From their website:
The idea for The Next Best Thing to Being There came to me (Sidney Mallard) many years ago.

Originally I wanted to have a puppet shop. The Next Best Thing to Being There has puppets, imports from all over the world, a few Asian and European vintage pieces, jewelry, maps, patio accessories, and many other fun gifts for yourself or your friends.

The Next Best Thing to Being There is a shop that is intended to be a destination for people interested in people, places, and things.