Shop to promote local, handmade items

On Nucleus Avenue is a new store that you may have missed because it is tucked in next to The Barber’s Chair. Indy’s Shoppe opened May 5. The store, owned by Cynthia Geer, has a variety of items including clothing, shoes, cowboy hats, purses, jewelry, paintings and wall hangings.

Geer said that she chooses items based on whether they fit the motto on her business card that says “Recycle~Reduce~Reuse”. She gets her items by donation, consignment or from local artists, focusing on local and handmade items.

The artists at the store include Badass Babe jewelry, jewelry by Kendra Renea, paintings by Molly Ban, and horseshoe art by Mike Bwol. Geer also has her own artwork for sale such as recycled elk bones.

She also carries and heavily discounts designer brands. She is selling a Kate Spade purse for $20, worth $378.

“In the industry of fashion, there is too much prejudice,” said Geer. “People without money, and the struggling mothers, they have a right to put a designer label on and to feel good about themselves too.”

This is the first store that Geer has owned. She opened it to help people and to “be my own boss”. The store’s name comes from her nickname of 25 years. Friends called her “Indy” because she was into independent record labels when she lived in Seattle, Wash.

Geer, born in Olympia, Wash., has lived in the Flathead Valley for 16 years. She worked at a homeless shelter in Kalispell and studied social work at Flathead Valley Community College before moving to Columbia Falls.

She also offers fly tying lessons. Call 406-890-8940 to set up an appointment.

Indy’s Shoppe is located at 609 Nucleus Ave. and open 11:30 – 5 p.m. Tuesday thru Saturday.