls close in fast. Plenty of other places sell conversation pieces without asking you to pay for the conversation.
The problem is what that point of view costs. A $48 succulent kit or a $65 keepsake that reads as a $25 impulse buy at a museum shop is a hard sell when the same maker often lists on Etsy for less, minus the markup for being merchandised in a nice grid.
Credit where it's due: the B Corp status is real, the ties to independent makers are real, and the editorial copy still does the emotional heavy lifting better than almost anyone. But the assortment has gotten thinner and the novelty-tax more obvious, and once you've scrolled the whole "gifts under $50" page twice, the walls close in fast. Plenty of other places sell conversation pieces without asking you to pay for the conversation.
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12 brands
The 12 Best Alternatives to Uncommon Goods
1
Etsy
Est. 2005
Brooklyn, USA
$
cheaper
Personalized and handmade gifts straight from the maker
Many of Uncommon Goods' makers already sell here directly, usually cheaper and with more variants.
Pros
- Enormous selection of independent makers
- Custom and personalized items are the core strength
- Often the same product Uncommon Goods sells, for less
Cons
- Quality varies wildly seller to seller
- No editorial curation — you do the digging
- Shipping times depend on each shop
Visit Etsy
Full guide: Sites Like Etsy
2
MoMA Design Store
Est. 1932
New York, USA
$$$
pricier
Modern design gifts with museum credibility
Design-forward gifts and conversation pieces with a genuinely curated eye.
Pros
- Serious design credentials behind every item
- Great for architects, designers, aesthetes
- Gift-ready packaging and presentation
Cons
- Higher price point across the board
- Less quirky, more polished-modern
- Smaller assortment than a marketplace
3
Etsy Editors' Picks / The Grommet
Est. 2008
Somerville, USA
≈
similar
Discovering clever new products before they go mainstream
Launches inventive, story-driven products from independent makers with strong editorial framing.
Pros
- Champions small makers and inventors
- Strong product-discovery storytelling
- Mix of practical and novelty items
Cons
- Assortment has narrowed over the years
- Not the cheapest for any given item
- Stock rotates unpredictably
4
Food52 / Five Two
Est. 2009
New York, USA
≈
similar
Elevated kitchen and home gifts for food lovers
Beautifully curated home and kitchen gifts with the same warm, editorial gift-guide energy.
Pros
- Genuinely lovely curated kitchen goods
- Excellent gift guides and editorial content
- Strong own-brand Five Two line
Cons
- Narrow to home and food categories
- Mid-to-high pricing
- Less quirky, more tasteful
5
Hammacher Schlemmer
Est. 1848
New York, USA
$$$
pricier
Novelty gadgets and 'best in class' oddities
The original novelty and 'the-best-of' gadget gift retailer for hard-to-shop-for people.
Pros
- Famous lifetime guarantee
- Genuinely unusual, high-concept gifts
- Great for the person who has everything
Cons
- Premium and sometimes eye-watering prices
- More gadget than handmade
- Skews older-audience gifting
6
Amazon Handmade
Est. 2015
Seattle, USA
$
cheaper
Handmade gifts with fast Prime shipping
Handmade and artisan goods with Amazon's speed and returns behind them.
Pros
- Fast, reliable Prime shipping and returns
- Handmade items at competitive prices
- Trusted checkout and buyer protection
Cons
- Buried inside the broader Amazon catalog
- Curation is minimal
- Hard to distinguish true handmade at a glance
7
Touch of Modern
Est. 2012
San Francisco, USA
≈
similar
Sleek, unexpected gifts for the design-minded
Design-driven, unusual products aimed at conversation-piece gifting.
Pros
- Flash-sale pricing on design objects
- Great for tech, barware, and gadgets
- Strong menswear-leaning gift picks
Cons
- Flash-sale model means limited windows
- Quality inconsistent across vendors
- Returns can be a hassle
8
West Elm Local & Gifts
Est. 2002
Brooklyn, USA
$$$
pricier
Design-conscious home and hostess gifts
Fair Trade
Partners with independent makers on gifts and home pieces with a curated, elevated feel.
Pros
- Fair Trade Certified product lines
- Works with local independent makers
- Higher build quality on home goods
Cons
- Pricier than Uncommon Goods
- More furniture than novelty gifts
- Less whimsy, more tasteful minimalism
9
Cratejoy
Est. 2013
Austin, USA
≈
similar
Subscription and experience-style gifts
Marketplace of quirky, themed subscription boxes — the gift-that-keeps-giving version of Uncommon Goods.
Pros
- Huge range of niche themed boxes
- Great for recurring or ongoing gifts
- Something for nearly every hobby
Cons
- Subscription commitment can confuse recipients
- Quality varies by box seller
- Not for one-off physical gifts
10
Anthropologie
Est. 1992
Philadelphia, USA
$$$
pricier
Pretty, personality-driven gifts for her
Whimsical, giftable home and personal pieces with a strong personality and story.
Pros
- Distinctive, whimsical aesthetic
- Strong home, candle, and mug gift picks
- Beautiful in-store and online presentation
Cons
- Premium pricing throughout
- Skews heavily toward women's gifts
- Quality doesn't always match the price
Visit Anthropologie
Full guide: Stores Like Anthropologie
11
Novica
Est. 1999
Los Angeles, USA
≈
similar
Handmade artisan gifts with global provenance
Fair Trade
Global artisan marketplace of handmade goods with real maker stories and fair-pay ethos.
Pros
- Direct support for global artisans
- Genuine maker stories on every listing
- Unique jewelry, textiles, and decor
Cons
- Longer international shipping times
- Style skews traditional-artisan
- Less quirky-novelty than Uncommon Goods
12
Ten Thousand Villages
Est. 1946
Akron, USA
$
cheaper
Ethically made handmade gifts with real fair-trade sourcing
Fair Trade
Fair-trade handmade gifts and decor with the ethical mission Uncommon Goods gestures at.
Pros
- Founding member of fair-trade retail
- Affordable handmade global goods
- Strong ethical sourcing you can verify
Cons
- Aesthetic is more folk-craft than modern
- Smaller, rotating assortment
- Less novelty and personalization
Cheaper than the novelty tax
If the markup is what pushed you out, go where the makers actually sell. Etsy often lists the exact same handmade piece for less, Amazon Handmade adds Prime shipping and easy returns, and Ten Thousand Villages delivers fair-trade handmade gifts without the premium grid-merchandising fee baked in.
Curated with a real point of view
For the editorial, someone-with-taste-picked-this feeling, MoMA Design Store brings museum-grade design credibility, Food52 nails elevated kitchen and home gifts, and The Grommet surfaces clever maker products before they hit the mainstream.
Genuinely ethical sourcing
Uncommon Goods' B Corp status is real, but if verifiable fair trade matters most, Ten Thousand Villages and Novica put artisan pay and provenance front and center, while West Elm carries Fair Trade Certified home lines at a higher polish.Which Alternative Is Right for You?
Shopping on price? Etsy and Amazon Handmade get you the same handmade spirit for less, and Ten Thousand Villages keeps it affordable and ethical. Want the curated, taste-forward feel that made Uncommon Goods worth browsing? MoMA Design Store, Food52, and The Grommet do the editorial work for you. If the gift needs to be a conversation piece for the person who has everything, Hammacher Schlemmer and Touch of Modern lean into gadgets and design objects. And if the mission behind the purchase matters, Novica and Ten Thousand Villages back their fair-trade claims with real artisan relationships. Frequently Asked Questions
QIs Uncommon Goods overpriced compared to Etsy?
Often, yes. Many Uncommon Goods makers also sell on Etsy directly, where the same handmade or personalized item usually costs less because there's no marketplace merchandising markup layered on top. If you find something you love on Uncommon Goods, it's worth searching the maker's name on Etsy first.
QWhat's the best site for personalized gifts like Uncommon Goods' star maps and custom pieces?
Etsy is the strongest for personalized and custom gifts — it has the deepest bench of makers doing star maps, engraved keepsakes, and made-to-order items, usually with more customization options and lower prices than Uncommon Goods.
QAre there more ethical alternatives to Uncommon Goods?
Uncommon Goods is a certified B Corp, which is legitimate. If you want verifiable fair-trade sourcing specifically, Ten Thousand Villages (a founding fair-trade retailer) and Novica (which pays and profiles global artisans directly) go further on transparency.
QWhich site is best for quirky gadget gifts instead of Uncommon Goods?
Hammacher Schlemmer is the classic for high-concept novelty gadgets and 'best-of' oddities, and Touch of Modern is great for sleek, design-driven tech and barware gifts, especially for men.
QWhere can I find curated design gifts with the same editorial feel as Uncommon Goods?
MoMA Design Store offers museum-vetted modern design, Food52 curates elevated kitchen and home gifts with excellent gift guides, and The Grommet spotlights inventive maker products with real storytelling — all three replicate that 'someone with taste picked this' quality.
Our Verdict
The Best Uncommon Goods Alternative For You
Shopping on price? Etsy and Amazon Handmade get you the same handmade spirit for less, and Ten Thousand Villages keeps it affordable and ethical. Want the curated, taste-forward feel that made Uncommon Goods worth browsing? MoMA Design Store, Food52, and The Grommet do the editorial work for you. If the gift needs to be a conversation piece for the person who has everything, Hammacher Schlemmer and Touch of Modern lean into gadgets and design objects. And if the mission behind the purchase matters, Novica and Ten Thousand Villages back their fair-trade claims with real artisan relationships.