Thirty Years of Just the Thing!
There are stores you walk into with a list, and then there are stores like Just the Thing!, where the list goes out the window about three steps through the door.
A lamp catches your eye. Then a painted dresser. Then a stack of old frames, a funny little curio, a piece of furniture with just the right amount of history, and suddenly you’re wandering through the shop the way people wander through a good story.
Candace Gatlin, Knowles' daughter, poses with celebratory balloons for the shop's birthday.
For 30 years, Susan Nowak Knowles has been creating that feeling in downtown Dover on Central Ave.
Just the Thing! opened its doors on July 3, 1996, at a moment when Susan was starting over, and on a day that was almost too hot to forget. A Dover native with a retail background, including years as a director of advertising at Sawyer Mills, Knowles’ took an entrepreneurship course at Pease Tradeport and then did the thing so many people dream about but never quite dare to do: she opened her own shop.
What began as an antiques and curio shop became something much bigger. Over time, Just the Thing! grew into a downtown destination filled with antiques, vintage furniture, home decor, gifts, rescued treasures, and one-of-a-kind finds brought in by Susan and a collection of dealers who help make the store feel fresh every time you visit.
It's not unusual to find one-of-a-kind things at Just the Thing!
The shop eventually moved into a larger neighboring space, giving Susan more room to do what she does best: create a place that feels the a daily treasure hunt for her customers. For Knowles, she's given Dover fair prices, green products, ever changing quality inventory, and wonderful customer service with a great sense of humor.
"I've opened this door almost, 11,000 times, and I'm still excited to see who comes in today," Knowles said.
Shoppers peruse the shop at its birthday celebration.
After three decades, many of Knowles’ customers are more than just customers. They’ve become regulars. Friends. People who come back year after year. People who first visited with their parents now come back while building lives of their own and looking for “just the thing” to complete their homes.
When asked where she's sees her shop in 10 years, Knowles reflected warmly on her 30 years in Dover.
"Whether I'm still at the helm or happily wandering the streets of Paris in my retirement, I hope the shop is still here in the heart of Dover, my lifelong home, and continuing to offer lovely vintage goods to yet another generation," she said. "I've truly loved every day of it. I am blessed."
This Friday, July 3rd, Just the Thing! will celebrate 30 years in business with a one-day celebration. Enjoy 30% off everything in store from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Happy Birthday to Just the Thing! and congratulations to Susan on building a downtown Dover shop that has truly lived up to its name.
Visit Just the Thing at 451 Central Ave., Dover, NH
