As cheerful as the holiday season can be, it can also be a dizzying blur of to-dos, chief among them the task of finding thoughtful, interesting gifts that will delight their recipients. Museum stores are a blessing in this challenge, with their refined selection of unusual curios and feel-good benefits to their institutions’ educational missions. The only problem is, with so many excellent museum stores around the country (and the world, for that matter), where do you start?

So, this year we thought we’d dig a little deeper into the fascinating objects for purchase at museums and go straight to the most knowledgeable source: museum people themselves. We polled our audience of Field Notes, Facebook, and LinkedIn readers and asked them to tell us their favorite things they’ve found in museum stores, whether their own or another’s. Here were some of the highlights:

For Those Whose Hearts Are at Sea

Marlinspike with Monkey’s Fist Knot from the Maine Maritime Museum Store

$29.95

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“The coolest item in the Maine Maritime Museum Store is our collection of hand-forged marlinspikes, made on site by volunteers in our active blacksmith forge. Both a tangible reminder of a visit to our historic Percy & Small Shipyard, and a practical tool for today’s sailors!”

For Those Who Need Some Inspiration

“What You Do Matters” Key Tag from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Deanie and Jay Stein Museum Shop

$6.00

“My favorite item that I ever purchased at a museum gift shop was a keychain at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. The keychain read, “What you do matters.” Whenever I have a rough day, I look at the keychain and it helps me get through the day.”

For Those Who Love Animals and Ecology

ISM Logo Sea Otter Plush from the Independence Seaport Museum Store

$13.95

“One of my favorite items in the Independence Seaport Museum store relates to our award-winning exhibit called River Alive!, where guests get to learn not only how vital the Delaware River Watershed is and how many people depend on it but also what type of animals call this waterway home. To connect with the exhibit, our store sells plush animals like those who live around the Delaware River, plus they are wearing a branded Independence Seaport Museum shirt (it’s super cute).”

For Those Who Take Afternoon Tea

TMA Exclusive Specialty Teas from the Toledo Museum of Art Store

$17.95

“[I love when a] gift shop has a specialty blended tea.”

For Those With a (Discerning) Sweet Tooth

Cultured Bees™ MAD Honey – 2 Oz Jar from the Store at the Museum of Arts and Design

$12.50

Recommended by Cedar Imboden Simmers

For Those Who Respect a Craft

Tea Towel Squares from the International Quilt Museum Store

$16.95

Recommended by Sheila Green

For Those Who Prefer Armchair Travel

Museum of Jurassic Technology View-Master Set from the Museum of Jurassic Technology Gift Shop

$65

“My favorite museum gift shop item has to be the View Master set from the Museum of Jurassic Technology. It includes images (and info) of many of their main exhibits, so you can experience their unique collection from anywhere, just by clicking through the slides. It’s a nostalgic and imaginative way to bring a bit of the museum’s particular brand of magic home 😄”