If you’re shopping for a The Office fan this holiday season, be sure to check out these online shops to find the best The Office gifts. With Cyber Monday approaching, it’s the perfect time!
The Office has helped so many people get through 2020, whether it’s the show itself, The Office Ladies podcast, Rainn Wilson’s Hey There, Human live streams, John Krasinski’s Some Good News or Brain Baumgartner’s An Oral History of The Office podcast.
Thousands of people have expressed their gratitude to cast members for producing content during this pandemic, but how many people have thanked the eCommerce extraordinaries who have helped us decorate our Office-themed bathrooms and ensured our children are donning Office accessories as soon as they emerge from the womb?
This post is dedicated to the unsung heroes who have used art and other forms of creativity to help us Dunder Mifflin-ize every imaginable object and every corner of our house.
In no particular order, here are some of the Office fan art and Office merchandise shops I admire the most (no, I’m not receiving kickbacks – I truly love these guys!).
Top 10 Shops for The Office Gifts
1. Marshalls Home Goods
Whitney Marshall, from Utica, Michigan, launched her Esty shop in 2019 to help with her medical bills. She focuses on home goods, like tea towels and tote bags, as well as everyday items like face masks and shirts.
All the character drawings are hand drawn by local artists or herself, and the quotes are mostly “deep track” references that hardcore fans will appreciate.
Quality and ingenuity are important to Whitney. As she puts it, “I only make/sell things that, as a fan, I would want.”
Of all the Office characters, Whitney can most relate to Holly Flax. Whitney’s husband’s name is actually Michael, and this is who got her hooked on the show.
Whitney’s Favorite Item:
2. Curious Hobbyist Co
Ayana lives in San Jose, California and recently started learning how to illustrate. She wanted to sell her artwork, so she launched an Office-themed Etsy shop earlier this year.
“I think what differentiates me from other Office shops is that mine are illustrated caricatures. It’s a bit of an exaggerated and cheeky way to pay homage to these incredible scenes,” said Ayana.
What character can Ayana most relate to? She considers herself a mix of Pam, Angela and Oscar.
Ayana’s Favorite Item:
3. The Finer Things Shoppe
Erika Metcalf, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, recently started experimenting with graphic design and launched her Office-themed Etsy shop earlier this year.
Her shop started out with mostly text-based designs on t-shirts and mugs. Since then, she’s expanded her selection and added items like pajama pants, blankets and hoodies.
Erika sets her shop apart by using obscure and underused quotes that she personally finds the funniest.
Of all the Office characters, Erika can most relate to Andy Bernard. She loves to sing and do accents.
Erika’s Favorite Item:
4. The Office Letters
This next shop owner, based out of New Jersey, prefers to remain anonymous. Before launching her shop, she started off by sharing her art (and other people’s art) on Instagram with the goal of bringing together Office fans who also create Office art.
This summer, she decided to pursue her dream of creating a one-stop shop for The Office that provides digital downloads. See worked with a lettering artist on the quotes and created the designs herself using a watercolor paper technique.
While she has cycled through different artistic styles on Instagram, her shop focuses on a black-and-white design scheme. This ensures that everything you purchase looks cohesive when displayed side-by-side.
This shop owner considers herself to be most like Angela Martin because she plays by the rules and does most things by the book. She can also relate to Pam Beesly because she loves art and creativity, and she is an introvert who prefers to avoid confrontation but who sometimes has victorious moments voicing her opinions.
The Office Letter’s Favorite Item:
5. Deep Tracks Only
Moria lives in Pennsylvania and started her Etsy shop in 2020, which seems to be a recurring theme (for obvious reasons).
She started by making designs for her own wardrobe, and decided she wanted to share them with fellow fans. She already owned an offline t-shirt business, so she had all the supplies on hand. She also had lots of free time because she had to leave her job due to the coronavirus and being high-risk.
The name of her shop, Deep Tracks Only, reflects the fact that her designs make references that only super fans would understand. The designs are mostly her own, except for a few that she licensed from other artisans on Etsy.
Moira says she is most like Dwight Schrute. In her own words, she describes herself as “a bit odd.” Living in rural Pennsylvania, she loves working in her garden where she grows beets.
Moria’s Favorite Item:
6. Bears Beets BS
Nishtha Kotriwala lives in London, and like others, had a lot of free time during lockdown. Consequently, she decided to explore digital art as a hobby and develop her skills.
She started experimenting by drawing different The Office characters and ended up making a series of characters with their heads as objects that capture their essence.
When she shared these drawings in an Office Facebook group, people loved them and said they’d want to buy the designs on notebooks and stationery. That’s when Nishtha’s shop idea was born.
Nishtha most relates to Jim Halpert because he reacts to the absurd situations the same way she would.
Nishtha’s Favorite Item:
7. The Office Strangler
Cherry, from San Diego, California, created her Office shop earlier this year so she could be her own customer.
“It’s a thrill to create something other fans would enjoy and totally understand,” she said.
She strives to create the most minimalistic designs while still making them easily recognizable as something from The Office.
Cherry says she is most like Pam Beesly. Pam’s experience with self-doubt regarding her artistic talent really resonates with Cherry who currently works as a fashion designer and can vividly remember her own struggles.
Cherry’s Favorite Item:
8. Teapot Doodles
This shop owner is from England and expressed her love for The Office so beautifully that I have to share it verbatim:
“The Office has such a special place in my heart that I just had to express it through creating art . . . I love the community of Office fans, as well, especially since it has become so much more active since The Office Ladies began.”
Every Office artist has their own unique style, and this shop owner is no exception. If you were to randomly run across her art, it would be immediately recognizable.
It’s no surprise that we have another Pam Beesly here. Any artist can probably easily relate to artistic Pam. Beyond Pam’s penchant for art, this shop owner can also relate to Pam’s journey of gaining the confidence to follow her dreams.
Teapot Doodles Favorite Item:
9. Artladama
Lauren, from my own home state of Colorado, developed an interest in using colored pencils a few years ago. She made a series of Jim and Pam drawings that received a wonderful reception from The Office fans. They wanted prints!
Lauren set out to find a good on-demand printer and discovered RedBubble, a platform similar to Etsy that’s focused on art. All of Lauren’s work is hand-drawn, so RedBubble was a great fit.
“Of course, I love The Office for its hilarity and absurdity, but I maybe more love it for its quiet, intimate, everyday moments, especially in the Jim and Pam story . . . the nature of colored pencil helps me capture that.”
While the prints and products in her shop contain reproductions of her prints, Lauren ensures that they maintain that handmade appeal.
Lauren is another Pam Beesly.
“I think a lot of people who were artsy in high school can relate to how life and self-doubt often got in the way of art ambitions . . . sometimes all you need is one person’s support to make you want to keep going. And even if she didn’t end up making a living at art, she found a way to work it into her life.”
Lauren’s Favorite Item:
10. Dunder Mifflin Paper Company
Did you know there is a Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Los Angeles? I didn’t either. This Dunder Mifflin is both an online store and a vending tent on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
I spoke to David, a “Dunder Mifflin paper salesman,” who told me how it all began.
The shop began as a funny way to display the Season 10 comic book, Return of The Office. Erik, one of the shop owners, originally received the comic as a gift from his wife.
When Erik shared the comic online, it blew up on Instagram, and caught the attention of the real-life Dwight Schrute, Rainn Wilson. He loved it so much he shared it on Twitter, calling it “epic.”
After the Twitter mention, the real-life Stanley Hudson, Leslie David Baker, reached out to the shop on Instagram asking if they could create a Stanley-inspired crossword puzzle book.
“Don’t call him Stanley in real life, though, unless you want to get the infamous Stanley death stare,” said David. “Erik made that mistake when Leslie took him and his wife out to dinner.”
Then, Tone Rodriguez, the artist who created The Adventures of Jimmy Halpert comic featured on The Office, reached out to the shop and offered to work with them to finish the Jimmy Halpert comic book, which originally only had a few pages. The success of this comic book led to collaborations with even more cast members.
“We have made it our mission to keep the Office heartbeat alive by continuing to pay homage to the show with original Office-inspired content that fans all over the world can enjoy,” said David.
The shop sells additional items, especially paper, to raise money to create more comics. They also donate 50% of recycled paper profits to Lide Haiti, Rainn Wilson’s nonprofit for at-risk youth in Haiti.
David can relate most to Michael Scott and his overly sensitive emotions – from his fear of missing out to his need for love and his shameless displays of PDA.
David’s Favorite Item:
Bonus! 11. The Office Funko Pops
I know I said ten, but there’s so much good Office merchandise and Office gifts out there, I couldn’t help myself.
There was a time when there were no Office Funko Pops. You can thank Arnold, from Miami, Florida, for saving us from those dark days.
Before Office Funko Pops existed, Arnold started an Instagram account to try to convince Funko to make them.
“They told me if I got to 10k followers, they would consider it, and when I did, they did. It’s been heaven ever since,” said Arnold.
So, where does Arnold’s shop come in? He asked cast members to autograph the Funkos and started selling them online along with other Office collectibles. This has allowed him to meet his favorite cast members and speak to them at length.
Arnold can most relate to Michael Scott and his undying thirst for being helpful, which sometimes gets him in trouble.
The Office Cast Members Love Office Artists and Office Merchandise
Arnold and David aren’t the only two movers and shakers to catch the attention of the cast. Many of the other shop owners in this list have caught the eye of cast members. In fact, that’s how I found many of them (i.e., The Office Ladies sharing fan art on Instagram).
What to Get Someone Who Loves The Office
As you’re doing your holiday shopping, please remember these eleven, hard-working designers, artists and creatives and their inspiring stories. I don’t know about you, but it’s more fun to buy from shops that have a memorable backstory.
Hopefully, this post has provided you with some unique gift ideas and also paid homage to the shop owners who are bringing a little bit of humor to our lives during this dystopian year.
I know there are many more Office-themed shops that I overlooked. Whether or not I mentioned you here, please know that this post is dedicated to you, too. Thank you!
I have great respect for all of you because I thought about opening an Office Etsy shop earlier this year and decided it was too much work. It all worked out for the best, though, because it’s allowed me to focus on my Office blogs and Office poetry.
Who Did I Miss?
I know I missed plenty of Office-themed shops. If you know of one, comment below so we can all discover more!
Pam's Teapot 
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