The Little House put on the market

Bettie Edwards, owner of The Little House, has put her building up for sale.

Bettie Edwards, owner of The Little House, has put her building up for sale.

Edwards, who has owned the shop since 1976, announced last fall that the past Christmas season would be her last. At the time, she said a child-oriented business might fill the space, but that did not work out, and this past weekend, her bright yellow building on the edge of town went up for sale.

Until it is sold, Edwards said it will be business as usual, with new merchandise coming in and some special events to look forward to.

“Let the good times roll until the locks are changed,” she said last week, citing the store’s unofficial new motto.

She invites islanders young and old to follow tradition and bring in their favorite stuffed animal for a new bow and heart and said she will close out — when the time comes — with two parties, one for kids and one for adults. There will also be a day for children to ring up their purchases at the register and measure their own candy.

Edwards acknowledges that after 36 years, the change coming is a large one for her, and she is facing it with mixed emotions.

“It’s one day at a time,” she said.