I love rare device for the home, gifts and just to peruse their items. Rare device is the perfect name for them...items from Japan and Sweden that you don't find elsewhere. Come here if you want small gadgets and items that you will want to take home with you. I got my succulent air plants in a globe here and I love them! They're doing great. They use Square here too, which is always fun. read more

I saw this place as I was walking through, and I'm glad that I stopped! There are cute cute cards, knick nacks, house items I think - definitely make a note to stop by!!! I'm excited to come again and see more! read more

Rare Device always puts me in such a happy and silly mood. I am a huge fan for details and all things quirky with a sense of humor. Rare device has all of these things. My recent purchases include a pair of wooden nuts by "Somethings Hiding in Here" and a little notebook with wood grain pages. I make it a point to always stop by when I'm in the city, and so should you! read more

One of my favorite places to look for gifts in the city. I usually just end up buying something for myself though. Great selection at a varied price point- so you can always find something. read more

This store has a great open layout with easy circulation and a light airy feel. I love that they display art. The things they carry here are well selected and unique. If you're looking for a gift this is the place to go. I left with a pair of locally made earrings that have quickly become my new favorite pair and am already planning a return visit to get a few other items I thought I could live without (I was wrong). read more

cool stuff cool vibe bad customer service: RD posted preview of art show i was attending that evening...i called to purchase one of the pieces, RD told me they would just hold it for me. I asked again to purchase, they said they would hold no problem. RD then sold the piece to another customer before i arrived. you suck! read more

This place has some really cool stuff. Sort of like the toys and things offered at Urban Outfitters, but better. Really sort of upscale boutique-y type things. Upon my favorites were the wooden stick lighters and wood toy robots. The type of place you'd watch to check back into every time you're in the area for those unique "Where'd you find that at?" type of things. Next time I'm there I'll probably pick up a book or two. One to keep at home on the magazine table and another one to give away as a gift. The artwork in the back is also worth a good scanning read more

I wish I had more time to actually peruse the items in the store - but I had my two little kids with me, it was crowded the weekend before Xmas, and I was there to pick up the two paintings I asked Lisa, the owner, to paint for my husband. I had looked on Lisa's Etsy store for the type of painting I wanted, but couldn't find it, so I wrote to Lisa. She said she could paint the paintings I wanted, in time for Christmas. When I went in to pick them up at her store, it was crowded, but I noticed that everyone was keeping their cool in what could be a stressful retail environment. Lisa asked if I needed help, I explained I was there to pick up paintings, and within a few moments the exchange had been made (and they are beautiful!). I managed to squeeze in a few moments to look at the jewelry before my kids' dragged me out. A few days later, Lisa wrote to tell me that she now frames all her paintings, but didn't have time before I picked them up - but if I wanted to drop them off (plus another one of hers we've had for a year) she'd frame them all. It was really great follow through to know she was still thinking about me and the paintings, wanting to make sure they were perfect. I highly recommend that while you are shopping at Rare Device, you check out all her art work. And when I bring the paintings in to be framed, I'll be leaving the kids at home and taking the time to shop the store! read more

I would like to commend this business on their selection of diverse children's books! It is often difficult to find kiddie lit that features people of different cultures, ethnicities, etc. Rare Device doesn't have a huge range of kid's books, but what they do have is absolutely stellar! The rest of the shop is exceedingly beautiful and the staff is friendly and engaging. Highly recommend! read more

This place & Perish Trust made me realize that I guess I like Lower Haight? Places like this are easily hit or miss-- I live surrounded by 'em, at home-- but this place is a hit. Well curated stuff; I wasn't planning on buying anything but walked out of here with a new wine screw, some Twin Peaks pins, & a few other tchochkes. read more

Fun little shop, filled with awesome stuff- jewelry, stationary, small home goods. And the best part is that most of the stuff is affordable, too! read more

Love this place. And like how the people who work there leave you alone to browse. Lots of interesting and unique items. Sure, some stuff is pretty spendy, but hey....I'd rather spend an extra buck to support artists than some nasty faceless coolcorporation. read more

Yay! I love this place. I stopped in for the first time after always passing by after hours. Lots of cute clever things and affordable I felt. I liked that the guy working there gave me plenty of space to feel comfortable looking around at everything yet was very helpful and even put forth the extra effort to ensure my art print was packed well to ride safely home on my bicycle. The merchandise is awesome and the service was perfect. I'll be back. read more

Love this store. Super cute. Fun to linger in and explore. Beautiful jewelry and fun household items and books. Not too expensive but designy prices. read more

Having lived in the Alamo Square/Divis Corridor area for almost seventeen years, I was a little sad to see the meat shop go, but REALLY HAPPY to have a wonderful, design-oriented shop nearby. Rare Device is a wonderful place to go when you need something really unique to give as a gift. I love all of the local artists represented here. An amazing mix of housewares, jewelry, artwork and kids' stuff. The owner is a lovely woman with an great eye for pulling all of these items together. We pop in frequently to see what's new, and to ogle all the things I want. Rare Device a huge asset to the neighborhood! read more

I love everything about this store! The new location is ideal and you can find a gift for every single person in your life here and buy a bunch of stuff for yourself too. Giselle has curated a beautiful collection of trinkets, home goods, personal care products, jewelry and I am a huge fan of her cards. She even has a few LGBT cards in there, which I think is awesome! If you're in the NoPa area, you simply must stop by and marvel that is Rare Device! read more

Super cute store. Great spot for unique gifts at all price points, and really fun to just browse around. The staff have always been very friendly when I have popped in, helpful when I needed it but not overbearing. I'm thrilled about this addition to the neighborhood. read more

So happy this store opened up in my neighborhood. NoPA was definitely in need of a little gem trinket store. I'm a sucker for quality greeting cards and notebooks so I immediately fell in love with this place. I'm always greeted, never bothered when browsing the shop. Prices are comparable to other stores in city and I really like that I can use a credit card even when just buying one greeting card. ;) read more

What a great assortment of unique things. You can tell great care and good taste went into the selection of goods - supporting crafters and makers from all over the world. And the owner is really friendly! read more

Unusual gift ideas and a lovely selection of cards. I bought a hand cream from them that may well prove to be the best hand cream I have ever used and it is a very "green" product if labels can be believed. It is just steps from Bi-Rite on Diviz so it is destination shopping! read more

We've bought a variety of items from Rare Device, from earrings to a modern metal bench, all of which is beautifully designed. It's my favorite store to head to if I'm not sure what to get that design snob in my life. Don't miss the gallery shows. read more

i would walk by this store every damn day while they were getting it ready to open, either going to and from work, or walking the dog, and i wondered what could be going in there, in this kinda "neither-here-nor-there" block of "deco ghetto-meets-upper-market-meets-mission dolores-meets hayes valley". then my neighbor who used to live in brooklyn todl me that this great store, Rare Device, is going in there and she loved it and used to go in all the time when she lived in brooklyn. we missed their grand opening so we went to their holiday party at the end of Nov, us, our two dogs, and our wallets, and had a great time looking through all the mostly locally made do das, clothing, great purses, books, jewelry...small space but they fit a lot of cool stuff in there! i got this metal branch with a catnip stuffed bird that you can perch upon it and watch your cat go crazy trying to get to it. since i have a dog, i'm going to use the branch as they do in the store - as a way to display my jewelry and the other to hold my keys so i don't keep losing them. i live right around the corner so i was happy when something other than a pot club moved in there ; ). AND Rena who owns it took some benefit doggie calendars (www.diningwithsophie.com/calendars) so i like them even more!! a welcome edition to the hood, i hope other similar types follow suit! there are some empty store fronts around it...anyone?? read more

my beloved little otsu is back for a short time at rare device! a little pop up shop suits me fine, very cool, i hope they stay forever.

its been a while since i've gone to one of their gallery parties and its usually when i'm not 100% sober that i make purchases at Rare Device but that's more of a reflection of my uptight consumer ways than it is of the store. the store itself is beautiful. if i could I'd buy everything in. Every time i'm there, i fall in love and my faith in art/craft/design/creation is rejuvinated. plus the people who work there are fabulous. read more

Great place selling random household items. Wouldn't say I'd buy much here considering the price. However, I really do like their cards and stationary selection which I go to when I need to pick some up. read more

Ah! It's so hard to write about Rare Device because it is my absolute favorite store in San Francisco! It's full of art and home decor items made by local artists, as well as an amazing selection of jewelry and stationery supplies. I've bought a few pieces of jewelry here, and while I thought they were kind of expensive, they are worth every penny because I wear them all the time! It's a good example of investing in something that is high quality. They are good about turning over their merchandise, so I'm not bombarded by the same old things every time I come in- which is usually a challenge for the smaller local boutiques. Every person who works here has been so friendly and helpful to me, which always makes it a fun shopping experience. When I need to get a gift for someone, or myself!, Rare Device is always my first (and usually only) stop. They also showcase art from local artists, which seems to change monthly- and they're very laid back and accepting about customers taking pictures in the store. If you're coming to San Francisco, you HAVE to stop by Rare Device. Also- for those of you that remember when Little Otsu used to be on Valencia before closing- Rare Device sells lots of Little Otsu cards and artwork. read more

I always bring out of town visitors here to buy souvenirs -- letterpress cards, household doodads, and jewelry -- for their visit to San Francisco. Local design in that bright peppy slightly cutesy San Francisco design idiom, thoughtfully "curated" (sorry for abusing the word) objects from Japan, and nice, chill staff. Always pleasant to stop by here before going over to Nopa for dinner, and nice to spend your monies at your local boutique. read more

This is a great store for artists to get inspired as well as one of the most unique gift shops in SF.