Best Savannah Shopping

Every Saturday and Sunday, this flea market draws thousands of bargain hunters to its rural Savannah grounds. Like a yard sale on steroids, it's a huge, messy labyrinth of individual vendors hawking wares on every possible surface. You can find everything from carved German beer steins to Confederate flag license plates to Coca-Cola memorabilia. There are a number of pet-sellers, but they're best avoided, as the animals are rumored to be kept in less than optimal conditions.

On Tybee Island, this fantastic gallery displays hundreds of works by local Georgia artists. It specializes in folk art and outsider art—sculptures made from discarded car parts, paintings on cardboard backing. Prices are reasonable and the works will make great conversation starters back home. Many come with back stories about the artist's hardscrabble lives. So forget the cheesy watercolor paintings on sale in the City Market and come buy some of the real stuff here.

The students of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) sell their own artwork at this nifty gallery. You'll find everything from giant oil self-portraits to minimalist sculptures to small pen-and-ink sketches. You know every piece is an original, and you're supporting starving young artists to boot. And hey, your abstract painting might turn out to be made by the next Picasso.

This longtime bookstore contains the mother lode of books about Savannah history, culture and food. Owner Esther Shaver is that modern-day rarity, a bookseller who actually knows her stock inside and out. Ask her for recommendations. The store's also got a terrific selection of maps and contemporary Savannah travel guides. In a world where local bookstores seem to be getting less and less common, E. Shaver is definitely worth a stop.