Shop Online With These 4 Local Businesses
- Adam Brimhall
- May 4, 2020
- 5:08 pm

Like the ancient adage says, with every crisis comes an opportunity. The recent upheaval of what we all think of as normal has forced many local businesses to rethink how they can access customers. Even though merchant giants like Amazon have not been immune to the shutdown from the last two months, they pose even more of a threat to your local mom and pop shops than they did before because of Stay-At-Home orders.
Thankfully, things are slowly starting to open back up, but it is not likely that things will return to “normal” any time soon, if ever. Social distancing and masks are still encouraged, and many still choose to stay at home for their own reasons. So, instead of handing Jeff Bezos more money, why not try these local shops who also have an online presence first?

Bricks and Minifigs
Keep your brain sharp and your kids occupied with Lego projects! Just take a few minutes to watch a couple of episodes of the Lego Masters TV series on Hulu, and you will get a feel for just how much of a fun and positive family activity Lego building can be.
Bricks and Minifigs in Boise have a ton of cool packages to choose from, all of which are sure to entertain you and your kids for hours. They have brand new Lego kits, collectible Lego Minifigures, bulk parts sold by volume, even some original kits designed by the Bricks and Minifigs store. Check out their Star Wars Make & Take package to celebrate Star Wars Day (May the 4th Be With You)! Supplies are limited so Go! grab one while you can.
Stock up on your Lego collection at the Bricks and Minifigs Boise web store. Spend $65 or more and get an exclusive Plague Doctor Minifigure with your purchase!

Collector’s Outpost
This is the coolest place to grab a coffee while keeping up to date with all the latest comic book releases. From their new website, you can get your coffee how you like it, put in an order for almost any current comic (with an extensive back-stock of previous issues), trading card booster packs, or any other pop-culture nerdery your day may require. If you find it easier, you can have your order brought to your vehicle through their curbside pickup option during checkout.
Their online orders have a handy timer to tell you when your order will be ready. If you snoop around their main website, you may just find some Easter eggs with coupons and discount codes, so browse around before you buy!

Quality Art, Inc.
Being locked up this past couple of months, it only makes sense to try out something you never had the chance to do before. Bob Ross landscape painting has become quite popular as of late and for good reason. It is just so relaxing and comforting to have a creative release with a mentor who gives you hope through mantras like, “there are no mistakes, only happy accidents.”
But, to get started, you’ll need some supplies. Quality Art, Inc. of Boise has an online store where you can pick up a Bob Ross painting kit for adults and/or kids. Or, you can customize your new hobby by choosing your own supplies from the vast array of materials they have on hand. The amount of supplies they offer is staggering! They have anything you could possibly need for any art project, at any skill level or age group.

The Record Exchange
At Idaho’s original independently owned record store, you can find all the latest releases from your favorite artists, no matter how underground or obscure; not to mention some rare and hard to find records, CDs, cassettes, and box sets from the Record Exchange web store.
The Record Exchange in Boise is one of the primary locations behind the creation of Record Store Day. Usually it’s in April, but with all the hullabaloo lately, Record Store Day 2020 has been pushed to June 20th. They plan on making this a weekend-long celebration. Keep up to date with the Record Exchange and their plans for Record Store Day by following them on social media.
These are not the only Boise businesses that offer online shopping and curbside pickup. Now that COVID-19 has changed the world around us, almost all businesses have been forced to make big changes and have more of an online presence. So before you hit up Amazon, take a quick look around for some local businesses that you can support through online purchases while you stay at home.

Adam Brimhall
An expert at going out.

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