NORFOLK, Va. — For the last 43 years, Liz Hermann has surrounded herself with all sorts of eclectic things - rubber chickens, clowns, magic, and any costume you can think of.
At Novelties Unlimited in Norfolk, these "things" are more than just her business.
Hermann opened the costume shop in 1979 right after college, hoping to pursue something in retail that didn’t take itself too seriously.
“I’ve always enjoyed people trying on things because they go from one thing to looking like something completely different,” said Hermann.
But Hermann witnessed a transformation outside the walls of the shop too.
The 21st Street corridor has evolved in the last four decades, with the addition of new shops, restaurants, and grocery stores; almost everything on the stretch of road wasn’t there when Novelties Unlimited first opened.
“Rent was $450 at the time,” said Hermann. “I thought that was a lot of money.”
Hermann bought the property years ago. She doesn’t have a mortgage and her kids are now in college, so it seemed like the right time to end her four-decade run in retail.
“Hate to see it go, but it’s time,” said Hermann. “Hard to say goodbye, but every good thing must come to an end right?”
At the end of the year, Novelties Unlimited will close its doors for the last time.
The place she’s called her second home for 43 years, it’s a time for reflection for Hermann…but no regrets.
“It was what I wanted,” said Hermann. “I look back and say ‘okay, I made the right decision.’”
Hermann plans to stay busy in her retirement teaching aerobics classes in Norfolk and costume makeup at Norfolk Academy.