Need a specialty item – a shampoo long gone from drugstore shelves, or a no gizmo wind-up watch not carried by department stores, or perhaps you have a taste for original cream hazelnuts no longer stocked in candy stores? You can get these long lost products and so much more at The Vermont Country Store. It first opened its doors sixty-three years ago in 1946. Now owned by Lyman Orton and his three sons, this family run general store sells practical and hard-to-find goods. The Ortons are 3rd and 4th generation shopkeepers, whose business motto is to find items that make a difference in people’s lives. If you’re dying to locate a treat from your childhood – spicy Lebkuchen cookies from Germany, plum pudding made in England from an authentic recipe, or homemade chocolate almond butter crunch candy, still prepared the old fashion way – all you need to do is visit their stores, check their catalog, or shop online at vermontcountrystore. Are you looking for an old turntable record player, or a simple-to-use Smith Corona electric typewriter? They have them. And during the holidays, why not bite into a mince pie from an 1897 Scottish recipe, or sample Victorian Peppermint Pig Candies from Saratoga Springs, New York? The peppermint pigs come with a little steel hammer, and in the tradition of the times, smashing and eating the pieces bring good luck and happiness to you and your guests.

Many items offered are customers' requests. During Christmas look for German Chocolate Brandy Santas and traditional Swedish Filled Chocolate Dala Horses – sweets brought to America by immigrants. So if you remember something from the past that you'd love to buy again, like Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific Shampoo, or a classic paint-by-the numbers craft set, you can drop customer service a line, and chances are they will track it down for you – at modest prices. Also, a portion of the profits generated by the Vermont Country Store is set aside to help rural communities.

{Please note: This shop is in Rockingham, Vermount, not North CA.