Gift Certificate to Black-owned vintage record shop Black Star Vinyl:

 
“I’ve always been a flea market, junk shop type of cat,” says Martin Brewer, owner of Black Star Vinyl (BSV), a vintage shop selling records, books and home goods. BSV, located on Madison and Marcus Garvey in the heart of Bed-Stuy, is filled with crates of jazz, soul, funk, rock and hip-hop (mostly from the ‘70s and ‘80s), as well as shelves teeming with unusual hardcovers and paperbacks, which foster points of conversation. “When you walk into the shop, there is a lot of texture here,” says Brewer. “It brings up a lot of stuff, so people hang out and talk.” BSV’s other merchandise, including vintage guitars, pottery, clothing, retro luggage and boomboxes, all fastidiously presented, likewise invite treasure-hunting and question-asking. Brewer’s skillfully curated inventory includes intriguing finds like antique lamps, 19th century-looking prairie boots, and retro glassware, with specialty products like body butters and oils, healing crystals and bundles of Palo Santo. BSV is also a coffee shop serving La Colombe espresso and a selection of pastries.