Thimble and Plow

By Jessica Farrish
Register-Herald Reporter

July 04, 2009 09:17 pm

— Walking into Thimble and Plow in Talcott is like taking a step back to a time when life was simpler.
Customers of the family-owned shop are greeted by the warm scent of sugar and maple or possibly a fresh whiff of honeysuckle, compliments of tart burners in the store.
“Everybody that comes through the doors says, ‘Oh, it smells so good in here,’” reported Nancy Rose, who co-owns the store with her husband, Wayne. “That’s their first reaction.”
Old-fashioned Nehi soda pop in longneck bottles wait in a cooler. Visitors take them out and dry them with a towel, just as their grandparents did with their Nehis generations ago.
Fudge and horehound, sassafras and root beer barrel candies mingle among locally homemade maple syrup.
The homey, comfortable Thimble and Plow is brimming with treasures inspired by days gone by in southern West Virginia.
“It’s the old country stuff that I grew up with when I was at home as a kid,” said Rose. “It’s basically all remakes of all that stuff.”
Home decor and gifts are the specialty in Rose’s store. Among the novelties and trinkets stored in Thimble and Plow are lotions, soaps, berry garlands, rustic stars, lamps, iron hooks of all sorts, woven wooden baskets, cabinets, braided rugs, jewelry, clocks, watches, gourd bluebird houses, wooden decorative signs, potato bins, quilted purses, potpourri, old-fashioned crocks, and grapevine wreaths.
Butter cup tins, popcorn tins, popcorn bowls, table runners, napkins and seasonal slates for the yard are also available at the store.
A popular item is the plaid, primitive lamp shade and coordinating green Mason jar.
“People put them on these old, green Mason jars and make lamps,” said Rose. “I’ve got the adapters to make the lamps.”
One local supplier makes decorative grapevine trees that are often lit and placed on front porches for decoration.
Another hot seller are the specialized greeting cards.
“I sell them for $1.25,” she said. “Everybody says they’re so elegant.
“They’ll come in and buy 12 or 15 at a time,” she added. “They say they can’t get them anywhere but here.”
Rose said some local residents place things in her shop on consignment.
“One lady makes rag balls,” she said. “They’re basically a ball with leftover material pieces.
“They wrap them around and around until they get a ball out of it. They put it in a clear bowl or jar and set it on coffee tables.
“People are crazy about them.”
The Roses order braided rugs, carpets, and vinyl and wood flooring for customers who ask for them.
Prior to the Roses’ purchase of Thimble and Plow in May 2008, Nancy Rose was the store’s best customer, she said.
“I live across the railroad tracks, in front of the store, and I could just walk over here and shop,” she said. “When the previous owners wanted to sell and retire, they offered it to me.
“They said I was one of the best customers.”
The couple contacted the Small Business Development Center in Beckley for help in securing a micro-business loan.
“We didn’t have any problem at all getting it,” said Rose. “Robin Morgan (of WorkForce WV) came over here a couple times and worked with us, helping us get the right paperwork.”
After Morgan helped them develop their business plan, they were awarded a small loan to help offset the cost of their new business, she said.
They’ve been operating Thimble and Plow since Jan. 2, she said.
“(Morgan) was a tremendous help to us,” she said. “We have a low interest rate and low payments for 10 years.
“I’d recommend any small business to get one of these loans.”
Located in Talcott near the John Henry statue, Rose said most of her customers are tourists who visit to camp, fish and raft.
“Summer is my best season,” she said. “We’ve started adding a few little toys because we have a lot of campers through here in summertime.
“We’ll sell sailboats, airplanes, bubblegum, lollipops ... just something for kids.”
Gifts are placed in a special gift bag with a primitive tag, said Rose.
Hours for the store are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More information is available at 304-466-3334.
— E-mail: jfarrish@register-herald.com

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