Shopping in Collingswood

Each month, the writers in Main Line Today magazine cover the individuals, issues, and attractions salient to the inhabitants of Philadelphia's western suburbs. Though it is composed mostly of features of the dining or home-and-garden variety, the regional lifestyle publication also branches out into articles on noteworthy local spa treatments and top doctors and specialists. Contributors additionally profile some of the Main Line's most newsworthy residents, one such person of interest being kineticist Bill McHugh, who spent four decades building an aluminum and steel amusement park for squirrels, birds, and humans who are really, really terrified of heights.

For more than four decades, Merion Art & Repro Center has supplied artists, engineers, architects, and other professionals with the building blocks of creativity. One needs only to look down an aisle for inspiration. In one area lie hundreds of paints and canvases ready to be transformed into watercolor masterpieces. In another, clay waits patiently for the right sculptor to come along and mold it into its true form: an even bigger ball of clay.

Beyond art supplies, Merion encompasses a fully equipped copy shop and a custom-framing center. Here, expert framers help clients select from thousands of frame and mat styles, honing in on the perfect design to preserve photos or parking tickets autographed by the best traffic cop in town.

Inside this immaculate Victorian Italianate building in Rittenhouse Square, optometrist Alissa Coyne conducts eye examinations alongside a dedicated staff of opticians and eyewear experts. Two show rooms display a selection of more than 2,500 frames by fashionable brands such as Salt. Optics or Oliver Peoples. Lens types range from standard plastic to Transitions-brand options that change tint when going from indoors to outdoors, and prescription and nonprescription sunglasses shield pupils from the sun's harmful rays and annoying habit of never wearing clothes.

Susan Botwick Murphy, the self-taught crafter behind Viv Pickle, wasn't always in the handbag business. She was once the VP of marketing for a communications firm with a knack for sewing her own accessories. It took a seemingly unfortunate turn of events––a layoff from her corporate job—to transform her into the enterprising purse maven she is today. With her eye for design and her background in business, she's been able to run a successful custom handbag studio that churns out wares for customers across the globe.

She and her seamstresses put together baguettes, buckets, clutches, and totes using a palette of more than 150 fabrics, and a variety of handle and lining materials. A rainbow of patterned prints catches the eye, and waterproof nylons repel leaky lunches and spilled vials of plutonium.

Inspired fabric artists find everything they need at The Quilted Nest, and those seeking inspiration can find it in fun patterns and books nestled amid neatly stacked bolts of quilt-shop-quality cotton. Creative ideas also abound in the shop's regularly scheduled classes, putting an end to quilters' days of patterning squares after boring stock-market charts. Customers are encouraged to bring their own sewing machines, but public machines are available for rent during classes. In addition to workshops and classes, the shop also hosts events such as weekly Manic Mondays, where anyone can needle away with no studio or machine-rental fee as long as they are working on a project for a charity.

The staff at New Balance of Philadelphia & South Jersey isn't concerned with simply selling shoes—their mission is to pair customers with the footwear that will carry them comfortably through life’s arduous steps. Understanding that an ill-fitting pair of athletic shoes can cause pain to joints and potentially damage knees, hips, and the back, associates measure the length and width of each client's foot and conduct a gait analysis to chart the trajectory of their stride when walking normally or running through ball pits. The data are collected to help the staff match clients with their ideal shoe, keeping them running longer and looking good while doing so.