Dave Maxwell
The What Not Shop at Ash Springs, now located in part of the late R.L. Haslem’s old workshop building.
For 23 years, the little shop featuring knickknacks, used books, consignment items, and specialty items of various kinds has been located either inside or outside the R Place store (now Green Valley Grocery) in Ash Springs.
Now, it has been moved to a building behind the tire shop at the store, into what was once part of the late R.L. Haslem’s workshop.
When Green Valley decided it wanted to use the little indoor cubby hole the What Not Shop had been using for the past 14 months, store manager Rogan Haslem offered the proprietor of the shop a part of his dad’s old workshop.
The proprietor, who declined to be named for this story, said, “I have more space where I am now, but I’m not as visible as I have been. We’re going to have to come up with some creative signage of some kind. I’m having some homemade signs done and the question of where the signs can be placed regarding zoning laws and other regulations may come into play.”
There is a large painted banner near the building, but a person has to be looking for it as it will not catch the eye as quickly as when the shop was outside under the canopy.
Word of mouth will be one form of advertising, “but I also need the people going through on the highway,” she said. “Need to have some way of letting everyone know where the shop is located.”
Most of the items at the shop remain the same. The handmade laser-etched wood pictures that have been a staple of the What Not Shop for over 20 years can be mail ordered. “I’ve been mailing those ever since I was out under the canopy,” she said. “I was out there even before the canopy was put over the tables near the giant cottonwood tree.”
“And I’ve got more stuff coming,” the proprietor added. “Most all of it is on consignment. I’ve got two people who will be bringing more items in soon. And it’s all local, too. If you’re not local here in the valley, I don’t take it. This is strictly for the valley people to sell. There are seven people who have their items in here right at the moment.”
The biggest advantage for the What Not Shop, as opposed to when it was under the canopy for so many years, is that its owner doesn’t have to pack everything up each evening and take it home. “I just lock the door and walk away until the next time. I don’t have to crawl on the back of my pickup on my poor old knees, loading things up.”
What Not Shop hours are 8-4, Saturday and Sunday.
