For whatever reason (or perhaps for many reasons), I am fascinated by The Willey’s True Value Store in Greensboro, Vermont. Although that’s what Google calls it, we always simply called it “Willey’s.”
I spent many hours meandering the narrow isles looking at the myriad items on sale. It might not look like it, from the unassuming appearance of the white-shingled, simple facade outside, but inside, Willey’s is practically cavernous. And they just about sell it all…
Upstairs is the clothing section, where I purchased everything from a pair of Muck Boots, to my Carhartt jeans, to perhaps the best pair of wool socks I’ve ever owned (never underestimate how much satisfaction and comfort there might be in a well-made pair of wool socks).
The hardware section has everything from finishing nails to snow shovels. Need a shotgun? You can buy one at Willey’s. Looking for a frying pan? I bought one at Willey’s (note: I did not, however, purchase a shotgun). Sliced deli meat? You got it (note: the blackened turkey is the go-to).
Willey’s is the only place in the world where you will find Hill Farmstead bottles on-the-shelf, right across from the cooler full of Budweiser and Coors. And just around the corner is perhaps the best selection of Jasper Hill cheeses you’ll ever see, right across the aisle from a Goldfish cracker end-cap. It’s hi and low all at once. Not one or the other.
Each and every time I return to town, Willey’s is my first stop, a do-not-miss. And each time that I do visit, I unexpectedly (but unsurprisingly) find one more reason to be fascinated.