I'm not sure why, but the owner seemed to have a problem with me. Others were treated kindly - jokes and fun conversation. I tried to be pleasant and asked a few questions about their unique products, but that seemed to offend them so I stopped trying. After that I was more or less followed around the store and felt like they thought I might steal something. Beautiful stuff, horrible overall experience. Plenty of other galleries with similar stuff though. Bye.

Upon walking into the store very unique oddities and curiosities no cell phone policy. the owner did seem like a snob he rubbed me the wrong way because of his demeanor and interactions with other costumers as well . Big ego attitude from him which made the experience of shopping in there unpleasant but I did manage to buy some things and the lady was more friendly who rung me up. Stay away from the pretentious owner/artist and you'll be fine.

I can go on and on, on and on…and again on and on about how cool this place is! I don’t live in Pasadena, or even Los Angeles, but I make sure to stop by every time I am in Southern California. I can say without hesitation that you would be hard-pressed to find a store as unique, diverse, and cool as Gold Bug. It is the perfect stop for incredibly unique gifts and in my case, incredibly cool collectibles. One can easily spend a few hours taking in all the unique pieces that Theodora sells. She has the eye of a fine gallerist and the depth of a great collector. She knows cool and unique when she sees it. I have traveled across the US for many years for work and I have yet to find a store as cool as Gold Bug. If you are in the market for a special gift that the recipient won’t soon forget…there is no better destination than Gold Bug, truly. By all means, carve out some time to visit, take your time in there, explore and indulge in the beautiful little treasures that she has curated!

Please do not shop here ! I own a tour company and take groups to Pasadena. I always recommend this unusual store … During a recent tour in Pasadena, some of my customers visited Gold Bug store where they encountered a hostile experience with the owner. They reported that the owner was rude, even raising his voice, which made them uncomfortable. One customer was able to make a purchase despite the unpleasant encounter. As a tour company owner, I approached the owner to address the issue, but he insinuated that my customers were old and didn't spend enough money, and asked too many questions. What a horrible man !

GOLD BUG. I love this store, I love every little thing in this store. This space is filled with amazing finds. Curiosities all over, I mean in every corner of this place, it holds something new and brilliant. That gets you excited and happy. The products are so much fun to look at and what makes it even better is the Family that runs this store. I go in happy to look and know that there are a lot of things that I should not grab, pick up, move etc.. because I have common sense. there are things on the shelves with 1k price tags.. I have seen people nonchalantly pick them up and gasp at the price and put them down while knocking another piece next to it. that is not right.. have some common sense. IF you do, you can talk to the proprietors and they will assist you in every possible way, they will pull it off the shelf, give you the price, talk to you about the artist, tell you where it's from, what the history is behind each piece. They will even tell you what inspired them to buy it. Why they like it so , why it was purchased, how they found it and more. The amount of meaningful conversations I have had with the male owner that everyone seems to be so butt sore about (sorry I have no other adjective, I know its crass ) have been so fantastic that I'm actually astounded at the reviews here. I think that the majority of the complaints are from people that were rude from the get go, and speak to the staff like they are the ones in control, instead of speaking with curiosity and kindness. I say this because I have witnessed it all in this store. I have been coming to this place since it opened its doors, I have seen people drop vases, break art pieces and not care about it. Seriously, this store is a gem and all you have to do is ask. I have been in this store so many times over the years and I have never had a bad experience in this shop. Your experience in this store starts with an attitude of curiosity, respect , and kindness. Your overall experience will be based upon your attitude and that its up to you.

Was in town for a conference, and a friend recommended I pop in to Gold Bug as they knew I like skulls and other spooky things. Spent a delightful hour in this store looking at so many beautiful objects and chatting with one of the owners, Theodora. I found several mugs from an artist that matched one I had at home, so I bought 3. I would have scooped them all up if I had more room in my suitcase! Theodora was so helpful, answering my questions about the watches and other pieces. I learned a lot! I'll definitely be ordering from them in the future, and visiting if I'm ever back in Pasadena! Thank you, Gold Bug!

We stopped in this gift shop while waiting for an appointment- what a wonderful place! The items are unique and eclectic. The owner, Theodora was charming to talk with and their enthusiasm was delightful. I highly recommend stopping in with the intent to spend a bit of time to truly enjoy the browsing experience, you won’t regret it!

This is the coolest store I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting! If you like beautiful and bizarre trinkets and art for your home, this is the place to get it! Also an amazing assortment of unique jewelry! Would highly recommend a visit