It’s a place of serenity and solace, peace and perseverance, a shop where you can treat yourself to a special prize or find the most heartfelt gift for a loved one or friend. Gavin’s Treasures on Main Street in Center Moriches is stocked with the work of local artists, creators who pour their hearts into their craft in the hope that it will mean as much to the recipient as it does to them.
Owner Tova Keblish will greet you, and if you stay long enough, she’ll regale you with the story behind every piece. There are bracelets made from the cord a rescuer cut from a tangled sea turtle. There are crystals with innate powers fashioned into vials to hold the memory of a love lost. You can have a seashell personalized or the metal from horseshoes and railroad spikes made into a focal piece worthy of any mantle. They all inhabit curated displays that beseech you to lean in and experience the depth of their allure.
Gavin’s was borne of tragedy and heartbreak. Tova’s son, an only child fondly remembered as the “love of my life,” was accidentally poisoned eight years ago by an illicit drug at the beginning of what came to be known as the Fentanyl Crisis. He was a motocross racer who dedicated himself as a counselor to the children of Little Flower, a special school in Wading River. The Eastport-South Manor grad was a kind soul, an alum of Albany University, loved by all who knew him, his life cut short at 23 by the avarice of pushers and greed.
Tova could not bear to take home her son’s many trophies from his wake, displayed among the photographs and memories of an extraordinary life. Her friends took possession of them and created a mural from their materials that now stands as the centerpiece of Gavin’s Treasures.
“Opening a store in Gavin’s name was just about the last thing l had in mind,” said Tova, a 30-year veteran of the corporate world. “When l saw that mural and experienced the comfort it gave me, l knew l had to bring the same peace of mind to others. I want to be here for people; help them heal. Gavin’s Treasures are the connection from my heart to the rest of the world.”
Gavin’s is far from an ordinary gift shop. Visitors are treated to displays of handmade purses or coasters made of slate and wood. They can discover hand-blown glass ornaments and Turkish lamps, meticulously placed mosaics, and bottle tags made of shells. They have their choice of candles that reveal Reiki-charged stones when melted down. Here, you can choose minerals: mica, malachite, pyrite, slate, bumble bee jasper. “Everything’s made by local artisans,” says Tova, who’s celebrating the store’s fifth anniversary. “There’s no crap here from China.”
Birdhouse craftsman Mike Rignola drops in for a hello and a big hug from Tova. They talk about his squirrel feeder picnic table and the many homes he’s built for Long Island birds. There’s a deep connection between Tova and the carpenter, honed through years of collaboration. Let Tova and her artists accessorize your wedding or special event.
You can take classes at Gavin’s and learn about auras and crystals, the energy around us. Hear from a Medium, have your Tarot cards read by Nina on December 7 and 8. Finklespott’s Fairy Hair will also be there all this week. Go to gavinstreasures.com to find out more. One visit and your stress will evaporate; inspiration will abound.
Near Gavin’s home in Eastport, there is a bench in a little park dedicated to his memory, which will live on in the many loving gifts from his chest of treasures.