We have designed a sticker in the shape of the letter "I" that looks just like a letter you might get in school when you "letter" in a sport.  Emblazoned on the I are the words "$HOP LOCAL"!

 

Why a sticker?  Just the act of sticking this sticker on something -- yourself as you shop, on your car's bumper, on a backpack -- makes you responsive to the concept of shopping locally.  You can bet that if you pull into a big-box store or a fast food restaurant with our sticker on your car, you will think twice about your choice! 

Cop the mentality: Think about all the independently-owned "mom and pop" businesses that make your community what it is.  Consider the dire challenges a bad economy has on those businesses.

 

For every $100 spent in locally-owned independent stores, SIXTY-EIGHT dollars returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures.  If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays in the community.  If you spend the money online, nothing comes to the community.

 

 

So the next time you need a gift, don't head for a big-box department store or the mall.  Think first, is there a locally-owned shop that has more unique and affordable gifts?  If you need office supplies, look for a locally-owned store that sells them and shoot them the business.  And don't forget about ordering your lunch for delivery from a local restaurant.  If you don't do these types of things, those places may not even be there when you do decide to go!

  
We have gone through our store with our red pens and marked down scads of really NIFTY merchandise.  Need a great gift for Dad for Father's Day? Got a birthday to buy for? Come see us for unique and AFFORDABLE hilarious gifts and cards!

 

Stock up early for the holidays.  Dedicate a shelf in your closet solely for gifts you have bought in advance.  When you see something that makes you think of a particular person, buy it for him or her and you'll have the perfect gift when the holidays roll around!  Then you won't be in a desperate scramble at the last minute only to spring for something that just isn't a "good fit". 

 

Don't get Dad that same boring tie or coffee mug this year -- get him Nifty ones!

 

Yes, we have coffee mugs and even a tie (the weird and wonderful "How Tie" with a schematic drawing of how to tie a tie on it).  But we also have other useful and hilarious, yet inexpensive gifts that will crack your father up.

 

Just check out your shopping list below:

 

Superman:  Is your dad a super man?  Then have we got the things that will remind him of just the superhero he is.

 

John Wayne:  A staple for the guys here at Nifty Nic Nacs, The Duke always provided us with manly words of wisdom.  And yes, we have them on mugs (and magnets!).