‘Keepers’ breathe life into memories

Published 4:00 am Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Keepers (above) is located on 426 Douglas Avenue. Store hours are Wed. though Fri. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sat., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Keepers (above) is located on 426 Douglas Avenue. Store hours are Wed. though Fri. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sat., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

One can say Keepers is filled with priceless treasures.

The “fun, fluffy and funky” shop opened its doors in April and is owned by Brewton native Brian Greer and managed by the cheerful and spunky, Goodie Odom. Despite being open for only three months, Odom said the response has been awesome from customers.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the response, Odom said. “We have several customers who come by once a week.

The store’s namesake serves as its guiding principle.

“There are a lot of people who have a family item with sentimental value and don’t quite know what to do with it. We can take that and make it into a table or wall piece and say here’s what it’s going to cost to do it. We take memories you have, and turn them into treasures. That’s where the name ‘Keepers’ came from. Keepers are ‘treasures of the heart’.”

Those treasures, with its creative originality, keep people coming.

Odom said all items in the store are hand crafted by local artist in the community.

“Most everything is one of a kind since they are all art pieces,” Odom said.

“Nothing is replicated. Some people come in and may like a certain item and say they’ll come back tomorrow and the item they wanted sells in the afternoon. It’s very original work here.”

The Emu Egg is an original available at Keepers. The piece is handcrafted with three layers.

The Emu Egg is an original available at Keepers. The piece is handcrafted with three layers.

From items such as mugs and custom jewelry, to lotion, to furniture pieces like chests and mantelpieces, Odom said inventory is constantly changing.

“A big surprise to people is on the outside the place looks small, but it’s amazing what’s packed inside these walls,” Odom said. “A lot of people are stunned about how much is in here.”

The store does take special orders. A popular draw is the sublimation print. The smooth print can be done on any material ranging from glass, wood and cloth material.

“It’s a little different than the vinyl,” Odom said. “The guy that does it can take pictures and put it on anything–wood, tin, clothing–you name it. Those are special orders and we do a lot of those.”

The store does not rent space or do booths.

Keepers is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information on items or special orders call 251.236.5684.