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Dinah White of Nampa does some holiday book browsing at Pearson’s Twice Sold Tales Tuesday afternoon. Many downtown businesses in Nampa and Caldwell will extend their hours and offer holiday discounts for the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas shopping season.
Mike Vogt/IPT
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Jesse Nance
jnance@idahopress.com
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

NAMPA — Shoppers who head out to brave Black Friday may find a relaxed and local option just around the corner.

Specialty retailers around Canyon County can offer a laid-back atmosphere for after-Thanksgiving shopping.

In historic Caldwell and Nampa, local stores like antique shops and small gift retailers offer books, clothes, toys, collectibles and a sense of community.

As this year's holiday shopping season grows more hectic, owners of local shops said they also offer an outlet to de-stress rather than add to headaches with a mad dash for the shelves.

Here's a sampling of some local retailers and what they have in store for Black Friday and the holiday shopping season.

Caldwell

- Avalon Antiques, 814 Blaine St.

Avalon Antiques will offer expanded hours this holiday season by opening for business on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. through Christmas, store manager Carol Burbank said.

"We're not doing anything special for Black Friday, but we are having an open house and silent auction that is special for the holiday season on Dec. 5, and there will be door prizes with merchandise from the store that day as well. It's all quality merchandise, and everything here is unique."

- For Heaven's Sake, 212 S. Kimball

Christian book and gift shop For Heaven's Sake will expand its holiday hours by staying open on Mondays. The shop will offer Christmas cards and stationary at 20 percent off. Christian music, specialty Bibles, T-shirts and other unique Christian items make great gifts, owner Linda Vavold said. 

"Each piece is unique, and I can beat pretty much anyone else's prices," Vavold said.

- Joe's Emporium, 615 Main St.

Antique and variety store Joe's Emporium will keep its regular hours on Black Friday. The novelty shop's owner hails the business as the coolest store in Caldwell — and a great place to find unique gifts that range from Beatles paraphernalia, movie star posters, pennants, dolls, Hot Wheels and cast-iron toys.

"Everything here is made in America, and it's all good old items," Joe Lombardo said. "Everything is hand selected here."

- Craft Corner, 719 Main St.

Craft Corner will keep its regular hours on Black Friday. The shop specializes in unique Christmas decorations and other holiday merchandise — all at a 40 percent discount this holiday shopping season.

"We specialize in snowmen ornaments," owner Dave McKay said. "We have more snowmen than any store in the valley."

Nampa

- Heart Prints, 1312 2nd St. S.

Heart Prints will open two hours early on Black Friday at 7 a.m. The shop offers unique handcrafted items from all over the world, including Christmas ornaments, owner James Oetting said. The holiday shopping season is typically the busiest time of the year at the shop.

"We don't do a lot of sales, but we keep our prices down really low and offer more individualized service," Oetting said. "We can help people find the right gift for a person, because a lot of times people don't know what to get. We offer a more personal touch."

- Pearson's Twice Sold Tales, 1215 1st St. S.

Pearson's Twice Sold Tales will be open regular hours on Black Friday, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The store will offer sales on a variety of new and used books, including Christmas books. There will also be free coffee and chocolates.

"Books make wonderful gifts," owner Janell Pearson said. "It's something you can open over and over again. .... And we provide a very family-friendly and less frenzied atmosphere for holiday shoppers."

- King's (discount and variety store), 421 12th Avenue Road

King's will open two hours early at 7 a.m. on Black Friday and will offer various sales on toys, space heaters and other items. It's typically the busiest day of the year, store manager Logan Child said.

"I think people are shopping a little harder for the best deals this year," Child added.

- Classy Casuals, 16443 N. Marketplace Blvd.

Classy Casuals will extend holiday season hours by opening on Sundays from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Throughout the month of December, the store will mark all giftwear 25 percent off, and all Fresh Produce sportswear will be marked down by 50 percent. The store is also planning a "Mens Night Out" on Dec. 10 where men can come in and get gifts for their wives or girlfriends.

"We know we can't compete with the big box stores on the day after Thanksgiving, so we're just going to make it a chocolate day for the ladies — we're giving away 15 different versions of chocolates," owner Becky Cunningham said. "We let them come in and relax and have some chocolate."

- Puffy Mondaes, 200 12th Ave. S.

Puffy Mondaes will keep its regular business hours on Black Friday, but will offer a 20 percent discount on all products, excluding consignment merchandise. This Saturday, local artists will be at the shop to sell unique items at a 30 percent discount, and there will be blacksmith and pottery demos.

"Most of the finished products here are handmade locally, so you're not buying some mass-produced product from China," owner Aaron Brown said. "And of course we offer gift certificates for classes like pottery or watercolor, which make great gifts for a friend or family member."