Paoli's Hidden Treasures

It can be hard to find, but when you do, discovering can be like locating hidden treasure.

Owner Joy Marks purchased the 12-year-old gift store five years ago. Since then she's been offering Paoli residents unique artisan-crafted jewelry and gifts from a little building tucked in behind buildings.

Gifts with a Conscience

It's worth the effort to fund the 'hidden' treasures of Terra Culture, which feature items created by socially-conscious artists both locally and around the world. Lois Brown is a Narberth artist who hand-makes all of her custom handbags from cloth and materials she finds at yard sales and material over runs. The lining of one of some of her bags, which are sold at Terra Culture is made from material cut from the bottom of custom-fitted draperies. It's pretty, extremely durable and "keeps this material from going to a landfiill," Brown explains.

Other unique items include earrings and jewelry by Wannabuyawatch's Deb Brilla, an artist and company that uses parts from the insides of discarded watches to create intriquing, one-of-a-kind jewelry.

Marks says she and family members travel the world and when they see unique items, they try to get them to sell at Terra Culture. She says they stock fair trade items. She says the materials she stocks are made by artisans who are getting fair wages and if they are created in manufacturing facilities benefits like health insurance.

Hidden Treasures, Best-Kept Secrets

Marks warns that if you receive a gift from Terra Culture you might not ever find out. That's because customers who do find the little shop that's hidden away from view on Lancaster Avenue don't want to share their 'secret find' of unique gift items. Marks jokes that hers is "the gift shop when your friends don't want to answer the question 'where did you get that gift?'"  They want to keep the secret to themselves.

Too late. Next time someone asks, you can send them the link to this article.