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Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio, Mad Shopper Column

Posted on: Sunday, 20 November 2005, 15:00 CST

By Mary Ethridge, Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Nov. 19--CUSTOMERS MAKE SURPRISING FINDS AT HARTVILLE SHOPS: Shop.

Eat.

Shop some more.

Eat some more.

If I added a long nap, a good book and a hug from my daughter to that list, it would constitute a nearly perfect day in my book.

Hartville, a Stark County village near the Summit County line, is a great place to get a jump on that kind of day. It's packed with one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants, all wrapped up in an atmosphere that reflects its rural, Amish roots.

No trip there would be complete without a stop at the Hartville Kitchen and the adjacent Hartville Collectibles.

There, you can fortify yourself with fried chicken and massive mounds of mashed potatoes before strolling over to the store to peruse the figurines, artwork and other home goods that draw tourists.

The store carries the popular Lladro, Department 56 and Hummel lines of collectibles.

The second floor is devoted to the works of Thomas Kinkade, who is known as "the painter of light" for his idealized landscapes.

The store also has an enormous section of candles and accessories, which are popular gifts, manager Susan Smith said.

"When you don't know what to get them, you get them a candle," she said.

The store is filled with surprises. One corner is devoted entirely to red hats and purple clothing, a Mecca for middle aged-women of the Red Hat Society.

The society, which now has chapters all over the country, was inspired by a poem titled Warning by Jenny Joseph. In the poem, Joseph promises to enter into old age with verve, a sentiment that resonates with aging baby boomers.

"When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple /and a red hat that doesn't go and doesn't suit me," she wrote.

Smith said the items have a dedicated following.

"I call them my red hat ladies," she said. "They come here all the time."

For those more interested in the other end of life's spectrum, Hartville Collectibles has an area where children can pick out a baby doll to adopt.

The dolls are displayed in a glass-fronted room that appears just like a hospital nursery with a rocking chair and changing table.

The babies, which look amazingly like the real thing, are lined up in bassinets waiting to be taken home. When a child picks out the baby, a store employee -- dressed as a nurse -- leads the child into the nursery to rock the baby and change its diaper. The child gets to choose the gender and the birthday.

"We don't sell babies. That's illegal," Smith said with a laugh. "But we do about 15 adoptions a day."

The baby dolls, by Lee Middleton, run $79. Clothes, carriers and other accessories are extra.

Your Hartville itinerary should also include a stop at the Hartville Chocolate Factory. The store, owned by Mary and Bob Barton, carries more than your usual bon-bons.

This holiday season, the store is featuring a piece of chocolate wrapped tightly in black foil to resemble a piece of coal in case someone in your life has been less than perfect this year.

If, on the other hand, someone has been really good, you can honor them by having their picture inked onto a piece of candy.

The store can take any photograph and transfer it, using edible ink, onto your chosen confection.

For those who make their own candy, the Chocolate Factory has numerous molds and chocolate disks for melting.

Another new item this year is a chocolate infused with Starbucks coffee and Land O' Lakes cream, Barton said.

The factory also offers truffles for sampling for those who want to try before they buy.

"We could have bought a Mercedes-Benz for as many truffles as we've given away," Bob Barton said. "But it's great marketing."

Hartville is perhaps best known for its long-standing flea markets.

In 2002, the Hartville Flea Market (which is actually in Lake Township) renamed itself the Hartville MarketPlace and moved across Edison Street to a cavernous complex behind the Hartville Kitchen. The 100,000-square-foot mall -- which has vendors inside and out -- draws about 20,000 shoppers a week.

Byler's Flea Market , a collection of barnlike buildings across Edison from the MarketPlace, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

There are many other places to explore in Hartville, including Victorian Rose Antiques, the Hartville Pie Factory and the Maple Street Gallery.

Longaberger, the Dresden- based basket maker, has its veneering operation in Hartville. But the company closed the Hartville gift shop last week and shut down factory tours to the general public.

But that's OK. A little chocolate makes everything go down easier.

Mary Ethridge can be reached at 330-996-3545 or methridge@thebeaconjournal.com

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Copyright (c) 2005, Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

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Source: Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

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