Shopping in Asheville

Combining experience in lampworking, glass blowing, and jewelry design, the three resident artists of Asheville Glass Center lead workshops and classes to share their passion for manipulating molten glass. The two- to three-hour intro courses teach neophytes to craft borosilicate marbles and soft glass beads, and more in-depth classes result in intricate implosion flowers and sand-cast solid forms. The center also offers open studio time for more experienced artists who wish to work alone, like the winningest three-legged racers.

In 1950, John Searcy loaded up his pickup truck with car batteries and began peddling his wares to wholesalers. Two years later, John formalized his operation and began Interstate All Battery Center, a battery retailer and service center that spans the continent from Austin to Anchorage powering cars, hearing aids, and cameras. Interstate All Battery Center charges gadgets and vehicles with more than 16,000 types of power solutions, and eases environmental taxes on the planet with a robust battery-recycling system. In a year, Interstate All Battery Center recycled 850 million pounds of batteries—just enough energy to grant immortality to one Furby.

At Mr. K’s Used Books, Music, and More’s five locations, funny money is the currency of choice. In exchange for bringing in good-quality books, CDs, and DVDs, customers receive store-issued dollars that they can use toward the purchase of other items. Some in-demand items, such as school textbooks, modern literature, video games, or sports almanacs from the future, may warrant a cash exchange instead. The shop’s friendly staffers, meanwhile, remain at the ready to help customers locate an item amid the many shelves, organized by genre and number of vowels in the title.

At OneWay Eyeglasses, frames from name-brand designers pair with lenses ranging from single-vision to no-line bifocals. The shop also stocks an array of contacts, and the independent onsite optometrists dole out prescriptions and relationship advice.

The staffers at Frame It to a T boast experience in a multitude of aesthetically driven fields—from visual art to interior design—but they specialize in conservation framing. The specialists expertly match jerseys, diplomas, photos, and artwork with acid-free mats and eye-catching frames. Ultraviolet-filter glass prevents sunlight from bleaching artwork or keepsakes, ensuring that prized childhood toys age as imperceptibly as a Twinkie. Those who do not already have artwork they wish to frame can peruse the shop’s selection of art and prints.

Since 2001, Extreme Snowboard and Ski has populated the slopes of Sugar Mountain Resort with snow sportsters outfitted with rental and retail equipment, as well as apparel from brands such as Neff, Loki, and Grenade. The ski shop’s prime location at the entrance to mountain makes it a convenient stop for downhillers in need of rental skis or snowboards, a new pair of Spy or Smith goggles, or equipment tuning performed by the onsite repair technicians. The tech team treats skis and boards with the help of a Wintersteiger Micro 91, restoring their functionality and refining their bottoms until they can slide over snow with powder-cutting grace.