As the holiday season gears up, gift shopping is on the top of everyone’s lists. Two stores in Murphysboro – Think Vintage, and Hometown Pride Gifts and Sweets – are eager to sell holiday products. The shops have a combination of decor, miniatures, candies, stocking stuffers and much more.

”We have Christmas decor items, handmade ornaments, novelty socks for stocking stuffers, Murphysboro spiritwear, Shawnee National Forest shirts and all kinds of Big Muddy Monster gifts. Everything in our shop makes great gifts but we specialize in local items,” said Wendy Preece, co-owner of Hometown Pride Gifts and Sweets.

These businesses have been serving the southern Illinois community for several years. Hometown Pride Gifts and Sweets has been located at 1334 Walnut Street for a little over three years and is celebrating its fourth Christmas.

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“We love to see how much our customers love to come in and reminisce about the nostalgic candy we carry. We love to see the faces of little children as they come in and see all the candy. It brightens our day,” Preece said.

Hometown Pride Gifts and Sweets is full of specialty candy to give customers a variety to pick from. They bring candy from other places down to southern Illinois to give the community the opportunity to try and buy different products.

“We carry old time candy as well as specialty candy by Bissinger’s, and Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate of St. Louis, among other places; and delicious fudge,” Preece said.

This holiday season, owners David and Wendy Preece are sticking to their mission statement and trying to provide the community with candy that cannot be found anywhere else.

“Hometown Pride Gifts and Sweets’ goal is to offer southern Illinois gifts to visitors and to local residents that you cannot find anywhere else. We want to bring back the ‘kid in the candy store’ vibe from years in the past,” Wendy Preece said.

On the same block, Think Vintage is enthusiastic to sell products for the holidays. Think Vintage has been in business at 1338 Walnut Street for 10 years and continues to serve the southern Illinois community. It has a variety of vintage and vintage-inspired products.

“Gosh, it just kind of makes me feel good that somebody thinks what I have is good enough to give someone as a gift,” said Andrea Stephens, owner of Think Vintage.

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Stephens handmakes a variety of her products, such as framed artwork and miniatures. Over the years, she has listened to her customer base and crafted her products to fit her consumers.

“People kept coming in and looking for certain things, and I started making certain things and those things just kind of grew,” Stephens said. “So I have sections like my fairy section, and then I have the dollhouse miniatures area. I have a nature area, and I have a lot of Edgar Allan Poe.”

Think Vintage sells new products as well. It has jewelry, pillows and books. Stephens has worked to create a store that has products that will fit any customer’s needs.

“Think Vintage makes a lot of people think it’s just a thrift shop…I’m a really small shop, so everything is very hand-picked and distinct,” Stephens said.

Both of these businesses will be participating in a Shop Stroll on Saturday, Dec. 9, along with other local shops located in Murphysboro. The event is being run by Handmade Homestead, a local business that sells soaps, face creams and bath bombs. There will be giveaways and attendees will have the opportunity to meet live animals.

“She’s having a unique thing this year, we’re going to be giving away a basket full of gift certificates and there will be baby goats,” Stephens said.

At the event, people attending will be able to browse and enjoy refreshments along with products from different local stores. There will be deals and the opportunity for free products.

“We will have refreshments, and specials throughout the day. Also with a $10 purchase you can pick a card off the Gift Tree for discounts or free gifts,” Preece said.

This event is featuring the local shops located on Walnut Street in Murphysboro. They will have the opportunity to chat with customers and show their holiday products.

“Murphysboro’s Main Street is becoming a popular shopping spot in southern Illinois,” Preece said.

Staff Reporter Alli Goering can be reached at [email protected].

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