What began with just jewelry sales at craft shows evolved into a downtown gift boutique.
Barb Miele began Gustonian Gifts six years ago, but moved to her current location on the corner of Fourth and Pine Street three years ago.
"We outgrew the store," she said. "It's tight now."
She does not want to move again, but continues to expand the store, with a variety of items in every section.
Some of the items include Vera Bradley bags, Miche purses, Chamilia jewelry, trollbeads, Williamsport and Pennsylvania clothes and postcards, and Zulugrass, which is natural grass beads dyed different colors by Maasai women of Kenya, who then receive a portion of the profits.
"We have a little bit of everything," Miele's daughter and partner, Denyse Miele, said.
The store features about 80 artists, with 45 of them being local.
Barb said the artists are "local to global" because an Australian artist makes fairies for the store.
Denyse, who does most of the ordering of the products, looks for unique items.
"It's different than what you see in other stores," Denyse said. "It's a huge variety and a lot of fun stuff."
The variety offers a chance for shoppers to shop for multiple people with multiple tastes.
"A lot of people come in and shop on Black Friday," Denyse said. "One woman was here for three or four hours shopping for four or five people."
This year, Gustonian Gifts will be open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. for Black Friday shopping.
Denyse also looks for functional items, such as a Card Cubby, which is a little file folder that organizes credit cards, gift cards and coupons.
"I like to find things that people made for things they needed," she said.
Customers also make suggestions for new items, which is how the store started stocking Vera Bradley bags around Mother's Day.
"(Vera Bradley) is a big seller," Barb said. "We're also the first store to get Miche bags in last August. We have a huge selection."
Gustonian Gifts began because it was Denyse's dream. The mother and daughter duo began by selling their own homemade jewelry at craft shows in 2003. They opened the store at its first location in 2005.
Barb said she focuses most on customer service by greeting everyone in the store, explaining specials and trying to help customers find what they need.
"We want to treat customers the way they want to be treated," she said. "I like to make it fun, personable shopping."
With a downtown Williamsport location, Gustonian Gifts can participate in First Friday.
Barb said that the store hosts between one to three different artists and musicians each month, including her nephew occasionally.
Gustonian Gifts also supports non-profits, like animal shelters. The fourth annual Animal Fashion show will be in October. Pine Street is closed for the event. A stage is set up where the animals show off their costumes and have their biographies read. All of the proceeds go back to the animal shelter.
