The complete Pleiad guide to holiday gift buying: Downtown Albion offers a Superior shopping experience
By Jane Neitz and Rebecca Palmer
Staff Writers

With the holidays right around the corner and exams to face, many people don't have the time (or the transportation) to go to Battle Creek or Jackson. So, for your shopping convenience The Pleiad has compiled the Top Ten places to shop for the holidays (or any other occasion) in downtown Albion. All stores in the following list are located on Superior Street. And to think there's more to downtown than just Subway, Charlie's and 'Relli's.

10) Pawn Plus (208 S. Superior) "Buy, sell and trade!" Yes, you did read that correctly. It is a pawn shop. Don't ask for credit. But keep in mind that it's the only place downtown we know of that sells video games and compact discs.

9) Young's (111/113 S. Superior) We suggest visiting the men's side of the store for some of the softest, most attractive flannel shirts we've ever seen. There is also an endearing time warp between the men's and women's sides of the store. Think about buying a cardigan sweatshirt for your grandma. They are groovy!

8) Albion Outdoors (214 S. Superior) For the sportsperson in your life, try shopping here. In addition to deer urine and lures, the store carries a pretty good selection of thermal underwear, wool socks and those nifty little hand and foot warmers to keep you toasty during long, late night treks to the Keller.

7) Dickerson's (201 N. Superior) The 1970's and early 1980's rule this music store. From the sheet music that included ABBA, "The Muppets Songbook" and Rick Springfield (remember him?) to the smoky atmosphere and disco light, one can't help but feeling like "Stayin' Alive." On a more modern note, the store does carry the sheet music for "I'll Be There For You" (the theme from "Friends").

6) Caffe Palladia (114 N. Superior) For a nice break while shopping, hit Caffe Palladia. Besides a great cup of java and incredible Italian sodas, the shop also sells a myriad of gourmet coffees and flavorings. They cater as well.

5) Now Fashions and Variety (102 S. Superior) This place was a real find. One could easily pass by it without even noticing the great sales inside. They carry tons of sports jerseys, kids clothes and baseball caps. Better yet, everything in the store is on sale through Christmas Eve.

4) G. Pahl Jewelers (215 S. Superior) They sell more than just lavalieres here, trust us. G. Pahl sells stained glass items, as well as a wide variety of jewelry. This store also does engraving for plaques, jewelry repair work, and they even carry watch batteries.

3) Celebrations (112 N. Superior) Becky loves the card collection here. Jane is much more enthralled by the jewelry and candles. Every time we walk into the store, the stock seems to be completely different. If you've never been there, go! If you have, go back. Either way, this is an incredible little gift shop.

2) Seelye's (113 N. Superior) Who would have ever thought there could be such an amazing clothing store in Albion? They sell everything from Oshkosh B'Gosh shortalls to Albion College shirts, hats and sweatshirts. But the most incredible part was the SWEATERS. We are telling you, most of them are gorgeous! Picking just one to purchase is nearly impossible, but with prices ranging from $40 to $100, it's probably a necessity.

1) Local Focus (100 S. Superior) We knew the moment that we walked in the door that Albion's newest store was going to be different. But it wasn't until we spent nearly an hour there that we could truly comprehend how unbelievable this store is.

Some of the featured items include handmade wooden toys, ceramics, floral arrangements and a line of Body Shop-inspired lotions and bath gels. But those are just a few of the things offered.

They also carry a huge selection of the little Dover Books. These are just $1 each. They feature literary classics and more activity-oriented ones such as stained glass and sticker books, temporary tattoos and iron-on transfer books. But the best thing about them is that they are not all topics geared at kids. Many, in fact most, were adult oriented.

The food section also provides a temptation. They carry dried cherries, blueberries and cranberries, as well as gourmet spaghetti sauces and pastas. They also sell St. Julian non-alcoholic drinks such as sparkling cherry spumante and sparkling white grape juice. Maybe the most impressive is the aura of history and community that fills the store.

We loved that while we were there, someone came in to set up a field trip to the store. We loved that the owners, Mary Hunt and Diana Washington (who does all the ceramic and floral work), gave us a tour of the store. We loved the little bit of history behind every item sold. We love that something like this is now a reality in Albion.