Part of the pleasure of visiting Brattleboro is strolling along its main streets and poking around the eclectic mix of shops, which are anything but cookie-cutter. Stock up on your agitprop at Save the Corporations from Themselves (169 Main St., 802/254-4847, www.savethecorporations.com, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sun.), an unabashedly left-of-center clothing and bookstore. For your budding revolutionary, it stocks a line of organic cotton onesies.

Books tower from floor to ceiling at Brattleboro Books (34–36 Elliot St., 802/257-7777, Mon.–Sun.), an independent store with the best selection in town.

“Country cute” is the tone at Dragonfly Dry Goods (136 Main St., 866/927-0099, www.dragonflydrygoods.com, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Wed. and Sat.; 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Thurs.; 9 a.m.–9.p.m. Fri.; 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sun.), a lavender-scented shop selling unique handcrafted housewares.

You can find more one-of-a-kind gifts at Vermont Artisan Designs & Gallery (106 Main St., 802/257-7044, www.vtartisans.com, open daily), which features pottery, furniture, and other crafts made by artisans from across the state.

Do well while doing good at Experienced Goods Thrift Shop (77 Flat St., 802/254-5200, www.brattleborohospice.org, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Mon.–Sat.; 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Fri.), two rooms of used clothing, books, and bric-a-brac at rock-bottom prices; proceeds from sales support the Brattleboro hospice.

A Candle in the Night (181 Main St., 802/257-0471, www.acandleinthenight.com, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat.; noon–5 p.m. Sun.) is the kind of store that dreams are made of; in addition to a huge selection of Oriental rugs, it carries imported antique furniture pieces from India, many of which are on a truly mammoth scale.