Hunt for treasures during Small Business Saturday

American Express founded the idea of Small Business Saturday, and the first one was held in 2010. Since 2011, it’s been co-sponsored by the Small Business Association as “a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday” – those mega shopping sprees that focus on online and box-store buying.

This year, Small Business Saturday – Shop Small will be Nov. 30. Shops, stores, and merchants around the Mission Valley are planning displays, discounts, sales, and treats to reward local shoppers for staying in the Mission Valley and supporting local businesses.

Below are a few places to visit to get you started on a holiday hunt for unique gifts. Be sure to check out as many emporiums as you can on Small Business Saturday. Also, the Polson Chamber of Commerce will be visiting all small businesses who are chamber members and taking photos to include in a print and social media campaign.

Bear Grass Candles, 222 Main Street, #A, Polson: Tucked into a cozy shop on Main Street, Bear Grass Candles’ owner and resident candlemaker Daisy Walsh will be gifting the first 50 shoppers with an engraved “Believe” bell with their purchase. She’ll also have treats and little cookies.

Walsh hand pours all her candles, and there are new scents for the season, such as A Chocolate Shot candle, a Merry Christmas candle combining scents of cloves and orange, plus the classic pine tree that smells like a frosty forest. She also has a new style of candle – wooden bowls filled with candle wax that are refillable. She has a candy-cane shaped bowl for Christmas and a large tree.

Pointing to a trio of realistically-shaped pine trees in cream wax, she said, “A lot of people really like the Christmas trees.”

Walsh has also stocked the floating shelves and slim counters with felted wool critter ornaments and special cards.

The Little Shop Montana, 214 Main Street, Unit B, Polson: Homey and inviting, Carmen Burke’s shop has colorful clothes and cute sweaters, furniture, doodads, disco balls, books, candy, jewelry and tons of plants.

Kassidi Cox, who works at the store, is especially impressed with air plants that only require misting every other week “an you’re good to go.”

The curled sage-colored plants don’t need soil, so they can perch on a pretty egg cup or have a party in a crystal bowl.

Items at The Little Shop Montana will be 20 percent off on Small Business Saturday.

handMADE Montana, 212 Main Street, Polson: On Small Business Saturday, shoppers score 10 percent off the entire store, plus a free gift with a purchase.

Owner Carol Lynn Lapotka said, “We’re also doing a-tag-the-store-in-a-picture and send it to back to us and then get a chance to win.”

Lapotka plans to make some linen napkins in warm colors so stop back before the holidays. She’s also creating graphics for rice-bag packaging.

Summer Perkins, Lapotka’s elf, was making some warm tweed gaiters called Tweeders last week.

Second Nature, 305 Main Street, Polson: With extended hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Second Nature will have everything in the store on sale for Small Business Saturday. The store stocks fun gift ideas, Montana-specific gifts, such as t-shirts and hoodies, jewelry, kitchen linens, and things for children, such as a small fleece tipi stuffed with tiny Montana animals.

The back of the store is a cornucopia of consigned women’s and men’s clothes and shoes, jewelry, new gloves and winter hats, and backpacks.

Owner Bobbie Goldberg said Small Business Saturday is one of her favorite days to see lots of the store’s customers, make new friends, and kick off the holiday season.

CHS Mountain West Cenex, 63932 US Hwy, 93, Ronan: Most everybody in the agricultural community knows that Cenex is the place to go for western clothing, boots and gifts with a cowboy flavor so it’s a go-to store for Small Business Saturday .

Carrie Clairmont, farm store manager, said clothing will be 30 percent off and “some are already half price.”

In case Dad needs a new hat or Mom’s is ratty looking, felt hats are 40 percent off. Other essential items, like extension cords, will be on sale, too.

“If you buy a pair of Bex glasses, you get a Bex hat,” Clairmont said.

Swanky Sisters Mercantile, 63540 US Hwy. 93, Unit B2, Ronan: The place to stop for anyone who loves to sew is chock full of bolts of fabric, from Minky to quilting cotton, as well as notions and trims, baby items, and toys. Swanky Beverly Osterwyk, owner of the store, will extend the Black Friday sale into Small Business Saturday. All the fabric in the store will be on sale, she said.

Great Gray Gifts at Ninepipes, south of Ronan: Be one of the first 25 shoppers to visit the gifts shop on Saturday (hours 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and win a free beanie for your shopping safari.

Those who purchase $50 or more (and that’s easy to do), get to pick a stocking which may have a gift card worth from $5 to $50. At the counter, the Great Gray girls have set up a bingo wheel. Spin the wheel for a chance to win 20 percent off or a free coffee or 10 percent off and a free sticker.

And there’s free food – little holiday appetizers made by the Huckleberry Jam Factory for shoppers to nosh.

The Folk Shop, 213 N. Main, St. Ignatius: The thrift store offers 10 percent off everything in the store. “We always have good stuff,” said worker Katie Long.

The shop has used clothes and shoes for everybody, including a few dog coats. There’s a vintage corner with interesting tchotchkes and vintage clothing. The rest of the building is loaded with craft items, books, home goods, curtains, kitchen items, and a quirky assortment of art and jewelry.

Treat, 77579 US Hwy. 93, St. Ignatius: Be one of the first shoppers to visit Treat on Small Business Saturday (hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and win a free beanie. For purchases of $50 or more, customers get to choose a tiny stocking which might have a gift card valued from $5 to $50.

The girls at the counter will let customers roll the bingo wheel to win 20 percent off or a free coffee or 10 off and a sticker. Buy some candy or taste the small holiday appetizers made by the Huckleberry Jam Factory elves.

The Merc on 93, 92611 US Hwy. 93, Arlee: Reminiscent of a general store from yesteryear, the Merc is brimming with unusual, interesting goods – ranging from vintage to antique to original art.

Some of artisans and vendors will be offering up to 20 percent off adding an additional incentive to the treasure hunt.

    Christmas trees, like this one at Second Nature in Polson, are decked out for Small Business Saturday. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    Let a latte from Great Gray Gifts at Ninepipes fuel your Small Business Saturday shopping spree. (Courtesy photo)
  

    The window display at Bear Grass Candles celebrates the season with a pinecone candle, greenery, a holiday card, and jars of jam. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)