You likely won
’t find any bright copper kettles or warm woolen mittens of
Rodgers and Hammerstein fame for sale in the quaint little store at
15790 Monterey Street, but you could find yourself leaving with a
brown paper package tied up with strings.
You likely won’t find any bright copper kettles or warm woolen mittens of Rodgers and Hammerstein fame for sale in the quaint little store at 15790 Monterey Street, but you could find yourself leaving with a brown paper package tied up with strings.
And, it’s certain to be filled with some of Marilyn’s favorite things.
More than just a collection of treasured items, Marilyn Glover has put together a vast collection of her favorite toys, clothing, jewelry and artwork in her retail store appropriately named Marilyn’s Favorite Things.
The year-old business in southern Morgan Hill off Monterey Road next to Super Taqueria, offers a wide variety of paintings, clothing, jewelry and special one-of-a-kind pieces she has discovered and brought to local residents.
She opened the shop with her husband of 43 years, Sid Glover, on Sept. 20 last year after spending more than two years searching for items to fill her shop.
A Morgan Hill resident for the last 20 years, Marilyn said she loved to shop in the little boutiques that used to dominate the shopping scene before the retail powerhouses moved to the area. After shopping in Los Gatos and Monterey – and all points in between – she decided it was time to open something truly unique in Morgan Hill.
So Marilyn went around collecting some of her favorite pieces to sell in her store. She just had two criteria: They had to be unique and nothing in bulk.
“I try to stay away from people who say I should buy by the case,” Marilyn said. “I try to stay with people who have not been discovered.”
Marilyn’s unique eye has taken her across the United States to small-time vendors or bigger names who went out of business.
She has several large stuffed animals from FAO Schwartz before it closed. In one part of her store, a peacock from Washington named Willy Jr. stands at the top of wooden steps. In another part, a mannequin with a statue of a cat’s head models jewelry and a dress.
Another wall is adorned with venetian masks sold only in the Epcot Center in Florida, Venice, Italy and her store.
“People walk in and are just like ‘What is this place?’” Marilyn said. “If you walk in my home, this is what it would look like. They told my granddaughter (who lives in Florida) that it ‘looks just like grandma’s house.’”
Marilyn’s Favorite Things attracts people of all ages who come in to browse the vast collection of unique items, jewelry and clothes. Marilyn said she’s been surprised with popularity of the jewelry and clothing she offers.
“I never wanted to be much of a clothing and jewelry shop,” she said. “But there is more of a market than I thought.”
She’s also dedicated one of her back rooms to dolls, stuffed animals and unique artistic pieces. After looking for a certain doll for her ailing mother, Marilyn amassed a collection of dolls that are now for sale. She was also on a mission to restore a collection thrown out by her brother when she got married.
For the young or young at heart after something a little different, Marilyn stumbled across a previously unopened box filled with MTV shirts from the 1982 launch from her previous job at Gil-Net Communications.
In a store filled with Marilyn’s favorite things, Marilyn said she doesn’t have a personal favorite, except for one thing that is not for sale.
“My favorite thing in this store is my husband Sid,” she said. “The things in this store are all things that I love; these are my favorite things, but I always tell people my favorite thing in the store is Sid.”
Details: 779-7755 or visit www.marilynsfavoritethings.com
