WTB's recommendations for shopping locally this holiday season

Small Business Day isn't officially until Saturday, but any day is a good time to support local businesses.  You're not only supporting business owners, but also their employees, their local suppliers, and the employees of the local suppliers, possibly your own neighbors.  I don't mean to turn this into an anti-Walmart rant, but when you buy from a local small business you're also helping to stave off the slow but relentless encroachment of national conglomerates and big box stores into our shopping districts.

The following are some of my favorite ideas for local shopping:


Arden Holiday Shop at Gild Hall.
Sunday November 27th, 11am-4pm
2126 'The Highway' (off of Harvey Rd.)
Art, pottery and crafts made by locals

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Rainbow Records
What was once a small empire of stores in Delaware has now boiled down to one very small store, occupying a corner of the larger room it once was.  It's almost hard to believe that this is the same Rainbow as the vast store on Concord Pike that I built my first CD collection from in the early nineties. Needless to say, Rainbow Records could use your business, whether it be for LPs, CDs, or books.  But it seems to me that, even though the owner has had to whittle down his former local chain to one tiny spot, he's still living his dream.  Maybe more so now than before.  Now he's catering to avid record collectors (his people, I imagine), and that's probably what he set out to do in the first place.  The guy's been through a lot - let's help him retain this piece of his dream.
Rainbow will be having Black Friday version of Record Store Day specials, in addition to their usual deals (I think they had everything Black Keys discounted this week, for instance).

Hours are slightly longer on weekends but you can always count on them being open 11-7, 11-5 on Sundays.

54 E. Main St., Newark DE, 19711
302-368-7738
http://www.rainbow-online.com/

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Bellefonte Arts
This recently-opened shop, by the people who run the Bellefonte Arts Festival, features arts and crafts from local artists.  They also plan to host shows and events, and are a very worthy endeavor to support.
Tues-Sat. 11-6, Sunday 11-4.
803 Brandywine Blvd, Bellefonte DE 19809
302-762-4278
http://www.bellefontearts.com/

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The Chef's Haven
Cooking supplies, classes, gourmet take-out
But what caught my eye is that they will sharpen knives for you.  This is a great gift for foodies and serious home cooks.  Don't buy an automatic knife sharpener from a big box kitchen store - it will ruin good blades.  Have a professional like the owner of this store, chef Mark, 'tune up' your honey's best knives.

1304 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin
Hours: Tues-Fri, 10-6:30; Sat. & Sun. 10-4.  Closed Mondays.
http://chefshavenonline.com/

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Spaceboy Clothing
Besides offering interesting clothing and tchotchkes for the more punk-rock minded among us, they're running a great deal on one-off customized t-shirts this week.  Through Saturday the 26th, you can select an American Apparel t-shirt of your choice, provide the shop with a design to be screen-printed, and get a single, customized t-shirt for only $30.  Yes, I wouldn't normally call $30 for a t-shirt a deal, but when you're getting it screen-printed to your specifications and the shop is willing to do a batch of just one t-shirt, that's a really great deal. 

2306 Kirkwood Hwy, Wilmington DE, 19805
302-225-9781
http://www.spaceboyclothing.com/
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-7, Saturday 12-5, closed Sunday

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Kinetic Skateboarding

I was going to say that this will only interest the skateboarders, but in looking at their website it seems they have way more than just skateboard equipment, and are worth dropping in on, for the rest of us.  (I desperately wanted to learn to skateboard at one time, but didn't have the balance for it.  It is like a hot knife through my cold, dark heart every time I see some little kid get the hang of it immediately).  This shop, which recently celebrated the opening of a 2nd location in Haddonfield, is owned by a young father of two with connections to the local music world.  He's good peeps, and this shop deserves your business.

Hours: Mon-Sat. 10-8, Sunday noon-5.

5319 Concord Pike
Wilm. DE
302-477-1533
http://kineticskateboarding.com/

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Newark Arts Alliance's Holiday Art Market

Arts and crafts made by locals, including textiles, jewelry, ceramics, children's items, photography, paintings, glassware, and more.  The market will be holding a reception on December 2nd, 8pm, during which you can meet the artists and crafts people.
276 E. Main St.
Newark DE 19711
Runs Nov. 22-Dec. 31 from 11am-3pm

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Accent Music
Accent, a two-store small business, is in a little bit of a struggle right now with the newer and larger Guitar Center that just opened.  The thing to remember about Accent is that they employ not just the men and women selling guitar strings and amps, but literally dozens of music teachers.  You're helping all of them out when you choose Accent over Guitar Center, when possible.  (They are not paying me to post this coupon, though I do have several friends who work there).

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Honorable mentions: Grass Roots, Wild Birds Unlimited, Harvest Market, Delaware Local Food Exchange: good gifts for mom and dad and your granola sister.