There are so many stores to choose from when attempting to accomplish holiday shopping—and while local retailers are attempting to set themselves apart in one of the worst economies Michigan has ever seen—there are only a few who offer outstanding (and interesting) home furnishings.

Lambs’ Gate Interiors & Antiques

Owner Carol Lamb calls herself “a natural born scavenger” who likes to find treasures and gets bored going to shopping malls. That’s why, after having done the booth thing at antique malls for many years, she opened her store in March 2001. Lambs’ Gate is “not a high-priced, stuffy antique store,” she says. “People say that the store is really fun,” because Lamb is always on the look out for new and different things; because her inventory turns every three to four months; and because entering the shop “is like stepping back in time.”

Lamb said she’s always going to auctions and estate sales to get a feel for what’s selling—and it could be anything from hunting and fishing merchandise to vintage clothing or jewelry. She says she gets a lot of teenage girls in the store looking for retro styles and furnishings from the 1950s to the 1970s. In fact, the second floor contains The Salvage Yard. It’s a big area rented out by a customer who carries a lot retro-themed items from the 1950s to the 1980s.

She puts up pictures of new merchandise on the store’s website every month, and they sell a little online. Lamb feels that “most people who buy like to touch and feel their purchases.” And shoppers come from as far away as Grand Rapids, Portland and Charlotte to browse and purchase. Lamb also sells some items on commission, and six of the people who work at the store also sell at the store, something which she believes is unique.

During the first weekend of November, Lambs’ Gate holds a holiday open house, featuring vintage Christmas items, ornaments and feather trees. According to Lamb, primitive—anything that looks rough and beat up—is hot right now. She adds that costume jewelry and pottery sell well.

Lamb said that business has been steady, and is thankful that her store has “a lot of loyal customers that come in once a week.”

Vet’s Too GIft and Garden Boutique

For 60 years, Vet’s Ace Hardware in north Lansing has been a mainstay for do-it-yourselfers in the area. So, when Denny and Bonnie Perdue had the chance to purchase what had been the Pussycat Theater next door, they jumped at the opportunity to both help clean up the neighborhood and open up a unique store: Vet’s Too Gift and Garden Boutique.

That was five years ago. Today, Vet’s Too has “evolved into a beautiful boutique,” according to Bonnie. She calls it “the best kept secret for the critical shopper” in Lansing. “Our line is just so different,” Perdue explained. “We go all over the country” to find “anything unusual that girls want.” Why girls? While the men are next door poking around the hardware, the store offers a place for the women to be shopping for lawn and garden extensions, annual flowers, lamps, candles, jewelry and home décor.

Vet’s Too serves free hot cider and tea in the fall made from a secret recipe. They also offer personal shopper services. Perdue said that several customers tell her, “Put it in my box and when it’s full, call me.” Also, available in Michigan only at Vet’s Too are switchable purses. Perdue explains, “It changes into four different ones, and you don’t have to empty it out. It turns inside out (for purse #2) and there are hidden pockets that make a total of four different looks.”

But enough about the merchandise. What about the shoppers? From how far away do they come? Perdue said people come from way up north—Petoskey, Traverse City, as well as Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. One of their most popular events of the year, coming up the first Thursday of December, is Ladies Night Out. On this special night, they offer massages, music from a high school band, gourmet food and other samples. Oh, and plenty of attractively priced merchandise.

Asked how they’re faring in these challenging times, Perdue said, “Actually, we’re up. We’re doing fine. At the hardware, people are repairing instead of replacing.” And while the guys are busy there, the gals are at Vet’s Too, finding things “they can’t find anywhere else.”

Four Seasons Gift Shop

Violet Hough, owner of Four Seasons Gift Shop in Grand Ledge, purchased the business in 1978 because after losing her job by virtue of her husband selling his business, she figured “it would be cheaper than a psychiatrist.” In the ensuing years, she’s travelled the globe to bring a wide variety of gifts to mid-Michigan. In 2003, she turned over the day-to-day operations to her daughter Cathy and son-in-law Ken Black. Black, who’d been in computer sales for many years, “thought it would be duck soup” running a gift shop.

Not so much.

Four Seasons sells a combination of old and new gifts to individuals and corporate clients, the latter of which come looking for giveaway and incentive gifts. Black said they help such clients design programs based on how much they have to spend and what sort of theme they’re working on. He said their niche is selling “lots of one-of-a-kind items, with a focus on carrying items you’re not going to find in other gift shops.”

Whenever possible, they like to stock American made items. But they also need to keep the customer’s budget in mind. For instance, at a buyer’s mart not so long ago, they found a line of purses made from recycled gum wrappers, made in Mexico, that they could retail for $165. Meanwhile, a manufacturer from Arkansas was offering similar purses wholesale for $395. Black said they had little choice but to carry the purse from south of the border. They do, however, carry kaleidoscopes from New Jersey, handmade products from Missouri, blown glass for lamps and mugs from Ohio, and Michigan-made solar-powered chimes.

Their prices? Black said some of their items go for as little as $1. On the other end, there’s a 40-plus pound, $7,500 carousel with a cassette player in it (aka “something for everyone”). A lot of clients will call and set up an appointment. Why? “Almost everything we have here has a story” behind it, and Black spends an enormous amount of time doing research, so he’ll be able to describe all the features and benefits to his client.

The store’s best-selling item is an air purifying system made by a company named Lampe Berger. Black says, “We’ve carried it for four years and have sold thousands (of units). It destroys bacteria molecules in the air.”

They also sell baby boutique items, Robeez® shoes, jewelry, collector plates, Tervis Tumblers and children’s books by Michigan authors.

Four Seasons recycles all of its packing materials, gift wraps for free with purchase, and also gift wraps purchases made elsewhere for a nominal fee.

Black is a big believer in the 3/50 project (www.the350project.net) which invites consumers to pick three of their favorite local family-owned businesses, spend $50 a month between them, and watch their local economy not only survive, but thrive. Black said business has been decent throughout the economic downturn, but that steady sales do not come without lots and lots of hard work.

Black summed up the experience customers have at all three stores featured in this article when he said: “You want to have fun while you’re spending money. You want to feel good about it.”

And no doubt, whether you visit Four Seasons, Lambs’ Gate or Vet’s Too, you might just have the time of your shopping life.