The Gift Shop With Two Lives
By MANLEY J. ANDERSON


The Country Ladies Gift Shop interior is seen.P-J photos by Manley J. Anderson

8/6/2006 - STOW — An easily found big red building on Hadley Bay Road just off Route 394 leads a double life.It usually opens Memorial Day weekend and closes Labor Day weekend, operating during that period as Country Ladies Gift Shop with owner Vicki Kanouff assisted by her mother Gloria Britton.As summer’s end nears, its vast assortment of goods is removed and a big overhead door at the south end of the building becomes available as an entrance way for boats to be stored there during the offseason.This phase of the business is operated by Jim Kanouff, Vicki’s husband and owner of the spacious all-steel structure. The family lives in Falconer where Jim is a Falconer Central School bus driver.This is the fifth season the gift shop has been operated at the location by the mother/daughter team.‘‘We have something for everybody,’’ Mrs. Britton said, noting the shop offers all hand-made products from 30 to 35 crafters located in Jamestown, Falconer, Frewsburg, Buffalo and extending to Pennsylvania and Ohio.‘‘We have some consignors who have been with us since we opened in May of 2001,’’ Mrs. Britton said. ‘‘Recently we began getting rugs and woodwork from an Amish man and wife in Jasper, N.Y. All we’re doing is displaying their wares.’’She went on to relate, ‘‘We try to fill special orders if and when received. Right now I’m looking for someone to make bird houses out of barn boards. Everything is unusual because its homemade.’’Mrs. Britton said, ‘‘Quite often we will get an item, take it home, analyze it and create our own. But I’m thinking a lot in this business do that. That’s how we came up with our necktie angels.’’A toy corner is filled with dolls, doll clothing and a wide assortment of wooden toys.Hand-crocheted dish towels and scrubbies, ‘‘anything like that,’’ were cited as among the shop’s best sellers. Mrs. Britton noted that during the summer season a lot of customers come from Chautauqua and around Chautauqua Lake.Open hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from May 24 through Sept. 9, but with flexible closing hours depending on business.Mrs. Kanouff explained that the shop is divided into four sections — Christmas, Halloween/Fall, Animal/Easter, and Spring/Everyday.Amish-made rugs and baskets that fold flat also are available, with the comment reported as often heard, ‘‘That was a nice idea.’’Mrs. Britton said customers have bought items to be taken to such far away places as Italy and Australia and which have been shipped to any desired destination.‘‘It’s just interesting to talk to people because they’re from all over and all walks of life,’’ she said.Most of the jewelry selection is made by a local woman, with jewelry for autos also available.The gift shop’s Christmas corner has ‘‘tons of snowmen — guaranteed not to melt unless they melt our heart.’’A wide range of baby accessories includes shirts, blankets and other items needed by the younger set and extending to a variety of other home made blankets in all colors and sizes.Reported as very popular with the younger set is a broad assortment of clothing for the American Girl dolls, with other country and traditional dolls also available along with the Raggedy Ann as a longtime favorite.Despite mid-July’s heat, a large number of mittens from a wide selection was reported as sold during the month to be given away later as Christmas presents.The spacious gift shop offerings extend to wall hangings, scrap booking needs, hats for all ages, sweatshirts, regular shirts, Red Hats and jean purses.Mrs. Kanouff said the shop’s objective is to offer a wide range of goods at different prices with all as new and handmade. Digital photography pictures and hand paintings are among the offerings.Among the many items observed during a leisurelywalk around the building were turtle, frog and vegetable garden pokes, pin cushion ladies, paintings on glass, knickknacks, cards, patriotic wall hangings and towels, kitchen hand towels, old-fashioned clothes pin holders, pot holders, wooden shelves, knitted purses, children’s sweaters in many sizes and special orders along with gift baskets. The list extended to knitted dishclothes and pot scrubbers as well as towels in different sizes and materials, candles from Escents as well as soy candles.Also present were scarfs of different sizes, afghans, baby blankets, sweaters in many sizes and Christmas ornaments.‘‘We have a wide variety of stuff,’’ Mrs. Kanouff said, without fear of contradiction. ‘‘This is our fifth year of being open and it’s all new merchandise. A feature at Country Ladies Gift Shop is a weekly giveaway of one of their consignees products.Mrs. Kanouff said, ‘‘Consignees take their own goods back after Labor Day. Then the boats come in about in October.’’That’s when the building makes the transition from Country Ladies Gift Shop to a boat storage facility until the next spring.

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