Time for a treasure hunt: Check out Newton’s independent shops

Newton’s independent store owners know their customers, and that connection is hard to find at “big box” stores.

When you shop at one of the city’s small retailers, you’ll find items that were carefully curated by owners who have detailed knowledge about the products they sell. These are just a few of the many reasons why it’s important to support these stores long after the holidays are over.

“If there are small businesses you enjoy having around, now is the time to show them,” said Mary Cotton, owner of Newtonville Books (10 Langley Road, Newton Centre). “If you find yourself telling friends about how grateful you are to have a bookstore, hardware store, stationery store, a new dress shop, florist, etc., in your neighborhood — make sure to put your money where your mouth is and shop there.”

Amy Shih, owner of Just Next Door (327 Auburn Street, Auburndale), concurred, saying that “if people don’t shop local, we won’t be able to remain, and I feel that local — and particularly independently owned businesses — add to the neighborhood vibe. And Amazon sometimes doesn’t show up on time, and shopping in person can be fun!”

“It’s a cliché, but small businesses are the lifeblood of any community,” said Brian Coleman, co-owner of used album store Want List Records at The Mall at Echo Bridge (381 Elliot Street, Newton Upper Falls). “We understand the allure of shopping online, but we ourselves always try and support local businesses across Eastern Massachusetts and we always appreciate seeing people’s smiling faces!”
[UPDATE: Want List Records is moving from Newton. Its last day open in Newton will be December 28, 2023, and it will reopen in Belmont (113 Trapelo Road) in early January.]

What’s old is new again

According to Jill Herer, owner of The Finer Consigner (52 Langley Road, Newton Centre), “It’s the thrill of the hunt” that draws shoppers to stores selling used/vintage goods. After all, you never know what treasure you’ll find.

Luckily, several shops that stock yesterday’s quirky, kitschy, and classic goodies call Newton home and pride themselves on offering ever-changing inventories of hard-to-find décor, clothes, music, and other items.

“The great thing about shopping for gifts in a vintage store is it’s a great place to find unusual, unique, or unexpected items that will resonate with the person you’re shopping for,” said Nina Idelson, owner of Nina Rachele Décor at The Echo Bridge Mall (381 Elliot Street, Newton Upper Falls).

Have a person on your list who likes to travel? Idelson has a few large, vintage TWA posters from the airline’s mod heyday. Know someone who admires handmade glass artwork? She also carries vessels, vases, paperweights, and more in an array of funky shapes and colors.

If your secret Santa/snowflake is a music fan, just walk a couple doors down the hall from Nina Rachele Decor to Want List Records. Coleman and co-owner Dave Belson are deeply knowledgeable about many music genres and will guide you to your next favorite group or singer. They even have a section dedicated to Newton musicians.

In addition, they’re always looking to buy albums.

“Every day is a surprise for us because you never know what people will bring us to sell,” said Coleman. “Our goal is always to present quality records in clean condition, and to price them fairly.”

Although many stores selling pre-owned items have an online presence, local owners recommend coming and browsing in person.

For example, you might find a classic Chanel or limited-edition Louis Vuitton handbag or shoes, jackets, coats, and other fashions at The Finer Consigner, but, if you don’t snap it up, that hard-to-find, exclusive piece could be gone in moments.

“It’s becoming trendy to shop pre-owned,” said Herer.

“We are thankful that almost all of our customers come into the store. Selling online is a necessarily evil, if you ask me,” said Coleman. “We do not list everything available in our store online, like some other stores do. We also price records lower in the store than we would if we sell online.”

Although Idelson said her sales come from a mix of walk-in customers and in-store pick-ups from her Instagram posts and Facebook business page, she said she plans to have more of a presence on the vintage home decor site, Chairish.

However, like Coleman, Idelson said, “It’s important to shop locally and support the small businesses that give our community its character. Plus, [you have more] choices, variety, and the joy of browsing beautiful items in person.”

Where’d you get that?

Like many small-store owners in the city, Phuni Meston-Eames is passionate about her shop, Karma Fine Crafts (57 Union Street, Newton Centre), as well as the community, and she hopes customers feel the same way.

“We went through a really, really tough time” during Covid, she recalled. A champion of human rights all her life, in 2006 Meston-Eames opened Karma, which sells “fairly-traded, sustainable, handmade pieces … from the U.S. and around the globe.”

Karma’s jewelry, clothes, and home goods are ethically sourced and are not “part of the exploitation chain,” she said. “We all have to do our part.”

Some of the brands Meston-Eames carries, like Kamaria and Purpose Jewelry, support nonprofits that help women survivors of human trafficking, sexual violence, and exploitation.

She also sells creations by individual artists, including Newton potter Alysia Brazin, as well as small makers.

Because they’re not controlled by centralized ordering like many chain stores, local shop owners can tailor their offerings to the community.

Victor Lee, owner of West Newton’s The Paper Mouse; Linda de Valpine, owner of Nonantum’s Greentail Table; and Don Gross, owner of Newton Centre’s Folklorica, feature many designers that you may not find elsewhere.

At stationery store The Paper Mouse (1274 Washington Street, West Newton), “Notebooks and stationery continue to be the most popular gifts in our shop,” including Japanese notebook brands TRAVELER’S COMPANY and Hobonichi, said Lee.

However, there are also adorable toys, gadgets, and gizmos hiding amongst staff-designed artwork, cards, pens, journals, and a plethora of other writing paraphernalia.

The shop even carries unusual desk tools like a stapleless stapler and a racing car pencil sharpener, to name a few. But to see the full array, Lee encourages people to stop by.

“Our shop has always been about the in-person experience. However, during the pandemic, we did build an online shop to help keep our business afloat,” he said. “Now our online business serves as a way to help us share The Paper Mouse experience with fans all over the country.”

Jill Schwab, manager of Folklorica (61 Union Street, Newton Centre) echoed Lee about the in-store and online experiences.

“Most Folklorica sales happen inside our tiny shop of treasures. Customers want to stroll through and try on lots of jewelry styles, feel the softness of scarves, see the rich, quality leather of our bags/wallets, and look at our curated collection of art glass and pottery,” she said. “Most of the online orders are placed by out-of-state customers and ones who aren’t able to visit the shop in person. Our site is also a great tool for customers to ‘pre-shop’ our collections and then come into the store to see their selections in person.”

Schwab noted that customers have been interested in layering jewelry, choosing different earring styles for multiple piercings, or wearing stacks of bracelets.

“Jewelry becomes more than just an accessory – [it is] also an expression of one’s individuality,” she said.

At Greentail Table (343 Watertown Street, Nonantum), a home goods store, de Valpine said shoppers are using their own creativity when choosing a theme.

“Customers like putting gifts together,” she said. “Cocktail mixers have been very popular, combining [them] with glassware or with cocktail books and/or cocktail napkins.”

Cotton of Newtonville Books also suggested themed packages with an environmentally friendly twist by making sustainable wrapping part of the present. For example, she said you could wrap gardening books in a gardening apron. The shop also carries reusable lunch totes and reusable sandwich bags ready to turn into zero-waste stocking stuffers.

“The best thing for everyone is if you show up and shop in person,” said Cotton. “There are so many treasures in every store that need to be perused in person!”

By staying local, “it keeps the shops and businesses you love in your community,” said de Valpine.

Upcoming events at independent shops

• Karma Fine Crafts will hold a fundraiser for the nonprofit Courageous Parents Network. A date has not yet been set, but Karma owner Phuni Meston-Eames said to check the store’s Facebook and Instagram posts.
• Newton Cultural Alliance will hold a holiday craft fair on Sunday, December 3, 10AM-4PM, at Newton South High School (140 Brandeis Road).
• Nina Rachele Décor and other shops at The Mall at Echo Bridge will hold a festive holiday shopping day on Saturday, December 9, 12PM-5PM, when customers can enjoy some sips and snacks and holiday cheer while they browse.
• The Paper Mouse will host on Friday, December 1, Leuchtturm, the makers of the popular Leuchtturm1917 notebooks and planners, as they personalize customers’ notebook covers, 12PM-5PM. Personalization is free with a purchase of any medium (A5) Leuchtturm1917.