Forty-three years later, the Sea Shell Shop has gone from five locations to four to three to two and now to one. We are consolidating and moving our original location on Rehoboth Avenue to one location out on Route 1, where we have been located since 1996 along with our miniature golf course, Shell We Golf. It’s just one mile north on Route 1 from our beloved downtown Rehoboth Beach, where I not only work but have lived in town for 43 years and where we raised our three children.
We are a family business that started with my parents in 1956 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Ocean City, Md. I am a second generation, which my late husband Tom and I started in Rehoboth Beach, and now my sons are a third generation. After my husband suddenly passed 12 years ago, I decided it’s time to make my life easier and just have one shop, now managed by my oldest son John. My other son Jim and his lovely wife Julie are very busy running their own family business, Shell We Bounce Trampoline Park, near Lewes on Route 9. I guess you could say we are three generations of entrepreneurs with a fourth generation growing up so quickly.
It was a hard decision to sell or rent. What to do? I knew that decision was going to be coming soon, and I had been contemplating it after having had several offers to sell my downtown store, but I just did not. And then suddenly someone needed a place to move into on Rehoboth Avenue, so we as a family decided one day to let them rent our downtown store.
Longtime friends and a wonderful established business, Tideline Gallery, owned by much-beloved Bill and Barb Hammond, will be moving into our old store at 119 Rehoboth Ave. March 1, if not sooner.
We have many great stories and memories that happened in our downtown stores over the years. We have had many longtime managers, most working for us 20, 30 and even one for 35 years, Marie Moody, and she is now 95. It has been a wonderful place to live and raise our family, and work side by side with so many other wonderful longtime established businesses, whom I know so well and call them all my friends.
We’re currently in the process of moving out, as we will be closing Sunday, Jan. 29. Tideline Gallery will feature their same wonderful special gifts and one-of-a-kind finds.
Thank you, downtown Rehoboth Beach, for giving me the most wonderful life and memories. We will miss you downtown.
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