Terrapin Worldwide Imports — Local services in Kalamazoo

Don't go here if you don't want to be accused of stealing.

Horrible experience at this store. I walked in and browsed for a while, not finding any items I wanted, but that was okay because I attributed this just to my preference in goods. I had gone in with my brother and a few friends, and since neither my brother nor I found anything we wanted, we walked out of the store and sat directly outside of it to wait for our friends. 5 minutes later someone who looks to be either the manager or owner (she was old enough to be the owner) walked out while I was talking on the phone, and asked to both of: "Do you two have a tee-shirt that doesn't belong to you?" My brother and I look at each other confused and replied "No" She continued, "are you sure"?" And then proceeded to say she needed to see what was in my brothers plastic bag (which was from another store) and then turned to me, asking how about you, looking at my pockets (mind you I'm still on the phone at this point and she's completely interrupted my conversation) and I just looked at her and pulled out my pockets and she walked away, while I apologized very loudly to the person with whom I was talking that I didn't hear them because I had just been accused of stealing.

A couple hours later or so, one of the friends who had come to the store with us returned, thinking he'd dropped something in the store and wondered whether the employees had seen anything. The same lady replied to him "No, but your friends stole a tee-shirt."

If I hadn't been on the phone I would've loved to ask her 2 questions:

Do you really think that if we stole an item from your store, we'd sit directly outside your store for multiple minutes afterward?

Do you honestly think that there are items in your store worth stealing?

One of the worst experiences at any retailer or store of any sort in long time. If I were you,...

One of my all-time favorite shops in town. If you are looking for a one stop shop for your spiritual practice or eclectic curio, Terrapin is a must see. They have an extensive collection of items curated by the owner and his brother. They visit Bali annually to make sure they are providing quality stones, jewelry and textiles. Having spoken with the owner on a couple occasions I have learned they conduct their business on a small scale with the craftspeople in the villages they source from to make sure they are being appropriately compensated. As a consumer that means a lot to me. Last thought, this is quoted from their website, “We take every opportunity to expand our selection of merchandise and stay informed of the history, culture, and changes in the countries that we deal with.” When there, you can tell they live their values. It certainly is not just for clout. If you are in town, go check them...

Just went around 3 days ago and was so excited to find a cute pair of opal earrings that were marketed as REAL. Unfortunately, I put them on for the first time today and immediately, the "stone" fell out. Obviously it was not real opal, and for $20 it's ridiculous it would break on first wear. I also found their cute selenite earrings on Amazon for $2.50 that they sold for around $20. They also sell an oil diffuser necklace that is significantly cheaper on Amazon. I used to think this store was so cute, but it honestly seems like their entire stock is...