What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 3pm Tuesday 10am - 3pm Wednesday 10am - 3pm Thursday 10am - 3pm Friday 10am - 3pm Saturday 10am - 3pm Sunday 10am - 3pm

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The Craft Gallery

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United States
Sanford, ME
The Craft Gallery

Home Decor and more. We've got a large selection of curtains, rugs, and decorative items for you in co-ordinating colors. Come see all that's new.

Primitive and country decor

06/03/2026

Craft Gallery History - Part 10
RETIREMENT
The end of the series

Many have told me, you will know when it's time. Well, it's time.
Kinda...
You see, retail is not easy to give up. Yes, the storefront will be closed, but luckily, I have options. Soon, .I will be going back to a booth rental at Coles Corner Gift Shop in Wells. I am very excited to do this, and I hope all of you will find the time to visit this wonderful collection of vendors. Diane and her staff have been so welcoming, and if you have not been there, I think you will enjoy exploring their big red barn. It may take me a little time to fully set up. Oh wait, I'm retired! Nevermind. Lol, I now have free time to do this.
Of course, I also plan to do all the retirement things...travel, hobbies, etc. You will see me around enjoying life

One final thought-
To all of you, I can't thank you enough. You enabled me to live my dream for 34 years.

If you ever question if you should pursue YOUR DREAM, I say,

"GO FOR IT"
❤️

06/02/2026

Craft Gallery History - Part 9
Four Thank You's

1) YOU
As a customer, you made a very important decision when you walked into Craft Gallery. You chose where your money would go. Often, we choose convenience, price, and selection over investing in our community. I chose those last 4 words carefully. It means the small business you supported can pay their bills, local taxes, local employees, etc., and that creates a better community. I encourage you to continue making LOCAL your first thought in your purchasing decisions.
If you made it this far, you must be thinking, "The business page I've been following has turned very personal." There's a reason for that. Craft Gallery is a DBA - Dori Young Doing Business As Craft Gallery. You have been supporting a resident of your community, and I THANK YOU !♡!
2) EMPLOYEES
So often I hear "Your store is so beautiful " and I respond "I don't do it alone". Most of you know Tracy and Thea, and I hope you get a chance to visit with them before they leave. If they decide to look for work, it will be a fortunate employer who hires them. They are wonderful!
I was lucky to hire many wonderful people, and if I forget a name, forgive me.
Linda, Cathy, Vera, Kathie, Tamara, Heather, Wendy, Dawna, Sarah, Mary, Stephanie, Sam, Carmen, Brooke, Janet, Victor, Tracy and Thea.
Also, the help I received from family members who volunteered their time is so appreciated.

3) MOM
For the first 18 months, Mom spent countless hours helping me. It was long ago, but I hope some of you remember that time. She passed in 2002, and I miss her greatly. Thanks for everything, Mom.
Please let me give a special thank you to Kathie and Tamara, who gave me the "freedom" from the store to do what family caretakers do.

4) VICTOR

We've been together almost 19 years, and I have kept him quite busy! Traveling to shows, purchasing, and lugging products. He is an excellent buyer, and you may have purchased gifts/decor that he chose for the store, not me. He's a great crafter, too! You may know him from his years working at the store and other retail. He has a calm nature, which keeps me grounded. I love him dearly.
Thank you, Victor ♡♡♡♡♡

Next - RETIREMENT

06/01/2026

Craft Gallery History - Part 8
Covid
A four letter word with five letters

The first half of March, we we so busy. I think we all knew a lockdown was coming. And it did. Six weeks for us as we were "non-essential". Eventually, we had the ability to do curbside sales. Again, thank you to all who participated. Re-opening was difficult also. Wearing the mask was tiring, and so we shortened the hours. (We liked the shorter days, so we never went back to our pre-covid hours). At first, it was just me, as the store was not yet financially stable enough to rehire Tracy. We also could only allow 5 people in at a time, which limits sales. Eventually, Tracy did come back, and things started to get back to normal. Not all businesses survived, but we did, thanks to your patronage and your help as an American taxpayer. We used 3 taxpayer funded programs, PPP, ERTC, and unemployment to keep us afloat!
Thank you!!!

05/31/2026

Craft Gallery History - Part 7
Out, In, and Out again

In July of 2014, the apartment above the original store caused water damage to our store. For 3 months we were closed. Eventually, we moved back in, but another near miss caused us to look for a new location. We found it at the Airport Plaza, our current home. It was not move in ready as it was filled with a few items from abandoned storage units. So that we could move in quickly, we bought the contents and moved them to Victor's, where he had a massive yard sale. We opened on October 22, 2015

05/30/2026

Craft Gallery History- Part 6
Checkerberries

Checkerberries was an opportunity I just had to try. Shains Restaurant was available to rent, and it was a logical fit for another gift/home decor shop. We were there for three years concurrently with the original store. Today, River Junction Brewing occupies the space. If you haven't been, you should go there just to see the changes. They have done a great job!

Next...Out, In, then Out again

05/29/2026

Craft Gallery History - Part 5
Beanie Babies...A Retailers Perspective

I would love to hear your comments. Do you still have them? Did you wait in line?
Which one was your favorite?

05/28/2026

Craft Gallery History - Part 4
January 1994
On January 14th, 1994, I signed a lease with Barbara for a booth rental at Coles Corner in Wells (More on "Coles" later). Of course, I discussed it with my Dad before signing. I don't remember his exact words this time, but it essentially was "Go for it". It was part of a larger discussion we had earlier that month. The Christmas season had ended and although it was good, more was needed to keep the store financially stable. Margins needed to increase. We spoke about consignment and purchasing more product to achieve the profit needed.
Three days after signing the "Coles" lease, my Dad passed unexpectedly from a heart issue. My family's world was forever changed. So much more could be said here, but somehow - I just can't right now. If you've been through it, you know.
So now, back to Barbara. She may not know it, but she became very important to the success and longevity of The Craft Gallery. You will learn how in the next chapter. I am fortunate to say that what started as a business opportunity became a friendship that continues to this day.
Next - Beanie Babies

05/27/2026

Craft Gallery History - Part 3
Set up and Grand Opening

June and July, two months to get ready.
Not much stock, but a lot of hope.
Yeah, the pictures don't lie, I didn't really know what I was doing.

Opening day was August 1st, 1992.
We rented space to crafters, consignment would come later.

Every once in a while, I am reminded of Opening weekend and giving out carnations to all who came in. Again, that was Mom's idea. She and Dad just showed up with them, and I'm happy to say we had to restock.

Let me tell you, when you open a small business, there is a lot of help you receive from family, friends, and community.

Typical items: raffia dolls, painted slates, perpetual calendars, painted barrel staves, clay jewelry, tole painted anything, florals, and lots of other great products. The most popular decorating colors at this time were country blue and mauve, seafood green and peach.

Next....January 1994

05/26/2026

Craft Gallery History - part 2
OK, so what does Mom working at Kids Kasuals have to do with The Craft Gallery? EVERYTHING!
A location was needed. Yes, Mom found the location, not me. She was familiar with the space (formerly Ann Marie's clothing store) because she had worked nearby at Kids Kasuals. It felt right. I signed the lease in May of 1992.
Now, I don't want you to think Mom wasn't concerned at the beginning. She knew the risks. Many small businesses fail. However, eventually, I had the same approval and support from her as I did from Dad.
Yes, I was lucky to have them as parents. Kendra Williams, who knew them both and owned Kids Kasuals, recently told me, "You hit the parent lottery." She was right!!
Next up... the set-up and Grand opening of The Craft Gallery

05/25/2026

Craft Gallery History - Part 1
My Dad
Something you don't know.. The Craft Gallery exists because of him. I had this idea for a career change. We discussed it, I was on the fence, we talked, we analyzed, I hesitated, then he somehow knew what I needed to hear. He said
"GO FOR IT"
Had I not heard those words, there would be NO Craft Gallery. His approval and support gave me the courage to try it.
More tomorrow

Address

1725 Main Street Units 10 & 11
Sanford, ME
04073

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 3pm
Tuesday	10am - 3pm
Wednesday	10am - 3pm
Thursday	10am - 3pm
Friday	10am - 3pm
Saturday	10am - 3pm
Sunday	10am - 3pm

Website

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