Ever Heard of NUTZ?
If you’ve ever driven on Route 9 and ventured into Wappingers, chances are you’ve noticed a modest building with a brightly colored sign labeled “NUTZ.” Although the storefront and the name don’t tell you much about what’s going on inside, the store’s mysterious aura definitely elicits a visit.
As customers walk through the doors, they are immediately met by display cases full of stones and gems, and even ones showcasing knives and swords. Wind chimes hang from the ceiling, and the walls are lined with tie-dye shirts and patterned knit bags. Shelves stand throughout the store, displaying incense, candles, and a variety of Buddha and animal trinkets that are kept for good luck.
NUTZ, which stands for ‘New, Unusual, Trendy and Zany,’ is something similar to a “new age head shop,” according to the owner, Meg Braun. The items she sells reflect the name’s meaning, as she mentioned that the store gets “new and unusual” products in all the time.
“Where else would you buy a shark tooth or a buffalo horn?” she asked rhetorically.
Braun, who owns NUTZ with her longtime boyfriend Jim Freeman, said that they tend to sell things that they like, but that they think customers will like as well.
“We even got something in the mail recently from the Chamber of Commerce saying that we are the best oddity shop in the Hudson Valley!” Braun said.
While the store does sell many items interesting enough to warrant it being in the “oddity” category, that’s not all that is available.
“We sell pipes and other related items, but we sell more than that,” Braun said. “The store is really eclectic. We have stones, jewelry, meditative items, a Buddha section… there’s really something for everyone.”
Braun explained that Freeman had been selling similar items for many years at a traveling Gem Show circuit before opening NUTZ in 1998. After years of moving around, however, they decided they wanted something that stood in one place.
From there, they opened two locations; the one here in Wappingers, and another called Pirate’s Dream, located in Florida. The couple often travel back and forth, managing the two stores.
NUTZ was originally located at the South Hills Mall in Poughkeepsie, but when the mall was renovated ten years ago, the store moved to its current location on Route 9.
Braun explained that the location used to be home to an auto supply shop, so every so often, a customer will come in looking for a car part, which is one of the few items she doesn’t have to offer.
She did say, though, that there has been continuous curiosity surrounding the store and what’s inside.
“In the past 10 years, rarely a day has gone by without a new person coming into the store to see what we have,” Braun said.
She explained that her clientele is majority college-aged kids, but she does get customers of most ages. She remarked, though, that parents tend to refrain from taking their kids into the store, because they don’t realize that NUTZ sells more than just paraphernalia used for smoking.
Johnny Ranere, a young man who began working at NUTZ just last week and creates handmade jewelry for the store to sell, believes that more parents should allow their children into the store, because there really is something for everyone.
“Yes, the store has that ‘head shop’ aspect, but it’s cool because its more than that, so you can bring your kids,” Ranere said.
Plus, any products that promote smoking are kept in a separate room in the store where customers are prompted to show their valid 18+ identifications before entering.
So, the next time you find yourself on Route 9, be sure to stop into the ‘New, Unusual, Trendy and Zany’ store that is sure to pique your interest from the moment you step inside.
