By Amanda Raymond
amanda.raymond@salisburypost.com

LANDIS — The Christmas season has begun, at least it has for a business in Landis.

The owners of Perry’s Olde Shoppe, at 705 North Main St., held the grand opening for Christmas at Perry’s on Sept. 7. The new shop is at 1013 S. Main St. and is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Dale and Betty Hartsell are the owners of the stores. Their daughter and son-in-law, Angela and Charles Atkinson, help run and manage the stores.

Perry’s Olde Shoppe carries a wide range of antiques and collectibles year-round, and during the holidays the Hartsells would also sell Christmas decorations. But the store was beginning to get too crowded.

Betty said they have wanted to have the Christmas items in their own space for 10 years, and finally an opportunity to do so opened up this year.

It took 10 days to get the four rooms of Christmas at Perry’s ready for customers. The village homes, antique trains, rag dolls, candles, furniture, paintings, ornaments, Christmas trees, Santas and other collectibles are all arranged so that customers can picture the items in their own homes.

They can also be used as decoration for churches or they can be given as gifts, Betty said.

Betty enjoys giving descriptions and a little bit of the history of the different items to customers as they browse.

“(It’s) so much fun to be able to find something people are really and truly looking for,” Betty said.

She said people are amazed at the things they find at the stores that they remember from their childhood.

Dale said he and his wife frequent estate and yard sales to find different items for both of their shops.

“It’s a lot of fun to go to a house and find merchandise,” he said. Friends also keep an eye out for items they can pass on to the Hartsells.

They paint and restore the furniture they buy. Some of the items are displayed on old trunks, drawers and cabinets that are also for sale.

There are also decorative deer and angels outside of the store, all for sale.

The Hartsells started a shabby chic business in their home before opening Perry’s Olde Shoppe nine years ago. They actually live between the two shops.

“Actually, we can walk to other shops easily,” Betty said.

The shops are named in memory of the Hartsells’ son Perry, who passed away at 14 years old.

Dale said the grand opening brought in a lot of customers and the Christmas shop has stayed busy ever since with locals and people from out of town.

“The customers that we’re seeing in here seem to be pleased,” Betty said.

Christmas at Perry’s will be open from September to December.

Contact reporter Amanda Raymond at 704-797-4222.