How We Got Started
Whozitz and Whatzitz Unique Gifts and Cards is located in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona, at 1235 East Northern Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85020.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far...oh...wait...
(Ahem.) Once upon a time there was a fairy prince who longed to find his...oh, dang...
After falling into a vat of smelly toxic waste shamefully left on the side of the road...(sigh)...
Well, after working in retail in the past, and a few stints working for various institutions, all of which pretty much treated me like dirt, I started to think about what I wanted to do in LIFE...the real thing, not the boardgame. My partner of almost 20 years at the inception of our adventure was beginning to get very tired of cleaning houses, which he'd done for almost 35 years. So, the conundrum was...WHAT to do? So, with that, we started shooting the proverbial $*(% with several of our family and close friends to figure out what we truly wanted to do for our futures. Many of our friends and workmates recalled the late and great store, Jutenhoops, gone almost 10 years. It was a huge store where you could find almost anything you wanted, but nothing that you'd find in the big box stores. Everyone we knew complained about it being gone. SO, Eureka! We thought a carreer in retail with our own unique store would be the ticket!
We planned for well over a year on the who, the what and the where...finally a good close part of our family said to do it or don't...we'd done enough talking. So, we did! We found a location we liked and a place we thought we could afford and jumped right in. It was terrifying, exhilerating, suffocating and exhausting! And it still is. We finally opened our physical doors on August 31st, 2013, off 32nd street and Indian School, BUT, after 5 great years we lost our lease and were forced to MOVE! But we found a larger space! Whozitz and Whatzitz Unique Gifts and Cards is located in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona, at 1235 East Northern Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85020.
We launched a VERY basic website directing folks to the shop. We finally launched our online store (this one) in April of 2015. The shop carries fun and unusual items, tons of Locally Made ART and CRAFTS and JEWELRY! We do our best to support the Local folks as much as we can and give our customers great service, a fun and relaxing place to shop, and provide them with fun products not found anywhere else. Novelties seem to be hugely popular and always in demand, as are the naughtier greeting cards. But we try to have great products for anyone's budgets or tastes. So you can find something for your sweet old Nana, your filthy minded Uncle, your petulant sister, your loving parents, your jerk of a husband, your angelic offspring, or your sweet and devoted girlfriend. We try to have a bit of joy for everyone.
It is an ongoing challenge. As I write this we are heading into our second long hot Arizona summer, so things get scary...but we hope to be around for decades to come! With your help, we will be! Dragons, Gargoyles, One of a Kind Jewelry and Art, Locally Made products, Oddities, decore and more.