Michelle’s Import Plus

If you’re looking for basic, cheap souvenirs for all the people you have no idea what to get as a momento of Vancouver/Canada…you’ve come to the right place.
(Weird side note… a store by the same owners selling the same stuff under a different name resides two doors down in case you couldn’t decide the first time around.)
Crammed to the rafters full of tacky things emblazoned with maple leaves and soaked in Pantone 032, this place is claustrophobic at best. Not to mention totem poles and inukshuks galore.
Make it painless and don’t mull over things.
Just grab a handful of stuff and make a dash for the checkout.
Best part: you can make it all personal and shit and say you got it at «Michelle’s».

If you’re in Gastown, this is the perfect souvenir shop to visit. They have every type of souvenir you can imagine. It can be a little difficult to decide what to buy because there’s so much to choose from. The employees were helpful and the store was relatively organized.
Recommended.
Tip: If you ride the hop-​on hop-​off trolley you receive a coupon for this souvenir store. Don’t forget to use it!

I actually went to the store next to this place that seemed like a completely separate store but the receipt says it’s the same spot. Came in for a magnet and a gift for Tanya G. who was watching my dog while I was away. Christine Z. and I had a good laugh at me misreading a t-​shirt and the clerk didn’t find me that amusing. Too bad. I’m a hit in the States! :) I also wanted to send a post card to the US but they didn’t have any stamps so I couldn’t send my nieces and nephews any international love. They def had postcards tho.
I found what I needed. The store served its purpose and we were on our way back to our country.

Even though I am Canadian I come in here for all my Canadian knick knacks, especially anything maple flavored. Nicely presented inviting store on a block of many tourist trap souvenir shops (I say that with love). Whenever I have some US friends coming over and want to send a bit of Canada to them I buy from this place. I am clumsy, therefore, I avoid those fancy maple syrup bottles. I bought the coolest set of salad tossers in the shape of bear claws. I am still debating on the moose PJ’s.

Michelle’s Import Plus, or M-​I-​P, as the receipt has it, actually describes two sister stores – the one at the address listed on this Unilocal entry, and a separate store called «Vancouver Souvenirs» located at 175 Water Street.
Today, the clerk (owner?) tried to cheat me out of $ 2 (well, $ 1.75, to be precise). Perhaps he thinks Canadian currency is difficult for Americans to manage. Actually, it’s not hard to wrap one’s head around Canadian currency. There are $ 2 coins and $ 1 coins. This is what happened:
Paid with a $ 10 bill for an item costing $ 5.50. Received $ 2.75 in change; the receipt conveniently noted that I had paid $ 5.50 in tender and was to receive zero change in return. He stepped away from the register quickly to stand near a display just feet away. Called the clerk back and explained I wasn’t given enough change. I showed him the coins he gave me. He said, «Where’s the other two-​dollar coin?» and looked surprised. There was one $ 2 coin, genius. «Oh,» he said. He took one 25-​cent piece back and gave me a $ 2 coin in return. No apology.
Swindlers. He gets one star back for giving the money back. Oh, and with 2 stars, my review might not be flagged as easily by Unilocal,giving me a better chance of getting it out there.
Would not patronize again.

I stopped by every souvenir shop on Water St. and Michelle’s at 57 Water St. had the best deals and the most variety. Michelle’s also gave 10% off for presenting the coupon in the Big Bus tour map. I told others and they ended up buying things here, too.

«…»
That’s what someone said when she saw her name emblazoned across the front of this solid half-​block of Canada-​themed souvenir crap.
So, yeah, it’s a store, packed wall to wall, ceiling to floor, aisle over aisle completely full of crap that no one should want.
If you DO want that kind of crap, though, there’s probably no better place in town to experience such a broad and varied selection of tacky sweatshirts, geode art, key chains, ceramic collectible figurines, postcards, tiny little flags, ugly coffee mugs, those cut out wood things spelling out the letters of common first names, various products made out of small tree trunks with bark intact, any number of mediocre maple-​flavoured snack gift items, adjustable caps, adjustable pants (?) and on and on. Go there now.