What’s more “Dundee” than a crocodile?
Well, maybe quite a few things, but the newest retailer in downtown Dundee has a snappy name that ought to get more than a few bites from shoppers.
The Crocodile Mercantile, located at 8 Water St. (where else?) in Dundee is the brainchild of village residents Mike and Ivy Brooks and Alan and Lew Ann Giles.
It is also a result of the Our Town Rocks Community Health program that’s been stirring up spirit in the Dundee, Barrington and Starkey community for the past couple of years.
Crocodile Mercantile houses a music store —Crocodile Music — in addition to other spaces for local artisans to sell their products. What started as an idea for an “Everything Dundee” store has come to fruition here.
Mike Brooks, who moved to Dundee from Maine three years ago, explains that he had been planning to open a music store for a while when he heard about the idea for a store selling a variety of Dundee-area products. He thought the two operations would fit nicely together, and so did Alan Giles, who had recently sold his family’s grocery store business across the street.
Crocodile Mercantile opened in June with eight vendors offering a variety of products they make in the Dundee area.
While Crocodile Music takes up about half of the space in the front of the store, other Dundee area vendors have spaces there as well, filling the main room with an eclectic mix of interesting items.
In the second room, space is available for six more vendors. Those spaces will not be limited to vendors or products made in the Dundee area, Mike says.
The Mercantile operates with three types of agreements that offer vendors a choice of rental fee and commission combinations. Mike says this makes the store an attractive option for vendors with different products.
Current vendors are Crocodile Music Store (string instruments, music supplies, audio equipment); The Fabric Shop (pillows); Janet Strauser (hand-painted china); Angela Fishbaugh, Sheri Bone and Marilyn Luke (books), Phyllis Maicig (acrylic polymer and oil paintings), Macy Hall (creations in polymer clay) and Steve Knapp (photography).
Lew Ann Giles has coordinated the sale of locally produced Wixon honey and maple syrup.
The Brooks’s Crocodile Music store features high end string instruments —Deering and Gold Tone Banjos, Phoenix, Gold Tone and Morgan Monroe Mandolins and Morgan Monroe guitars.
Mike, who began playing the guitar in 1962, plays banjo with the Crooked Lake Fiddlers and 43 Main Street band. He works closely with luthier Tom Close and technician Ben Burgell so the store can offer full sales, support and maintenance of instruments.
He is also a Muiscorp and KMC dealer and offers a full array of musical accessories, instruments and electronic gear. He can also arrange lessons on string instruments and is looking into ways to provide lessons and repairs for brass and woodwind instruments.
Crocodile Mercantile is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. More information can be found at www.crocodilemercantile.com and www.crocodilemusicstore.com. Phone 607-243-5100.
