Find the Perfect Gift in Clarence Center

When Deborah Tangelder had her first child and decided to leave her job, she never could’ve predicted where she’d end up nine years later. Now, she has two children and a successful business in Clarence Center.

Tangelder knew that leaving her job was her best option in being accessible to raise her new family, being creative and being in an environment that she could be herself. She wanted to open her own business, but didn’t know what it would be.

She found the perfect location for her business, the Eshelman building, 6000 Goodrich Road. After walking through it, she knew this was her location and committed to it even before deciding what she’d do with it.

Shortly after having her first child, her mother had given her a book on how special having a child is. At the top of page nine in the book it read, “The Perfect Gift,” referring to children being a perfect gift and this is when she realized that this would be the name of her business.

“I thought wow, this is it. This is the name of the store and I guess we’ll carry gifts,” said Tangelder.

Since then, she and her family have built a pair of successful shops located next to each other.

The Perfect Gift is a quaint little shop in the heart of Clarence Center at the four corners but don’t let its size fool you. This shop is full of unique items from floor to ceiling. If you find something that you like but can’t reach, the Perfect Gift staff will gladly use the ladders to get it down for you.

The ladders have been in the shop since it was built in 1872. They’re connected to a track system and have wheels to move back and forth through the store. These are just one of the many things that add to the character of the shop.

The store still has its original hardwood floors and in a way has gone back to its original roots of being a general store.

Tangelder felt that supporting local artisans was also important. She carries items from local artisans, many of which have no other venue to sell their work.

“It just goes along the line with a perfect gift because it’s unique, it’s handmade and it’s special so each year we try to expand more and more on that,” she said.

As of 2012, she sold the work of more than 30 artisans and expects to expand that on a much larger level for next year.

Seven years ago, she added her fashion boutique next door to the Perfect Gift called Get Heeled. Tangelder does a great deal of research to decide what apparel and shoes to bring to her shop and only selects of few of each item. She brings in fashionable items from different places and large fashion cities.

“We bring these runway looks to Clarence Center,” she said.

Along with the locally made products, well-known brands that can be found at the Perfect Gift and Get Heeled are Vera Bradley and Brighton.

Many products found at these shops are one of a kind and there are even Buffalo and Clarence themed items as well.

The Perfect Gift is a great local shop to find a holiday gift for any person, even the difficult ones.

Tangelder explained that doing your holiday shopping at her shops isn’t like shopping at the big stores.

“The experience is wonderful without the hustle and bustle. You can enjoy your holiday shopping and the ambiance is beautiful. It puts the fun back into shopping. Shopping is made enjoyable again,” she added.