Many have trouble describing the Tail of the Yak, a shop in Berkeley, California. “It’s nearly impossible to describe Tail of the Yak, except to say that [it] is like no other shop you’ve ever been to,” wrote Therese Long, who runs the La Dolfina blog. Instead, she resorted to using pictures, each worth 1,000 words, to introduce her readers to this one-of-a-kind gift store.

The tail of the Yak specializes in ephemera, new and antique decorative arts, gifts, and antique jewelry. Some more specific examples, provide a fairly strong image of what visitors might find in this store, where the goods on display are ever-changing: paper whimsies, wrapping paper, French soaps and glassware, and even peace and love doves. Yes, real doves that live in a cage in the middle of the store.

Update as of May 2023: Tail of the Yak is planning to permanently close June 30, 2023.