Fiddlesticks

I love Fiddlesticks! I do not have kids myself, but every time I need a gift for a friend or family member I come here and get hooked up :)
Fiddlesticks has hands-​down the cutest clothes and accessories for little ones when you want to get something special. I bought some organic cotton burp clothes from Fiddlesticks for my boss, a mom of two now, who said they are the softest she has ever felt. Also, their book selection is particularly great when you want to find something that can’t be outgrown. Every gift I’ve purchased there has been met with rave reviews!
The staff is also extremely helpful and knowledgeable about what kinds of items would be appropriate for children of different ages and in any price range. (However, they are not pushy or overly sales-​y.)
Lastly, I am always surprised how many things I find in Fiddlesticks that I want to buy for myself! (If only the clothing came in my size…) It’s such a pleasant experience just to be in there and look around and explore. Definitely go check them out if you have never been!

The sweetest little shop! I love every little detail and all the unique gifts and special toys. What a special place!!!

I would like to say first that I love this store’s product and used to shop there for all my friends baby showers and kid’s gifts. I will not anymore. After spending $ 150.00 on gifts. Still in gift wrap untouched. After a canceled baby shower I was unable to return these gifts. Frustrating that I was treated like I was asking for something completely unreasonable

Super stoked to have Fiddlestick’s as my go-​to for kids board books. After this Christmas though, it’s my go-​to for all the kids gifts! They hooked it up this season and helped me wrap everything soooo cute. Plus maybe I bought a coloring book for grown ups for myself ;) Fiddlestick’s is local and a real treat. Five stars for sure!

This store has really gone downhill in the six months. They had almost no selection of anything beyond Tea Collection now, they have almost no books, a lot of fairly blah toys. There used to be something really awesome and sparkly about this place that made it fun to visit and plan the things I would buy for my child later on for a birthday or Christmas. Now… it’s just boring and feels like a Tea Collection shop with a few toys I can get at the Ark cheaper.

I am Hayes Valley resident and I come into this store fairly frequently. Today my two year old son and I experienced a true shock when the owner vehemently confronted two shoplifters right in front of us. Now the yelling and kicking the girls out, I can understand. What I can not understand is why the owner, after checking out two women (who were NOT front row to this encounter), gave them a personal apology for what they «witnessed» but for me and my son? Nothing. Ignored. She did not even make eye contact. That is absolutely rude and negligent treatment from a shop OWNER. Maybe it is because despite living here for ten years, we don’t fit into the Hayes Valley white rainbow «demographic»??? That’s how I left feeling anyways. I would return the toy and get it for $ 10 less on Amazon, but my son is enjoying it and I am certain I will not be stepping into Fiddlesticks on our daily walk ever again.

they have a good selection of clothes but the several times i’ve been i’ve not experienced very good customer service. it’s not rude or off the top but there’s a general sense that they’re more or less just interested in you buying their merchandise.
if you have any problems or would like to return or exchange, it would not be a pleasant process. my desire to shop in boutique stores are for service and to support smaller businesses but to get service subpar to big box stores, then there doesn’t seem to be much of a point to shop there.

Nice looking store but mediocre service. I bought a $ 50 pair of baby shoes today which ripped the instant I tried to put them on my child. When returning them later this afternoon the saleswoman did not offer an apology or explanation for why they sell $ 50 baby shoes which rip. Instead was curt and unfriendly. Will not be going back.

Great variety and selection of mid-​upper range toys and clothes for kids. Their sweet spot seems to be the 3 – 7 year old range (or so), but there is a smattering of things for smaller tots as well.
I’ve been in twice, and both times the staff were friendly and not at all pushy.

I’m not a parent (being my own only child, not withstanding), but I am an uncle. You know what the best family roll is? Being an uncle. All of the fun, very little of the responsibility. Want to make it really fun? Be an uncle who lives in far-​off San Francisco. By this I mean, the time you actually get to spend together is very special, because it is a rare treat.
I have two nieces, currently both a little younger than 4 and 2, respectively. I wanted to get them something special and San Francisco-​related for my last visit. Here’s the rub: I know very little about children. I’m not sure what age kids start doing things, but I do know that things change quick in terms of development. What to do? I recommend Fiddlesticks to the clueless uncles of the world.
My primary feedback about this store is about its service. The gentleman who helped me on my two visits could not have been nicer or more helpful. He has a background in education, and walked me through how toys and games relate to development. Left to my own devices, I would have missed the mark on a few items — so the help was very valuable. Instead, he walked around giving me a bunch of good options. And, the girls loved their gifts.
They have a great selection of toys and games, definitely for the younger crowd. I would think that 7 or 8 would be about the high end for age — I may be wrong about that. They also have a lot of cute and high-​quality clothes and shoes. (Although I’m a rube, so if it’s clothes, the girls are getting Vikings, Twins and, to the chagrin of their U of M parents, definitely some Wisconsin Badgers gear from Uncle Adam… I might sneak some Giants stuff in when the Twins are better, I don’t want them to jump ship on their hometown team. Although I almost pulled the trigger on a stuffed Lou Seal)

Used to enjoy visiting this store with my kids. No longer due to dishonest sales staff regarding pricing. In short, we ordered a toy and when it arrived, they wanted about 25% more for it. When I questioned whether the price went up, they claimed it had always been the same.

I went there because of the positive reviews. It was OK. I was looking for toys, but there was nothing there that my daughter would have liked.
There were a few people working. It seemed like 2 – 3. One worker was busy spacing the hangers and I couldn’t get to something I was looking at, which is fine. However, when I said «excuse me» and tried to reach for the toy, she told me to hang on. I thought that was a little weird. Also, no one greeted me when I entered. So, because of these things, I gave them 3 stars.

My go-​to store to buy gifts for all my friend’s kids. Cute collection of toys, books and clothes for toddlers. The owner is awesome and brings a personal touch. Today’s visit to the store was quite dissapointing. The sales girl was helpful till it came to wrapping gifts. I expressly mentioned this was for a 1^st birthday, and was expecting the usual colored tissue paper and ribbon on the bag that is trademark of Fiddlesticks.
Unfortunately this time, the salesgirl just wrapped them in brown paper and handed them in a bag, and I was like, «would you mind adding the tissue paper, etc.?» She gave me this odd look, and said that I could always just give the gifts as is and take them out of the bag!
So I said, «nope I don’t want to do that in a room full of kids but rather hand the presents in a bag.» She gave me this look like she was pissed, and a single sheet of orange tissue was dumped in the bag with the ribbon tied. No acknowledgment from her like ‘hey, sure I can do that for you’. Nada.
I was very, very dissapointed at the service. I hope the owner does read this and take note that it’s the personal touch and thoughtfulness that counts in going out of the way to keep customers happy & returning.

Visited store for the 2^nd time today. Both times I found unique and cute items for my 7 yr old daughter. The items are comfortable enough for play, but stylish enough for an event. Great for modern baby gifts as well. Standard boutique prices. So, an outfit or dress will likely cost more than $ 60. Nice place to splurge on comfortable outfits to be worn during travel, programs, and parties. Popular boutique brands like Tea Collection, Appaman, EGG, and Pink Chicken. Also some local designers.

I love how cute and charming this store is. They have really good items for little ones. I am a big fan of Tea Collection and this store usually has a good amount. They also have cute books. I found a San Francisco kid book that was a perfect gift for a relative and some other little items.
That being said, they are a boutique and priced higher than normal with a not so good return policy. I can’t afford to shop here as much as I would like, but if you are into quaint boutiques for kids, this is the best in the neighborhood.

This is one of just a few shops in Hayes Valley catering to kids — and it’s really all that we need! Fiddlesticks is a small boutique but has enough unique and interesting items to keep the little one entertained and looking fashionable too!
Service is always friendly and attentive — they always take time to answer your questions, recommend items and show their latest collection without being too pushy. Definitely stop by when you’re in the area with your little ones!

Came here with my 3 year old to pick out a gift for her friends B Day.
I thought we were going to be in and out in 15 minutes…
LOL … 1.5 hrs later she had three French made mini mouse dolls on the counter trying to choose which one of the 3 she wanted to take home.
Of course she choose the pink one and told me that later we’ll come back to get the rest of them…
Unique shop, very cool and fun clothes and toys.
Been here before and trust me I will be back for more of these French Mice.
Great service A+

This is my favorite kid store. I have been shopping here even before I moved to the city in 2008 and have remained a loyal customer even though I’ve moved back to the east coast. I’ve bought countless birthday and holiday gifts for my nieces and nephews; baby gifts for many friends; and now I buy clothes for my son. They have adorable clothes that you can’t get everywhere and they offer quality products. The owner and employees are smart, helpful, friendly, and they have good taste. This is always on my places that I have to visit when I am in SF. I miss this little gem on Hayes Street! I’ll be back soon!

Yesterday I needed to shop for kid’s clothes for my boss’s little girl. So, yes it had to be special and good. After searching through several reviews on Unilocal,I decided to check out Fiddlesticks.
I must say, it is one fantastic shop. The variety is so good, I wish I was a little girl. The shop is a bit pricey, but the clothes are worth the money… especially for special occasions and gifts.
Since I don’t have much idea about girl’s dresses I was trying to understand the right size. The staff really helped me on this. First, they informed me that there are no returns, so I need to be careful of what I select. Then they told me to try to identify a kid in the store close to the age of the girl. Luckily, I found 1 girl of around the same height. The helper showed me different dresses of that size. She also suggested that I take one size big, just to be on the safe side. Kids grow fast, so at least I wouldn’t go wrong there.
I completely loved the selection with some good brands like Appaman. I even checked out the boys collection and they have some really smart stuff. And yes, I didn’t pick the obvious pink for my boss’s daughter, but bright red.

!LOVE!
Cannot recommend this place highly enough… and not sure why it took me so long to write this review?
Their selection is just perfect, a nice blend of pampered necessities to the special occasion event. Customer service is always attentive, friendly and never pushy (I’m there at least once every 3 weeks!) and their buyer has an incredible eye with an obviously youthful spirit.
Yes, prices are on the higher end but you will have a unique/​special find that you’re not going to find just anywhere else.
They also have a blog that keeps you posted on their current events, we had our daughter’s silhouette created by the artist Karl Johnson… sweet gift for grandparents and for the memory books!

This is an amazing shop for the kids in your life. Who ever buys inventory for this story really spends time thinking through and finding the highest quality items.
If you are in Hayes Valley and need a little gift for the kiddos this place is a must visit.