The Nearsighted Narwhal

And here we go with my 2^nd update on Nearsighted Narwhal. Apparently all of my frustrations with their hours the last week and a half was a fluke. The owner had a volunteer take over and the volunteer did not adhere to the agreed hours that were believed to have been made. This was frustrating to the owner as well but with her return they are back to reliable hours which I am extremely happy to see!
Go ahead and check out their really cool merchandise!

What a cool little store. I stopped here because the name sucked me in. What can I say, I think narwhals are awesome!
The store is very cute and has a lot of neat artwork. I was hoping they had some robot prints/​art since the store seems like they’d have something like that, but no luck. I did find a really cool drawing though that I purchased for only $ 5.00. What a deal.
I believe it was the owner working, because he thanked me for stopping in and asked if it was my first time visiting. He was super nice and made me want to come back. I can’t wait to stop by and visit again.

This is a fabulous, and needed, DIY store on 6^th ave. it supports and sells items from local musicians, writers, zine makers, card lovers, crafters etc.
They have a large selection of zines, music (tapes, CDs, records, etc), kids books, adult books, jewelry, buttons, shirts, comics, bags… on…and…on…and…on…
The store is adorable and you can always find new goodies!
You can also sell your local handmade wears for cash (when it sells) or trade/​store credit.
They also have services such as logo creation, recording, birthday parties, design etc.
It’s worth a trip, or two, or three :)

Tacoma’s much-​needed zine emporium & DIY crafty space! I love this shop and the friendly folks who work here. They have an excellent selection of books, zines, crafts, art, and more, and a calendar full of great events. I’m so happy this is here.

Confirming 6^th Avenue’s status as «the place to be» in Tacoma and a huge leap forward for T-Town’s Indy/​DIY scene, The Nearsighted Narwhal is a little delight that is not to be missed.
Anyone into zines will appreciate the Narwhal’s selections — sure to increase as they get established. The emphasis is appropriately-​wonderfully local, but also includes several stalwarts of zine publishing. Even better — the resources they provide to self-​publish and self-​produce: button making machine, printers, cutters, etc.
The Nearsighted Narwhal is one street-​savvy shop. Lending to their street cred — walking in and seeing catalogues from PDX Zine Symposium. Clearly, they have been inspired by places like Reading Frenzy, the IPRC and Regional Assembly of Text. They’re batting for the fences… zine rookies & veterans alike will be rooting for them.
I wish them joy & success in all their endeavors — and I will be there to support them!

This place is the coolest! Just opened in late June, it’s a shop dedicated to DIY in all forms, including self-​published books, zines, music, artwork, greeting cards, and more.
I chatted with one of the owners (Ossain) and was so impressed by their dedication to creating a community space – they’ve hosted workshops, musical performances, open mics for local authors, and a 24-​hour zine making event. There’s space for painting, craft kits, and a typewriter for rent (50¢ a page). They also offer button making and lo-​fi recording to make your own CD. I was most excited about their seriously fantastic selection of zines, they’ve got a great mix of «classics» along with new stuff by local artists.
Tacoma is so lucky to have a place like this!

What a valuable concept: support and highlight locals artists, writers and craftspeople. So glad to see this in Tacoma! We picked up a CD for me, and a book and some buttons for the kids for under $ 20. If we lived in Tacoma I’d be there frequently. Please support this place!

A fun little store for those interested in DIY self publishing, writing group workshops, Local zines, music, comics and art. Employees are really nice and welcoming, location is right on 6^th next to Legendary Donuts.