Clinton Township Newsletter

2 6 m a y 2 0 2 3 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M For many, it's hard to know where to start when you are trying to find a special gift for someone. However, the denizens of Clinton have been lucky, because for the past 45 years, they've enjoyed the wares of "Made to Order," a jewelry and gift store, located at 44 Main Street in downtown Clinton. C3Q sat down with Made to Order shop owner and positive "gem" of Clinton, Pam Bacon. C3Q: I heard that you are celebrating a "shopiversary!" Congratulations! PB: We opened on May 6, 1978, so "Made to Order" has been in business for 45 years this May! My husband Dan [since passed] and I began in New Hope, PA, and moved to Clinton in 1978. We began with custom jewelry, along with custom leather, such as sheepskin coats, and leather vests, skirts, and pants; and over the years, we moved into mostly gifts and jewelry. Years ago, everything was made by us, but we quickly learned that we couldn't do it all... we were cutting out sheepskin coats on the floor at 2:00 am! We found our niche with custom-made jewelry. We have been supporting the work of some of the artisans that we carry for 40-50 years. Mostly now, new artisans come to us wanting to sell us things, and sometimes I find a good new company and start carrying that line, but we tend to carry the same artists over the years, who often change their styles... you have to change it up all the time to keep going! I have one artist from NY State whom I have been carrying for 50 years; his jewelry is very different from where he started, but all handmade and beautiful, unique work. Another artist I have known for 40 years is now teamed up with his daughter, and they make jewelry together in California. I have no plans to retire... I don't know what I'd do, and it's still fun; we still have a good time when we come in! I have a staff that has now been with me a long time; Sue has worked in the shop for about 22 years, and shares my brain. Kathy has worked with me for 15 years, and Luke, our media and computer manager, previously had a partnership with my husband Dan doing photography, and now manages our technology and does wedding photography; we have a wonderful team. C 3 Q : W i t h M o t h e r ' s Day, Father's Day, First Communions, graduations, proms, and so many other special occasions coming up, it feels so opportune to have a special shop in town for finding a perfect gift. What sort of items do you offer? PB: We can help with loose stones, engagement rings, special gifts... I think the thing we're really strong with is repeat customers. Some families have been coming into our shop for 45 years. We sell engagement rings to grownups who came into our store back when they were in Kindergarten... generations of customers! We also have a wide range of items; for example, you can walk in and find a piece of jewelry that is $6 for your five year old, or get a diamond ring, or gemstones for the more mature ladies in your family. We have items such as handbags and scarves, Down-the-Shore bags with maps of the Jersey Shore, art glass, and beautiful hand-blown glass balls from Canada and Washington state, simply beautiful glass. We have unique paper flower bouquets for Mother's Day that can last forever t h a t y o u can put in a vase on a table; I have gnomes dressed as bunny rabbits, and we have socks with every motif that you can imagine..avocadoes, r a c e h o r s e s , p e n g u i n s , shells... they are so playful and fun! Aside from these items, we also have a lot of jewelry expertise. I began as an art teacher in Bernardsville before entering the jewelry business, and still design jewelry to this day and use my artistic ability. Over the years we have made so many unique things. A customer will bring in a family stone and we can work with them to design something updated. Jewelry isn't exactly how it used to be; in the past, heirloom pieces were very fancy and formal, but now people want to wear it and get use out of it without looking like they are going to a ball or looking out of place; we can repurpose and re-work jewelry into something that can be worn every day. Also, we take personal care with our designs. Six years ago, a customer had a band with special leaf designs that we carved into it, and when she was recently in the hospital and lost her ring, we were able to reproduce the same design for her, even though it was one of a kind. Another important thing is that if someone is getting engaged, they can feel comfortable coming into our shop, and not be put off or pressured like some other jewelry shops that try to upsell or take advantage of you. I am always happy to sit down and teach anyone about diamonds, even if they ultimately go somewhere else to buy them. C3Q: What kept you in Clinton, all these years? PB: When my husband a n d I w e r e f i r s t h e r e , we would travel all around the state, and each time, we were always so relieved to return home to Clinton. We felt that it was just the best place that we could be. And that was 45 years ago, and it's still the same; Clinton is really one of the nicest towns you can be in. We have had such special moments in this town. One time, I had a bride and groom come in to get wedding bands who were literally on their way to get married that day, and we set them up with something! Another time, the Mayor came in with a bride and groom who had just gotten married on the bridge, and they came in and signed their marriage papers on our store counter. There have been so many wonderful events in people's lives that we have gotten to share. Also, Clinton has a terrific group of people who own and work in the shops, and they try so hard to make the town welcoming. The Clinton Guild is such a wonderful organization, and works so hard on decorating and events. Recently, the Guild reached out to the local community and residents and invited them to volunteer and help out, and it really made such a huge difference; things were so much easier with more hands to help, and the best part was seeing people get involved and meeting more local residents. If you work hard, the business is there, and the people are there, and they will support you. And our customers are our friends now and they drop in to say 'hello!' C3Q: Thank you, Pam! Looking forward to stopping in soon! n Rachel Sprague, a resident of Clinton Township, has a degree in journalism from Rutgers. With her husband Russell, Rachel is raising two young children in the Clinton Township School District. She thinks that Clinton Township is a delightful place to live. Made To Order owners (and photographers) Dan and Pam Bacon Pam Bacon creating custom- made jewelry Dan Bacon hard at work in 1985 Welcome to with Rachel Sprague * C linton ree Questions * If you work hard, the business is there, and the people are there, and they will support you." – Pam Bacon

• Cover