One of my favorite things about travel is finding that unexpected treasure whether it be a new novelty or a relic of years gone by. As a child, I remember my grandparents walking me along their downtown streets in a rural Wisconsin town to every child's favorite treasure trove--the dime store! In St. Joseph, Michigan, we have found G & M Variety Store, a lovely store that hearkens back to these dime stores that we adored as children. With so much change in the world, it is a comfort to find one of these fun elements of childhood still alive and to be able to show our daughter the simple joys of a dime store adventure. Situated on St. Joseph's main street, the setting itself is enough to give you warm fuzzies.
When you enter the store, you will notice that the store might quite literally have everything. From cards and a pleasant gift section to a puzzle and game collection to sundries to sweatshirts and socks {rows of socks}, there is a lot to explore. Where else are you going to find these games that you really won't find, well--anywhere! {As a Civil War buff, I love that they have these!}
In the same store, you can find quite a collection of glassware and dishes. A high five for having Anchor Hocking, made in the U.S.A!
Around the corner from the glassware are "Beware of" signs for every dog breed. {I am pretty scared of the Golden Retriever on duty!}
Need party supplies? You are covered!
When visiting a dime store, something special from the bulk candy is a must!
If you visit, be sure to also take a look in the front window! A little bit of carousel magic!
As you can see, a visit to G & M Variety Store is a must when visiting St. Joseph. You never know what you may find!
This was a must-see when we visited St. Joe, too! I'm a real fan of these types of stores (when we drive through Bowling Green, Ohio recently, Tim heard me gasp, looked up, saw the Ben Franklin store on the main drag and immediately knew he had to find a place to park so we could go shopping!). I usually look for bandanas when I visit these places and remember buying a couple of 4-H bandanas at the G&M for a friend. Yeah, it's so bad that I remember what I bought at a store I last visited around 10 years ago :lol:
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