The DIME Store celebrates their fourth birthday this week. The store, which opened on South Locust in March of 2013, started out as a brick-and-mortar offshoot of Denton-based sellers on Etsy, the online market for handmade goods. Since opening their doors four years ago, much has changed for the-little-shop-that-could on South Locust St. Read on for more information on DIME and to find out how you can help them celebrate this Saturday at their annual Birthday Bash.
We're gonna be honest here. The DIME Store (short for Denton Independent Maker Exchange) is our go-to spot for gift-buying in Denton. Heck, it's also always a surefire bet for First Friday or when you're looking to purchase local art. While we did have a ongoing heated discussion about their attempt to make "SoLo" (an abbreviation for South Locust) happen back in the day, we've always loved what's going on at The DIME Store.
At the time of their opening in 2013, The DIME Store featured around 25 makers. In the past four years, they have gone on to increase the number of makers and artists featured in their store by over 200%. Sellers including THrō Ceramics, Otter Illustration, Freckled Pottery, Jude Landry, and many others have since been added in the past few years. In order to make room for all of the new sellers, DIME has removed their vintage clothing section which was a tough decision. The DIME Store started out as a haven for handmade gifts and crafts, but has gone on to become much more. In fact, we wouldn't hesitate to call them the best place to buy a Denton-themed gift or souvenir in town. In fact, the famous "Oh No You Denton" T-shirt designed by Jude Landry (who also designed the new We Denton Do It logo) that you probably see all over town was probably purchased from The DIME Store.
The store has always been a hallmark of what Denton creatives can do when they put their minds together. Traces of the idea can be tied back to a Denton Creatives Mixer put on by Denton City Councilman Kevin Roden at Oak St. Drafthouse back in 2012 when Shelley Christner and Rachel Aughtry were inspired by the Denton creative and business community.
Owner Shelley Christner had lofty goals when helping to make DIME a reality back in 2013. “What we set out to do was to support a creative economy, we are really doing that. The thing I am the most proud of is the community that has built around this little store," Christner said.
Part of what has made that community so strong was the introduction of DIME's co-op. When faced with the problem of not having enough hours in the day to both create their wares to sell in the store (in addition to other places), and run the store, the owners looked to their creative crafters for a solution. Now, certain sellers take time out of their busy days to come and work the counter at the store in return for a higher consignment rate.
Some of the makers that will be present at DIME's birthday bash on Saturday.
So with the past four years being so full of change, what lies ahead for The DIME Store in the years to come? We asked Christner just that. “I just see us getting better and better, I’m just really grateful to be where we are and to be where we are and have the momentum you have. I have a great team of makers helping to move The DIME store into a new season and in the next couple months, new makers, new products, new workshops.” We're excited to see that momentum continue for another four years.
You can help The DIME Store celebrate this Saturday, April 1st from 10am - 6pm at their store at 510 S. Locust St. (SoLo) Denton, TX 76201. There will be Instagram giveaways, a backyard market featuring plenty of great makers, food and drink, a fun photo booth, and plenty more. More information here.
You can also follow them on their Instagram or check out their Facebook page to keep up with what they have going on. Want to read more about the crafters, artists, and other fine folk that sell their wares at DIME? Read our DIME Maker Series from a few years ago.