This weekend, I had the opportunity to shop in one of my favorite places for finding great deals on unique merchandise: the museum store. A few hours of browsing (after a bit of rest and refreshment in the cafe) and I combined Christmas shopping with some excellent exhibits.

Now, If you are going to a museum store, you need a strategy.  There will be lots of things that are uniteresting (logo pens and mousepads, boring mugs, T-shirts) or incredible overpriced (a $792 throw rug I passed on).  However, if you look carefully, you can find some excellent gifts.  Here are some of my great museum finds:

• Stationery:  Art museums tend to have gorgeous stationery — often imported.  Especially nice are the journals and notebooks.  The prices are what you'd get at the local bookstore, but far more interesting designs.
• Things made in faraway countries:  Any museum with an ethnic perspective is likely to import beautiful pieces from abroad.  I've seen scarves, purses, decorative accessories, Chinese calligraphy sets, incense, etc. — all at reasonable prices.
• Pieces you'll find nowhere else:  At the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, I saw a mortar and pestle, bowls, goblets, and tunblers made out of travertine (a beauiful type of stone).  All were usable pieces that were unique and well-priced.
• Toys and games that stretch children's imaginations: There is no place like a museum for children's gifts that go beyond the ordinary or that challenge children to use their imagination and creativity.  Much better than shooting aliens on a computer screen.

Every time you visit a museum, take afew minutes to stop by the gift shop.  You may find an unexpected treasure and the money you spend will help support the collection.  That's what I call win-win.