Buying gifts is a skill. The perfect gift is not easy to obtain. Who are you buying for? What do they like? Do they like practical gifts? Sentimental? Completing the work requires a combination of knowledge, effort, and thinking outside the box.

Searching for gift guides on the Internet may leave you as disorientated as before reading them. After all, how many times do you need to be reminded of the existence of Instant Pots, Air Fryers, and Weighted Blankets?

So if you are tired of wandering endlessly from aisle to aisle in another large store, try taking a break and shopping locally. These gifts are usually unique, handmade, and a little more special than buying your mother a fourth Alexa device that she will never use. 

Here are some of our favorites:

Location: 2400 W. Fairfield Drive and 794 W. Main St

Renfroe Pecan is the staple food of Pensacola, which has surpassed the local area and is now sought after throughout the country. The company was founded in Pensacola in 1956, when Jake Renfroe Sr. first began wholesale sales and distribution of pecans. The company expanded its retail stores in the 1970s and opened a second retail store in downtown Pensacola, just across the street from Joe Patti's. 

If you have never been, Renfroe Pecan Company is famous for its-waiting for it-pecans. But the company expanded its products during its 65 years of operations. Now you can find all kinds of nuts, such as candied, roasted and pickled or raw. The kitchen also offers fudge and New Orleans-style pralines. 

You can buy nuts yourself, but Renfroe Pecan may be famous for his gift baskets. You can get gifts from the Pensacola basket, some sweet gifts, a Christmas tote bag, or get creative and create your own custom gift basket. 

If you really want to share the love of Pensacola, send a Joe Patti's Seafood gift box to your favorite person on your list. Goods that can be purchased and transported at the store include shrimp, lobster, salmon, clams, oysters, sushi, squid, etc. They will even calculate the size and packaging materials of the cooler in your purchase to make it as simple as possible.

Angel's Garden owned by Debby Tracey has a history of 30 years. This store is located on the 12th Avenue in Dongshan and may have caught your attention due to its antique appearance and light blue paint. 

Angel's offers a variety of books, jewelry, candles, wine glasses, figurines and various other gifts. She represents more than 100 artists from Pensacola and surrounding areas. Looking for local customs? You can find "I love Dongshan" merchandise, Pensacola accessories and more.

Artesana is another unique gift shop that has been near Pensacola for decades. Founded by Marian and Ralph Kinser in 1967, they initially sold a variety of exquisite and eclectic gifts, including their famous wooden plates. Since then, it has been sold to their niece until it finally fell into the hands of Josephine Daniels in 2003, and has not stopped growing ever since. 

Daniels said she worked hard to help her customers find the perfect gift. Artesana is the largest importer of wooden tableware in the Southeast, specializing in wooden plates, cookware, lighting, Vietri, enamel, Crabtree & Evelyn, baby and wedding gifts, and custom printed and engraved invitations. 

Supporting small businesses: Pensacola is full of unique and precious gifts

One of the more interesting gifts you can grab may come from the taste of Pensacola. What you will find in Taste of Pensacola does not necessarily come from the company itself, but a box of selected items, all from local suppliers. 

Taste of Pensacola hopes to bring visibility and economic growth to small businesses in the region through a unique online shopping experience. The result is a series of specially curated gift baskets filled with items you can really only find at home.

The signature box contains East Hill Honey, a herbal blend from the Asher & Bee's Origami Works tea series, a blueberry, lemon, strawberry and watermelon popcorn blend from the King of Popcorn. 

If you want an original Pensacola-themed gift, the gift shop at the Pensacola Museum of History offers items you won’t find anywhere else. The coolest items may be Trader Jon's shirts and bar loot, which accompany their exhibition in the iconic bar upstairs.

The exhibition celebrates the life and legacy of Trader Jon and his Palafox Bar. He opened on January 1, 1953 and remained open until 1998, the year after his stroke. The Wentworth exhibition displays 15% of the estimated 10,000 military memorabilia that make up the Trader Jon collection, which is now overseen by the University of West Florida Historical Trust, which curated the exhibition. The series is worth US$2 million and includes photos of Trader Jon and celebrities such as Bob Hope and Brooke Shields. It includes flight suits, model airplanes hung on rafters, unit stickers and banners, and even Trader Jon's wooden bar counter.

Want to shop in paradise? Then stop at Belle Ame' on Dongshan 12th Avenue. Surrounded by some of the best scents in the world, you will forget the chaos of holiday shopping. Test lotions and scrubs before buying, scoop out the right amount of bath salts, and explore almost endless candles, shower gels, bath bombs, soaps, mouse sticks and more! Every bit of it is handmade. Good luck leaving this store and nothing for yourself.

Walking past Rusted Arrow Mercantile always makes people shine. The mother-daughter duo Samantha Breedlove and Ruth Cornelius change every few months and always look great. But for Christmas, they will raise the festive atmosphere to 11 o'clock as soon as they walk in. A beautiful Christmas tree stands up and the surrounding decorations seem to come directly from Santa’s studio. The best thing about the whole setup is that you can actually buy everything (mostly). 

Rusty arrows are usually full of coastal farmhouse decorations. Many works are created by using retro furniture and adding unique styles. Not all furniture. You can find rock glasses, Pensacola themed gifts, candle walls, children's toys and more. If you are looking for a truly unique and story-telling gift, Rusted Arrow Mercantile should be on your shopping list.