Surrounded by flashing red lights, a 5-foot 4-inch silver and blue hookah stands in a window overlooking a busy College Avenue -- yet students walk past, barely noticing at all.

Still, the small raised entrance to Grasshopper Gifts has not detracted from sales in the store's opening month, owner Kurt Reichenbach said.

The store, which replaced Artifax on Feb. 1 at 322A E. College Ave., is the second of its kind, Reichenbach said. He said he decided to open the State College store after the success of his Lewisburg location near Bucknell University.

"I've been wanting to open a store here for the past five years," Reichenbach said. "I figured I'd be just as successful -- if not more -- in State College," he said.

Reichenbach described the store as primarily a "smoke shop and pipe store," and said he hopes to sell tobacco in the store soon. Although the store's specialty is hand-blown glass, Reichenbach said he sells incense, posters and tapestries as well.

"We also have plans in the making to sell Illadelph pipes," Reichenbach said. "I know those are pretty popular among students, so that should be a good money maker."

In the first month of business, Reichenbach said he is only $290 away from breaking even -- "a great success" for the store.

"It seems like people have been buying a wide array of things," he said.

Matt Mangiaracina (sophomore-meteorology) said he likes the products in the store, which offers many of the same items Artifax sold.

"It's pretty much set up the same way as Artifax, and it's laid out nicely," Mangiaracina said. "I personally like to go in there because I like the retro and music stuff that they sell, especially the posters."

Merchandise at Grasshopper Gifts is not anything new to the State College scene, as Dragon Chaser's Emporium, 209 W. Calder Way, also specializes in hand-blown glass.

"I'd imagine we'll still do as well, business-wise," Bart Masters, assistant manager of the Dragon Chaser's Emporium, said.

Manager Abby Cain agreed, saying these stores engage in healthy competition with each other. "All of our stores have such a variety of things that people are looking for that they can't find anywhere else downtown," she said.

Grasshopper Gifts also sells some clothing, primarily men's T-shirts and baseball caps, as well as hemp and silver jewelry and flasks. Reichenbach said he hopes to carry some women's "hippie clothing" soon.

"We have the same landlord as Metro next door, so there are some regulations on the clothing we sell," he said, including a restriction on the sale of "modern clothing."

The location's previous occupant, Artifax, specialized in clothes and decorations, with a major emphasis on music-related merchandise. The store also sold passport photos, something Reichenbach decided to continue.

The store is open from noon to 6 p.m. every day except Wednesday and Sunday. Reichenbach pointed out that students buying pipes must have an I.D. with them, and that buying pipes for illegal purposes is not allowed.

Reichenbach said he is hopeful for the store's success. In the meantime, he said he has plans to get comfortable and improve the store's interior.

"We'll be increasing stock and making the place look nicer," he said. "I want to stay here as long as I can."