Sag Harbor, an incorporated village within the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, dates back to the early 1700s. The seaside port's most notable history highlights its role in the whaling industry of the 1800s, depicted in the exhibits at the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum. During the mid-1900s, another venue opened. Still in operation today, a unique shop offers curious minds of all ages the resources and collectibles to learn more about the whaling port and Sag Harbor’s rich history through the eras.
A tall wooden soldier who stands at the entrance of The Wharf Shop, so named for its close vicinity to Sag Harbor’s Long Wharf, beckons Main Street strollers to step inside. Originally a native of London, England, Nada Barry opened the toy and novelty shop in 1968. She continues to greet and assist customers alongside her daughter, Gwen Waddington, who joined as co-owner in 1980. The mother-daughter team prides itself on meeting the needs of their customers. From heart-warming customer service to gift-wrapped presentations to maintaining an amazing and expansive store inventory of toys, collectibles, whaling memorabilia and unique gifts are all in a day’s work. Ms. Barry is also proud of the many young “students,” as she warmheartedly calls them, who sought their first jobs at The Wharf Shop. Ms. Barry took them under her wing and taught them all of the nuances of retail and the responsibilities of working. Upon revisiting their hometown, many of these students still pop in, happy to greet and catch up with their former boss as they reminisce.
No matter whose names grace your gift-shopping list, The Warf Shop presents a treasure trove of items that will delight everyone. For the little ones, a vast selection of toys, puzzles and games that are both fun and educational abound. The shop also carries many classic toys from a simpler time that predates the digital age, including handcrafted dollhouses and every conceivable thing needed to furnish it, traditional tricycles, doll furniture, trains, hand puppets and wooden building blocks. A menagerie of stuffed animals, stacks of jigsaw puzzles, arts and crafts paraphernalia and hobby items are also displayed. Books for readers, young and old, await opening for escapes into other times and places.
Gift items for the grownups on your list include music boxes, jewelry, edibles, cards and whimsical decorative touches for the home. The eclectic assortment of jewelry has been a long time draw. Frequent Sag Harbor visitor Lyllis, a native of the hamlet of Noyak, fondly recalls some of her former jewelry quests “when my friends and I were in school, we would all get together and go there for their turquoise jewelry. We would all buy rings and exchange them. I still have a couple in my jewelry box. That dates back to the 1970s!”
The nautical themes of the harbor village echo throughout the shop, from scrimshaw carvings, miniature buildings of the historical village and books on whaling history to seashells, miniature lighthouses and jewelry charms of whales, ship wheels and anchors. For those who eagerly await the season of sun and surf, beach pails and other shoreline necessities are available. The Wharf Shop always displays some enticing themed toys and décor to celebrate the current season.
The mother-daughter team’s passionate devotion to the Sag Harbor community and to the Wharf Shop’s customers accounts for the store’s longevity that has surpassed four decades. The remaining ingredients for success come from three generations of shoppers. In their youth, imaginations were unlocked and creativity was stirred as they browsed the toy displaysT. Today, the first generation marvels at the similar effects that the shop has on its grandchildren, and the grandparents are now perusing the aisles of gifts for their children and souvenirs of Sag Harbor’s history. Children will always play with toys and grownups will always seek to keep the heritage of one of the nation’s most prominent seaports alive, a combination that ensures the Wharf Shop’s continued success into the next generations.
The Wharf Shop is located at 69A Main Street in Sag Harbor. For directions and store hours, visit www.wharfshop.com
A tall wooden soldier who stands at the entrance of The Wharf Shop, so named for its close vicinity to Sag Harbor’s Long Wharf, beckons Main Street strollers to step inside. Originally a native of London, England, Nada Barry opened the toy and novelty shop in 1968. She continues to greet and assist customers alongside her daughter, Gwen Waddington, who joined as co-owner in 1980. The mother-daughter team prides itself on meeting the needs of their customers. From heart-warming customer service to gift-wrapped presentations to maintaining an amazing and expansive store inventory of toys, collectibles, whaling memorabilia and unique gifts are all in a day’s work. Ms. Barry is also proud of the many young “students,” as she warmheartedly calls them, who sought their first jobs at The Wharf Shop. Ms. Barry took them under her wing and taught them all of the nuances of retail and the responsibilities of working. Upon revisiting their hometown, many of these students still pop in, happy to greet and catch up with their former boss as they reminisce.
No matter whose names grace your gift-shopping list, The Warf Shop presents a treasure trove of items that will delight everyone. For the little ones, a vast selection of toys, puzzles and games that are both fun and educational abound. The shop also carries many classic toys from a simpler time that predates the digital age, including handcrafted dollhouses and every conceivable thing needed to furnish it, traditional tricycles, doll furniture, trains, hand puppets and wooden building blocks. A menagerie of stuffed animals, stacks of jigsaw puzzles, arts and crafts paraphernalia and hobby items are also displayed. Books for readers, young and old, await opening for escapes into other times and places.
Gift items for the grownups on your list include music boxes, jewelry, edibles, cards and whimsical decorative touches for the home. The eclectic assortment of jewelry has been a long time draw. Frequent Sag Harbor visitor Lyllis, a native of the hamlet of Noyak, fondly recalls some of her former jewelry quests “when my friends and I were in school, we would all get together and go there for their turquoise jewelry. We would all buy rings and exchange them. I still have a couple in my jewelry box. That dates back to the 1970s!”
The nautical themes of the harbor village echo throughout the shop, from scrimshaw carvings, miniature buildings of the historical village and books on whaling history to seashells, miniature lighthouses and jewelry charms of whales, ship wheels and anchors. For those who eagerly await the season of sun and surf, beach pails and other shoreline necessities are available. The Wharf Shop always displays some enticing themed toys and décor to celebrate the current season.
The mother-daughter team’s passionate devotion to the Sag Harbor community and to the Wharf Shop’s customers accounts for the store’s longevity that has surpassed four decades. The remaining ingredients for success come from three generations of shoppers. In their youth, imaginations were unlocked and creativity was stirred as they browsed the toy displaysT. Today, the first generation marvels at the similar effects that the shop has on its grandchildren, and the grandparents are now perusing the aisles of gifts for their children and souvenirs of Sag Harbor’s history. Children will always play with toys and grownups will always seek to keep the heritage of one of the nation’s most prominent seaports alive, a combination that ensures the Wharf Shop’s continued success into the next generations.
The Wharf Shop is located at 69A Main Street in Sag Harbor. For directions and store hours, visit www.wharfshop.com