Find Something For Everyone at Just For Fun

Sometimes a name can explain a business model.

For in Havre de Grace, that's precisely the case.

"When we opened the store, we opened it just for fun," owner Michelle Schnur said. "We want people to have fun in here. We want to bring back that nostalgic feeling, that good feeling, that people used to feel. People that come in say, 'Oh my gosh, I remember this.' It makes them happy."

The shop, located on Franklin Street in downtown Havre de Grace, will be the target of Main Street's Mob The Merchant program Saturday morning.

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The idea for the business began as a comic book and baseball card store in Parkville, where it was open from 1988 to 1995. 

The Schnurs then opened a store in Bel Air in May 2008, and opened the Havre de Grace location in May 2009. They ran both stores until Nov. 2009, when they closed the Bel Air shop to focus on Havre de Grace.

The shop has a plethora of unique items customers are unlikely to find at a traditional store.

Schnur rattles off the inventory: "We have back-issue comics, books and graphic novels, albums, 45s, sporting memorabilia, collectible cards. But we also have 90210 cards, things like that. We have retro candy that you can’t find everywhere. When I was growing up, the candy that I used to get. We have collectible things like metal lunchboxes, cookie jars, Betty Boop, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Lucy, Star Trek, Star Wars. ... Novelty toys, marbles, chatter teeth, mood rings, bracelets, slinkies."

Nostalgia runneth over.

"Someone came in and said, 'Oh my gosh, this candy is old. Is it stale?' And I said, 'Nooo, they just made it. It’s just from a long time ago.'"

There is also a collection of rocks and gems, she said.

The goal is to keep things interesting and affordable.

"With those toys, I try to keep their prices down so kids can come in with their allowance and get something," she said. "Our candy starts at three cents. Where can you buy a piece of candy for three cents?"

But while the store seems to be kid-oriented, it's often the parents who can feel like a kid again that really latch onto the store.

"Half the time, the kids don’t even know what the things are," she said. "It’s so different. It’s a store for everybody."

It's also a shop that has a faithful following—and one that is engaging to out-of-towners.

While many unique shops in Havre de Grace are closing doors or struggling to stay afloat, has found its niche as an attractive one to tourists.

"Somebody will come through and will say, 'Oh my god I was here two years ago and I’m glad your still here,'" Schnur said. "It's really sweet, they look for us now."

TELL US: Are you mobbing Just For Fun on Saturday? Leave a comment.