I want to get my wife a jewelry box for her birthday. I looked online,but I really feel like I need to see what I am buying. But apart from going to some place like Target, I am kind of at a loss of where I might find a decent section of jewelry boxes.
Help this poor dummy.
For reasonable prices I don’t know of anything but the department stores. I got my wife a thing you hang on the wall with a mirror on the front at Macy’s. She liked it. Maybe in another 5-10 years she’ll figure out where she wants me to hang it. Jewelry stores, if they carry them, would likely charge a high price, although they are apt to negotiate.
Most places that sell jewelry-- from Walmart to Target to higher end department or jewelry stores. Antique stores that sell estate jewelry sometimes have some nice ones, too.
My advice is to start at second-hand stores, especially if they also have a lot of trade in jewelry and fashionable clothing. I paid $35 for a jewelry box for my wife in a nice second-hand store, and I figure that thing would have been $200 in a department store. (She also liked it better than my first attempt, which cost more like $70).
This is also the kind of present you might need to ask her about. I don’t know if there’s a casual way to say “Honey, what do you look for in a jewelry box?” without giving away your plans, but you might need to.
You might want to look in “Housewares”, amongst the tchotchkes. I found this great little treasure-chest type box in the Housewares aisle in TJ Maxx something like 20 years ago. Solid enough that it’s still sturdy and I’ve been storing stuff (from tarot cards back when I was into that kind of thing to actual gems and geological specimens) in it the whole time, through three moves.
I’d check Sears or a higher end dept store. They should stock better stuff than Target or Walmart.
Ebay would be a really good source. Search “Vintage Jewelry box” older items are typically better made than todays mass produced stuff.
Here’s a nice one. Lots of pictures to confirm the condition. 14 day return policy.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1960S-VINTAGE-BROWN-GOLD-JEWELRY-BOX-GREAT-CONDITION-/151020277521?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2329828f11
What’s your budget? There are beautiful things at etsy.com.
One Ebay tip. Use the zoom feature to carefully check an items condition. Look for any scratches or chips in the finish. Make sure there’s pictures of every side, top and bottom.
For a jewelry box the felt inside should be clean and stain free. Basically it should be in mint condition. 
You’ll need to buy a bandsaw, planer, jointer, several clamps, rasps and files, glue, staining materials, and some Oreo cookies to eat while you sketch out the perfect bandsaw box.
Yeah, I think I’d just go to Macy’s or Dillard’s. Surely they have jewelry boxes.
I’ve got an amazing jewelry box from JCPenney, but I think they had more selection online than in the store. You also might check the oddities sections in stores like Hobby Lobby, Marshall’s or Ross.
I got an amazing wood one for my wife for Christmas at Etsy.com
Disclaimer - It was ridiculously expensive (IMHO)
What type of jewelry do you see her changing on a daily or so basis - rings, earrings, bracelet/necklaces, or matched sets? If it’s more than one of those, a jewelry armoire is your best bet. I got a nice one from JCPenney several years ago that’s lasted well; inside the lid it has a place to hang chains, 2 drawers and handles on either side making it more of a chest-type armoire.
TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, HomeGoods, Sears, Kohl’s, Penny’s (or are they JCP now?), Macy’s, Bed Bath and Beyond…
Amazon seems to have a nice selection.
I would try a boutiquey gift/jewelry store, the kind of place with glass figurines, candlesticks, you know the kind. They would have ones that a little more interesting than the standard department store ones.
Furniture stores have nice stand up ones. Also, I second second hand stores; I find that many cosignment stores usually only consign higher end models because they sell quicker and they can charge more.
Depending on how much jewelry she has, I would suppose that anything from an empty little biscuit tin to an ornate wooden chest would do. But if they won’t, you might want to consider this,thisor this. Google “musical jewellery boxes”, to get something pink with daisies and ballerinas, or something a little more sophisticated. There is quite a range of boxes for the bijoux out there.