Keep it local with unique shopping ideas across Otsego County

By Patrick Dewey

Shoppers are up against the hard deadline for getting their gifts from internet stores, so what better reason to visit Otsego County’s vast array of local and unique shops?

Aside from supporting neighbors and your community, local shoppers drive the sales tax dollars necessary to support Otsego County services.

“For every dollar we spend locally there are about 10 more local transactions from those business owners,” said Otsego County Treasurer Alan Ruffles. He said sales tax revenue goes in part toward safety and emergency preparedness such as 911 and ambulance services. Sales tax revenue also supports public services such as the Office for the Aging, addiction recovery services, and more.

Mr. Ruffles said Otsego County collected a total of $36.9 million in sales tax in 2020; in 2021, the County has already collected a total of $37.4 million. He said the state is typically about a month behind in allocating sales tax revenue to the County so this total, already higher than all of last year, does not account for December and holiday shopping.

“There was an 8.5% reduction in sales tax revenue in 2020 due to the pandemic,” he said. “All indications are that sales tax revenue is bouncing back for us.”

Tara Burke is director of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce. She said particularly in Otsego County, money spent at local businesses gets invested back into the community.

“Many local business owners donate to our community’s nonprofits regularly,” Ms. Burke said. “When you shop local, you’re supporting your neighbor, someone with a dream of owning a small business.”

Here is just a small sample of the locally owned and operated businesses in Otsego County.

The Family Tree Gallery
171 Main Street, Cooperstown
A collective of artists display and sell their work at the Family Tree Gallery, first opened by Marjorie Landers in October 2020. The Family Tree offers a wide variety of art from folk art depicting local scenes to portrait and landscape styles, sculptures, and pottery. Local artist Judy Steiner-Grin displays the newest piece at Family Tree; titled “Leaving the Hanger,” it celebrates female aviators and represents the challenges females in aviation and other professions had to overcome historically. Symbolizing these barriers, it is constructed from a variety of common household items. Ms. Landers said all the art is locally made and artists work together to operate the gallery. “I love having the ability to share art with tourists and locals alike. Many locals know we are here and the response has been very supportive,” she said. The Family Tree Gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Riverwood
88 Main Street, Cooperstown
Riverwood owner Todd Gibbons offers a variety of items from toys and games to jewelry, handbags, men’s fashion items, and more. Mr. Gibbons said the selection of games ranges from those geared toward children to more complex games and puzzles for adults. “We are known for our selection of games and people can come in and try out a game or two,” he said. His father, Rick, opened Riverwood in 1998. Todd took over in 2014. “When I took the helm, I asked my dad what motivated him every day and he said it came down to the customers,” Mr. Gibbons said, noting the selection of items is inspired by customer input. Riverwood is open daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., opening at 9 a.m. on Saturdays, with expanded holiday hours of 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. until Christmas.

Tin Bin Alley
114 Main Street, Cooperstown
Tin Bin Alley owner Lori Fink calls her shop “a nostalgic candy store” that features many other items. The candy selection at Tin Bin includes homemade fudge, chocolates, and Victorian-style sugarplums. Beyond the sweets, Tin Bin currently features locally made mittens crafted from repurposed sweaters. Other highlights include moonglow necklaces and greeting cards. “I pay special attention to finding inventory I don’t see anywhere else,” Ms. Fink said. Tin Bin Alley is open Monday – Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The Green Toad
198 Main Street, Oneonta
The Green Toad in Oneonta is among the few independent bookstores in the area. Owner Jim Havener said the store carries all book genres from fiction and fantasy to lifestyle, cookbooks, and more. “It’s wonderful to be able to watch customers explore a variety of topics and ideas through our book selection,” he said. “We sell stories and it’s a joy to see customers immersed in them.” Mr. Havener said The Green Toad also offers a variety of gift items, including jewelry, handbags, woven items, and more. Whenever possible, he said, The Green Toad carries locally made gift items. “Main Street Oneonta is a vital part of our area, and it is great to be able to serve the local community and meet those visiting from other communities as well,” he said. Green Toad Bookstore is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Bearded Dragon
19 Ford Avenue, Suite B, Oneonta
Run by founder Buron Doyon along with Anthony Roefs, the Bearded Dragon is focused on hobby-based card games and board games. Mr. Roefs said these include Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh,
and more. Bearded Dragon also carries the game Catan, and a full selection of Star Wars game products, and non-digital versions of Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. The Dragon also sells games based on the Marvel franchise and has a selection of comic books. “I love demonstrating how board gaming can unlock creativity and understanding, especially for young kids,” Mr. Roefs said. The store runs Dungeons & Dragons groups for schools and other gatherings as well. The Bearded Dragon was founded by Doyon in 2003 because he grew up near a game store and wanted to bring that type of experience to Oneonta community members. The Bearded Dragon is open Tuesday through Saturday, 1 p.m. – 8 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

The Eighth Note
10 S Main St, Oneonta
Ruth Cleveland and her husband Fred founded The Eighth Note in 1971 and, with help from son Chris, still run the store today. The Eighth Note carries guitars, pianos and electronic keyboards, along with band and orchestra instruments. Mrs. Cleveland said customers can browse new or used inventory, with used inventory resold only if high quality. The Eighth Note employs five teachers, helping students of all ages master anything from drums to violin. Mrs. Cleveland said gift certificates can be used for merchandise or lessons and a student can take as many lessons as they need. The music store also employs a luthier, a professional trained in the building and repair of stringed instruments — one of the most unique aspects of the store. “My husband and I were born and raised in Oneonta, so it’s great to have such a supportive community and customer base,” she said. “Today, the grandchildren of some of our first music students come into the store.” She said offering lessons is one of the greatest joys of owning a music store. “To offer music lessons in this area was always our biggest dream.” The Eighth Note is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Otsego County’s downtowns and side roads alike offer many locally owned shops beyond those highlighted here. You will find men’s and women’s fashion, shoes, plants and flowers, gift shops, and so much more. If you want to take a quick break from shopping there are a variety of eateries, as well.

“The small businesses are a large part of what makes Otsego County a wonderful place to live, work, and visit,” said Ms. Burke of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce.