Shopping in West Chester

A web of scrolls, acanthus leaves, and flowers weaves its way around a polished metal serving tray, encircling edibles with an intricately wrought border. This baroque pattern dates back to the 17th century, when Parisian silversmiths created the design for Queen Mary. This motif has since been revived by sculptor Stan Baskett, one of Wilton Armetale Factory Store's cadre of skilled designers. Like many of the pieces in Wilton Armetale’s serveware collection, the designs are rooted in history but have been updated and streamlined for daily use.

Even though the shop's pieces are ornate, they never sacrifice durability. This nontoxic serveware and grillware is oven- and freezer-safe and sturdy enough for cooking, baking, and grilling. The metal workers also vow that their pieces will not rust, break, chip, or heckle you as they usher meals from the kitchen to the table.

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.