Father-Husband-Marketer-Geek

If you happen to know any shop owners personally, or are loyal customers to a favorite shop, please send me their details so I can publish a feature story on them. I love promoting the brick and mortar retailer shops that we all love visiting. Online shopping and Ebay might be convenient and fun, but it doesn't compare to walking into a retail shop and meeting a knowledgeable store owner, seeing their village displays, and learning about their store history. It's more important than ever to help these independent retailers market themselves, as they face tough competition online and even from Department 56 corporate themselves, who recently started selling online. You can email me the basics about your favorite stores , and I'll take it from there.

One of my fellow Dept56 collectors was kind enough to let me know about 3 shops she's been to in Florida (west coast): Roberts Christmas World , Clearwater. Skip's Florist and Christmas House in Holiday, FL. She said this is one of her favorites. There is also Victorian Village , Tampa. I will add these to the Google Map of Recommended Department56 shops next week after I return from Chicago. I'm going on business but I'm definitely going to try and find a D56 shop out there as well. I guess there is an actual Department 56 brand retail store nearby.

The Google Map of Recommended Department 56 Shops is very heavy on the East Coast, and the west coast has a few shops as well. Not much for the midwest - Kansas, Iowa, etc. All of the shops currently on the map are recommended by users - I won't add these listed below unless they come recommended. According to the Department56 corporate store locator, there are some matches. Now we just need some buyers to comment with a recommendation: - Cards N Such, Topeka, Ks - Stitch On Needlework Shop, Lawrence, Ks - Ball Brothers, Atchison, Ks - David's Briar Shoppe, Des Moines, Ia - Dillard's, Inc., Des Moines, Ia - Denny's Gift Den, Urbandale, Ia - Gene Ann's Hallmark, Boone, Ia - Younkers, Marshalltown, Ia