Shopping in Coatesville

Jennifer Mann has always had a keen eye for fashion. Pulling from her industry experience—which includes a role as senior advertising executive at Lehigh Valley Style magazine—Jennifer opened Shuze, packing its shelves with stylish accessories from both uncommon and renowned designers. Inside, colorful displays of shoes from San Miguel, Nicole, and Frye line up along tables amid racks of Tolani scarves and Silver jeans. Meanwhile, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings from local artists glimmer beneath the boutique's soft lamps. Patrons can plop down on colorful, cushy couches, trying on Hunter wellies, resting their legs, or checking beneath the cushions to see if the couches have babies.

Those visiting Drop Me A Line Costume Shop for the first time might scratch their heads at the name. When the current owners purchased the shop back in 1987, it was a primarily a stationery store with a humble selection of costumes thrown in. Halloween enthusiasts at heart, the husband-and-wife team gradually changed the business's focus, expanding the shop's square footage to match the growing costume stock. Eventually, the selection grew so large they had to acquire the building next door and build a permanent passageway and after-hours zipline to connect the two halves of the 4,000-square-foot space.

Today, the staff can be heard dropping the store’s phrase “yeah, we got it” as they pull superhero costumes, period pieces, Disney disguises, and monster outfits from the 10,000+ stock of rentals, lease, and for-sale costumes. Along with a range of Halloween ideas for kids, teens, adults, and plus sizes, Drop Me A Line also provides getups for other holidays, such as Santa costumes for Christmas and Uncle Sam outfits for Christmas in July. To complement each costume, the year-round store packs its shelves with more than 5,000 accessories and hundreds of high-quality synthetic wigs to suit all price ranges. The staff can even provide tips on how to flawlessly attach fake beards and foam prosthetic noses as guests peruse the shop's collection of theatrical and special effects makeup from Cinema Secrets, Mehron, Ben Nye, and Kryolan.

Professional photo studio, 2nd generation. We now sell "haljaffenameart" nationwide. The NEW, DELUXE nameart is 12x36inches, may use sepia, b/w or NEW color letters. Each piece is framed, matted and ready to hang when delivered. Choice of black or white mat. Absolutely fantastic!!!

The Finish Line recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and its 14th under the ownership of Chris Schmidt, who took over the lead after working at the shop for nearly eight years. A former student in Ball State's pedorthic foot management program, Chris and his staff help customers select the shoe best suited to their running, walking, and slow-motion kung-fu kicking needs, with footwear from name brands such as Adidas, Asics, Brooks, and Saucony. They also stock apparel from makers including Mizuno and Saucony to help keep athletes in sharp, comfortable clothing. Customers wanting to test out their new gear can participate in one of Finish Line's weekly or seasonal running events.

Whatever the customer's level of fishing familiarity, the experienced, knowledgeable fisherfriends at Ocean State Tackle will find the bait, tackle, and equipment necessary to bring home a trophy catch. The friendly, independently owned shop carries an extensive array of live, fresh, frozen, and brined bait to nab the belligerent bass and troublesome trout that haunt the sea-battered dreams of ancient mariners. Freshwater and saltwater bait specialists are on hand to consult addled anglers on the most effective sandworms ($6.50/dozen), bloodworms ($9/dozen), night crawlers ($3/container), and other spineless fish treats such as freshly packed local squid ($4). The store also features a wide variety of inanimate tackle such as medium-heavy shiners for bass of all mouth size ($9.50/dozen) and tackle such as braided Power Pro fishing line ($0.11/yard), featuring 30–80 pound test.

For nearly 30 years, The Paperia has equipped patrons with the pulp-infused goodies they need to announce celebrations and correspond with friends and colleagues. Brightly colored invitations and announcements broadcast news of impending nuptials or upcoming graduation to two-ply paper-towel use, and a selection of unusual greeting cards issues heartfelt or comical salutations. Boxed or loose stationery and envelopes sport designs appropriate for personal or professional use, and gift-wrap hugs gifts such as address books and journals so that shoppers don't have to keep the nature of their presents secret by burning them before the party.