Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
Hidden Gem Gift Shop Inside a Sunshine Ace Hardware Store
Years ago, when I was on a search for a cute turtle printed Simply Southern tote bag, I came across a Sunshine Ace Hardware store in Largo, Florida that sold them. My mom lived just minutes from the store and we were able to arrange to pay for the tote and for her to pick it up.
You would never know this Ace Hardware store is full of unique gifts!
While she was in there, she told me how they had tons of cute gift items and I had to stop in and see it the next time I visited her. A few months later, I visited that same Sunshine Ace Hardware store and was blown away. Here’s all about the hidden gem of a gift shop inside this hardware store.
They simply have the cutest gifts!
If you are ever in the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Largo Florida area, you must stop in the Sunshine Ace Hardware store on 1015 W Bay Drive in Largo. Largo is located outside of Tampa and I’d call it a little sleepy Florida town that is very conveniently located outside the hustle and bustle of all the beachgoers. It’s minutes to many, many beautiful Florida beaches and it makes sense that this Ace Hardware decided to ramp up their business a bit by including a massive gift section.
See a 1 minute video tour in my video below or on my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
I love the giant antique mirror they have on display
When you first enter the store, you are greeted by thousands of unique items that you can use while on vacation, or buy a few gifts to take home with you. Even if I don’t need to buy anything, I love to browse through everything (I really love to look at unique items when shopping), which can take some time. At the front of the store, there are kitchen gift items, jewelry items, beach towels, dish sets, and more. They have many affordable things, but also some high-end gift items.
They have an enormous purse collection
While they don’t currently sell the Simply Southern totes anymore, they do have a decent selection of Bogg bags. They carry the Spartina 449 line of Florida totes, wallets, embroidered pillows and more. They have a line of packable and lightweight bags called ALOHA, which are also splash-proof. The ladies that work at the Sunshine Ace Hardware have dressed some mannequins in some of their beachy wear and paired it with certain bags to help you put together a beachy “look”.
The Aloha bags and Bogg bags
A couple hours south from this Sunshine Ace hardware store reveals a restaurant you can only get to by boat. Check out my one-minute video about it including the Cheeseburger in Paradise of Cabbage Key, Florida below or on my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
They have an entire selection of Scout bags, which are super durable and come in many prints. I used these bags when I was a teacher and you can read about them in this article that I wrote about my favorite bags (including all about my favorite HULKEN bag). The Scout bags make great beach bags, as well as the Bogg bags.
Their selection of Pawley’s Island rope hammocks
They have the Pawley’s Island rope hammock chairs, which roll up easily and can be store in any suitcase to take home with you. I am unsure if they will ship anything you buy for you, but there is a post office nearby and lots of shipping stores in the area that you could ship things home for yourself. Pawley’s Island is known for their super sturdy and great crafted rope hammocks and you can learn more about them by visiting their website.
The Spartina 449 collection at Ace
The gifts are mostly in the front of the store, but if you go, you should walk around the whole store. This Sunshine Ace Hardware is different than any other Ace store I’ve been to. This Sunshine Ace is currently part of 11 Ace Hardware locations.
You can find almost any gift item need at this store
I’ve been to several Sunshine Ace Hardware stores in Florida to see if any of them had this unique and large gift section, and so far this is the only one with this same large selection of gifts. I went to another one that had some gift items, but it was nothing like this one location. It’s very close to Indian Rocks Beach, which is where we’ve stayed when visiting my mom, and it was very nice.
Their massive Scout bag display
This Sunshine Ace Hardware store is massive in size and has all your hardware needs, but also has Yeti coolers, fishing rods, garden décor and more. They have paint, will cut keys for you, do glass cutting, carpet cleaning, do propane refills and exchanges and more.
They have a bag for every need!
They have sporting goods, clothing, cleaning supplies, outdoor living items and the list goes on and on. My husband wanted a good Stihl chainsaw to help us get through all our Hurricane Ian damage. We went to an Ace by our home in Sanibel, Florida and they gave him a tutorial on how to use it. You don’t get that kind of service in many “big box” hardware stores.
If you are ever in the area and in need of gifts for friends and family members and just want to stay away from all the crowded beach gift shops, definitely check this store out! From beach towels, to beach coverups, to pajamas, to purses, to cutting boards and more, the Sunshine Ace Hardware store can be a fun little shopping adventure for you to try!
This Sunshine Ace hardware store is giant!
If you ever want really great service and be welcomed by a staff that knows a lot about a lot of DIY home stuff, Ace is a great place to shop for that too.
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Carolyn J. (C.J.) Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.