New Athol store showcases unique handmade gifts and crafts

ATHOL – Half and Half Gifts and Crafts, which recently opened in downtown Athol, offers a wide selection of unique items handmade by crafters living in and around North Quabbin.

Orange resident and store owner Scott Barden said this is not his first foray into the business world, having briefly operated a store in Gardner.

“I tried it when I was young,” he said. “But, when you’re young, you just want to be young. So, I ended up closing the store.

“But I’ve been wanting to do this business my whole life,” he continued. “When I was younger, I couldn’t commit. This business is my retirement.”

Barden, 59, told the Athol Daily News he is fully committed to doing what’s needed to make Half and Half a success.

“I actually have a gift shop, which you see when you walk in,” he explained. “In the second room, you start seeing a lot of things that people have made. I’m trying to stay local when it comes to stocking my inventory.”

Patrons will find items ranging from knitted items to handmade wooden cooking utensils and pillows to bird feeders fashioned from antique cups and saucers. Crafters can rent display space which, depending on size, can range from $15 to $200 per month.

“Everyone with a different budget can try to do something,” he said. “Even though I’ve only been open for a couple of weeks, my vendors are doing quite well, but I want to attract a lot more of them. Right now, we’re on Facebook and we’ve had a lot of word-of-mouth referrals.”

Barden said he hopes to have a website up and running as soon as possible. His goal, he said, is to fill the 1,500-square-foot store with unique items that can’t be found elsewhere.

Crafters who may be interested in renting space for their products should stop by the store, call (978) 894-6510 or email halfandhalf152@aol.com. Barden, who works a second job, said the best time to stop by is in the afternoon, when he is in the store. Store hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

In the back room at the store, Barden also has vendors selling records and DVDs, and there is a record player set up, so people can listen to the records before buying.

“The reasons it’s named Half and Half is that it’s gift and handmade crafts,” he said. “My mother came up with that name many, many years ago. She said, ‘You should name it Half and Half – it’s gifts and crafts.’ So, that’s what I named the first store and my whole family helped me get it set up.”

Barden plans to be on Main Street for quite a while.

“I want to run this place until I pass away, then I’ll hopefully give it to my granddaughters,” he said.