As children we explore the world through our senses. Then we stop in part because all of the "do not touch" signs are eventually obeyed.
When I was in Europe I usually wander around beyond the quaint old towns to discover some unique stores. Simply to touch and look. These specialty stores are often family owned and have been around for over a hundred years.
They now have a name: Slow retail stores.
One of the stores that I entered like a fish out of water was a button store. They also sold other sewing related supplies, but the wall of buttons was something to behold. Buttons of every imaginable color. Some out of very intricate and ornate medal. Plastic, mother of pearl. Whatever else buttons are made of. When the salesperson approached me I felt like an imposter. Does one even say "just looking" in a button store?
Another store I came across was a brush store. An entire store! Just brushes. Many in shapes that I could not even begin to discern the purpose of. Bristles ranging from badger hair to ostrich feathers. Artists brushes made of Sable hair can be quite expensive, but spending 200 on a shaving brush or 130 for a dustbin set seemed excessive. Does a grandchild really want to inherit a broom? To be fair most brushes were handmade with wooden handles. Still.
It's not a luxury store per se and it's nice that these stores somehow attract enough customers to continue.
It was neat though and the craftsmanship dating back to another time was obvious.
Any unique stores you've come across?
There's an amazing shop in Cologne for candles, religious ones (it's close to the cathedral in a catholic city) and birthday and artistic ones and beeswax and on and on and on.
ReplyDeleteIn Provence, South of France, I ennjoyed many soap shops, annd wherever I go, wool shops.
Codex: The candle store I would enjoy. As well as the soap store. Do they have the old feel about them? Soap stores and I always think of lush with its overpowering scents. Your wool stores are my art supply stores. No matter where.
DeleteWe have a Button Store right here in Adelaide, I love looking at all the buttons and they have other sewing notions too, such as lace, braid, threads and tape measures, but the buttons are the main feature and I need to go there soonish for a dozen white buttons, something with a sheen, maybe mother-of-pearl (also known as Nacre), maybe not. It depends on price. In the Central Market there used to be a specialty soap store, but I don't know if it is still there. There is "Spice" store with all kinds of ordinary and exotic spices, even a yearly Spice Advent Calendar is available, along with a range of kitchen items, wooden spoons, basting brushes etc.
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