What do Beanie Babies and reproductive rights have in common? A small, pink building on Gallatin Pike has the answer.
A Shop of Things is more than a trinket store — it’s a hub for Nashvillians who crave nostalgia and a spot for activist meet-ups and fundraisers. Monchhichis, bedazzled meme keychains and Heated Rivalry memorabilia fill the space. But cheeky political statements — often on stickers, buttons and hats — also demand attention.
These tchotchkes are emblazoned with proverbs like “Eat the Rich,” “Ain’t No Time for Fascists” and “Hotties for Abortion Access.”
“Products that are cutesy make the meaning feel a little bit easier to represent,” says shop buyer Sara Beth Pardue. Bright hues, bubbly text and familiar characters (everything from Calico Critters to Lizzie McGuire) enhance each tongue-in-cheek message.
Owner Mia Calotta dreamt up A Shop of Things in college, where she and a friend started handmaking and selling trinkets and homewares in 2015. While Calotta initially started the practice as something fun to do on weekends, she “just kept making things, and people kept buying them.”
During the notable e-commerce boom spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Calotta opened A Shop of Things’ brick-and-mortar in 2021. Now the store sells inventory from local artists and nationally loved brands like Baggu and Boy Smells. Guests can also purchase whimsical headshop fare from sister brand Burning Love.
“Our whole brand ethos is making everyday items cuter and fun,” says store manager Chelsea Toole. “It kind of goes into nostalgia, too. Walking around with a plushie on your bag is very nostalgic and cute.”
While being chock-full of eye-catching femme accessories and blind-box figurines, the shop’s political pulse isn’t overshadowed. The escapist haven hosts fundraisers for reproductive rights, cannabis reform, animal welfare and LGBTQ health care.
It also provides community resources like flyers by 2025 Scene Nashvillians of the Year Music City MigraWatch, which give civilians instructions about what to do after spotting ICE agents.
Abortion Care Tennessee is a frequent event partner, providing educational resources and passing out Plan B pills — “Always a party,” says Toole. And when customers buy abortion-related merchandise, the shop donates part of the proceeds to the organization.
“We’re in a red state, and not always surrounded by like-minded people,” says Pardue. “[Events] bring not only money, which is important to these causes, but also a third place for people to go and exist.”
A Shop of Things
Staff members seek to cultivate a space focused on unity and actionable change — rather than cynicism and political weariness.
“It brings a sense of community and hope,” says Toole. “I think it’s so easy to fall into hopelessness and despair. Being in this space around people is like, ‘OK, cool, so I’m not fucking crazy.’”
Last year, A Shop of Things expanded into New York City’s Lower East Side with a location on Orchard Street. The NYC space has since been visited by celebrities like Lily Allen, Hunter Schafer and the Jonas Brothers. “The trinket culture is very strong up here, or just girlie culture,” says Toole.
Calotta recently moved back to New York — where she lived before moving to Nashville in 2016 — to oversee the store’s operations while still being actively involved with the Nashville storefront.
“In Nashville, you don’t really have foot traffic, so people have to drive to their destination,” she says. “In New York, it’s in one of the hottest neighborhoods to walk around and shop, so people come in not knowing about the store at all. It’s kind of like a trap.”
One truth about the burgeoning trinket revolution: The ones who get it, get it.
“There was this podcast that these two guys did,” Toole says, laughing. “They called it a ‘millennial store.’ I don’t think it’s millennial just because we have nostalgic things. I think it’s more about girlhood — and we’re not discriminatory against anyone, so everyonehood.”
