Welcome to Small Business Spotlight, TLG’s home for celebrating the marvelous small businesses in Bennington, VT, who give back to the community and foster a stronger local economy. These businesses are chosen for their unique services, fair prices, noteworthy charity, and their commitment to nurturing a healthier Bennington. This week in the spotlight: Knapps Music, Toys & Hobbies.

Knapps is as enchanting a place as Neverland, except it exists, and you can go there! Here’s why you would love it:

It’s a real family business:

Duffy and Jayne Outwater wanted a place for their family to be together, and for Duffy to get out of the construction work he’d been doing for much of his life. In 2000, they discovered Knapps for sale, an old pet & hobby store run by Ron Knapp that soon became the ambitious road to the life they envisioned. Together, with help from their two daughters, they have come to specialize in music, toys, and hobbies. Duffy and Jayne’s interests meet between his musical heart and her connection with teaching.

You won’t find what they have anywhere else:

With a small business, the Outwaters get to choose all of their inventory directly — who they buy from and why. Jayne, a teacher and a mother, has an eye for unique and educational toys. Her discerning interests hone in on high quality toys (many made in the USA, and with eco-friendly materials) that both thrill and encourage learning, interest, and awareness in all ages. A bassist and guitarist, Duffy’s passion for music gives the store a retro, earthy atmosphere with instruments and music supplies.

“a place for rock & rollers,
and moms with two-year-olds”

One of the best parts of coming to Knapps is browsing the peculiar shelves and becoming aware of interests you never knew you had, or reconnecting with old ones you thought you would never see again. The range is impressive…

From lunar nite lites and solar system mobiles to new & used instruments and amps…

From do-it-yourself henna, potholder, and birdhouse kits to finger puppets and stuffed animals…

From car rugs and butterfly gardens to model kits like eco-friendly tyrannosauruses…

From sidewalk chalk and paint-by-stickers (exactly what it sounds like) to animated hologram books and Harry Potter goodies…

From draw-it-yourself storybooks (again, exactly what it sounds like) and quirky t-shirts to balsa wood, X-acto knives, copper tubes, and paints…

The list goes on. Melissa & Doug, coin collecting books, fake foods, sets of fun home science experiments, geode-finding sets obscured in faux gemstones and dinosaur droppings, Metal Earth sets, Kidz Labs intruder alarms and glowing skeletons, ABCs, wooden train sets, adult coloring books, and much more.
In a back room, painted luminous green, you can find boxes upon boxes of old vinyls at bargain prices, which makes getting excited about all your favorite artists and walking out with an armload of records an easy and guilt-free endeavor.

But it doesn’t stop at music, toys, and hobbies — Knapps also stocks an environmentally friendly collection of greeting cards, an assortment of calendars, and a seasonal section.

Their prices are unbeatable (just ask this family…):

The Outwaters assured me that they never mark their prices over retail.  “If you’re shopping small business, you think you’re spending more,” says Jayne, “but that’s not always the case.”  And she can prove it, telling me of a family she met in search of a pricey Melissa & Doug set found it at a mall for $70.  Before committing, they checked Knapps first, and they were ecstatic to find the same set, $20 cheaper at Knapps.   

“same set, $20 cheaper at Knapps”

But that’s not all the benefits of buying at Knapps.  The Outwaters also offer:

• Price-matching for music supplies (like instruments & amps) to those customers find on the internet.
• Special orders and professional and personal shopping input.  I needed advice for baby toys, and Jayne not only knew exactly where to direct me, but also could speak anecdotally of the quality of the toys she stocked.
• Less sales tax in Vermont, and no shipping fees.
• Students get a 10% discount.
• Rewards card worth $10 when filled in (details at store).

Adult coloring books your thing?  Knapps has something for everyone:

Knapps is known for its unique items that appeal to all ages.  As Tommi Outwater, the youngest daughter, says: “It’s a place for rock & rollers, and moms with two-year-olds.”  In addition to toys and games for babies, children, and teens, they also carry items like adult coloring books, drinking Jenga, hobby building supplies, drawing supplies, and adult charades.

They do events!  “Live at Knapps”:

In the summer through October, Knapps features weekly free concerts every Friday from 6-8pm under “Live at Knapps,” where up-and-coming musicians can get their start doing gigs for the community.  On the ceiling of the event space, a rainbow of hanging vinyls give the stage a unique touch of retro.  

“My dad has been a mentor,

a good influence.”

The musicians featured during “Live at Knapps” concerts are usually young people from in and around Bennington who look to music, and by extension, Duffy Outwater, for guidance and inspiration.  Duffy works to give these curious or fledgling musicians both a place where they can jam with him and one another, and opportunities to grow and share their passion with the town.  “My dad has been a mentor, a good influence,” says Tommi.  “I’ve seen a lot of musicians go on up through” because of Duffy’s commitment to them, and to the Bennington community.

Community matters to the Outwaters:

In addition to supporting young musicians, the Outwaters use Knapps as a way to lend a hand to Bennington in other ways.  Behind the counter as the Outwaters spoke to me sat a $90 worth box of donations to a local school charity fundraiser.  The store is as much a place for their own family to converge and bond as for the larger family of Bennington, in its many faces, to enjoy themselves and flourish through their interests.  

And if Knapps doesn’t have what you need, the Outwaters are happy to direct you to their fellow local businesses in town.  They try to support their neighbor businesses as much as possible, working toward a strong local economic base that each give back to the town and its people.

Nothing in the store is electronic:

All of the toys and hobby materials at Knapps are enriching in hands-on ways that rekindle the love in each of us for imaginative fun, or crazy experiments, or puzzling over things with our hands. Knapps reminds us what we love about toys, and how they can be for all ages, and their uses limitless.  The Outwaters are passionate about analogue fun, and they’ve found an increased demand for things to engage kids that aren’t electronics.  If that’s what you’re looking for, Knapps has it in abundance.

It’s FUN — remember arcades, gumball machines?

Knapps also features arcade machines seasonally, a fun house mirror, and a true gumball machine.  High scores for the arcade are kept in chalk on a hand-done blackboard with color and charm.

Knapps is a unique, family-oriented, comfortable place to love and learn.  We at the Looking Glass encourage you to come in, chew a gumball, let your hands wander the shelves, make designs with the wooden mosaic puzzles and Chinese checkers, sift the records — enjoy yourself at Knapps!

Where & When to Find Knapps:

ADDRESS:  417 Main St. Bennington VT 05201

PHONE:  (802) 442 6252

HOURS:

Monday – Friday: 10:00 – 5:30pm

Saturday: 10:00 – 5:00pm

Sunday: 12:00 – 4:00pm

WEBSITE:  KnappsVT.com

FACEBOOK:  Like Knapps on Facebook!

Main Street is in the center of Bennington, where route 9 intersects route 7.  Knapps is just down the road from SVC, across from Madison’s Brewery Co.