Summer 2012

Best Sellers in Bar Harbor, Maine By Robert Levin

The Man Store

John Willett, Owner
themanstore4me.com

The Man Store owner, John Willett, started vacationing in Bar Harbor as a kid, and estimates he traveled to the seaside town around 100 times before moving here permanently. One thing he noticed when visiting as an adult were that benches downtown were often chock-full of men holding piles of shopping bags, poking their heads up now and again to see if their wives were on their way back from one store or another.

With that in mind, Willett opened The Man Store in 2008, “to create a place for guys to come and hang out and look at stuff they like.” The shop features everything for the walls of the modern man cave, along with golf accessories, cigars, offbeat clothing and sports memorabilia.

Willett says that he is his own target market, and if he thinks something is cool, he buys it for the store. Willett clearly revels in all the macho paraphernalia, adding an energetic element to the shopping experience here.

Best Sellers
Overall: Cigars by Stogies, Oliva and Macanudo; Microbrew beer by Bar Harbor Brewing and Atlantic Brewing
Clothing: Old Guys Rule; Life is Crap; “Man in Training” custom brand
Home Accessories: My Word Signs; Jones’ Rustic; Man Store custom tin signs
Housewares: Man Store custom glasses and travel mugs; Sports mugs and pilsners by Duck House

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Robert Levin

Robert Levin is a Maine freelance writer, professional journalist, photographer and avid gardener. He might report on a town council meeting, review an art exhibit, profile a new business or show up at a school science fair with his camera over the course of a regular week. Levin can be reached at roblevincompany@gmail.com