You will find sterling pieces that cost as much as any diamond tennis bracelet. We have a tendency to match turquoise colors and styles. You don’t want to go around wearing Navajo and Zuni at the same time. (I think this calls for another article.)
Tombstone is full of jewelry. I have been shopping with the owners of the Whistle Stop for at least a dozen years. They sold their Silverton, Colorado store several years ago and are concentrating their efforts in Tombstone. It may look like a train and souvenir shop, but the owners commission their own Native American jewelry.
The Whistle Stop has some beautiful traditional and modern pieces. I prefer the traditional. There are other stores in town that sell Native American jewelry and some of it is absolutely magnificent. My problem is that, once upon a time, I was in retail and bought everything in either Albuquerque, Gallup, or Farmington, New Mexico. Wholesale. Makes a difference.
You can also find beautiful Native American art, paintings, and sculpture in the same shops. Unfortunately, Southwest Native arts have finally caught on and the prices are starting to show it. (Yep, I think this calls for another article also.)
The Shady Lady’s Closet near the corner of 4th and Allen (across the street from the OK Corral) has lovely western clothing. They have cute reading glasses and shoes, and they usually have a nice selection of fun watches. Over the years, we’ve purchased a number of shawls, throws, and beaded handbags from them. The prices aren’t all that bad.
Where else in town are you going to find a hurdy-gurdy’s corset but the Shady Lady's Closet? A hurdy-gurdy was a ‘loose’ woman or a saloon girl, but not necessarily a prostitute. The best thing about shopping with the Shady Lady is the location. Because it's across the street from the OK Corral, you can dump the guys and have at least a half-hour of shopping before their limited attention spans wander.
Across Allen Street on the corner of 4th is Tombstone Old West Books. I definitely recommend it.
I would recommend shopping for the guys (guns, leather goods, holsters), but it isn’t exactly my thing. Spangenberg’s gun shop was located in the new section of The Shady Lady’s Closet during the Earp era. Today, it is directly across the street.
Smoke Signals is a cigar shop across Allen Street from the Crystal Palace. Okay, I confess. When I am in Tombstone I smoke cigars — rum flavored cigars. All the men do. Why should they have all the fun? After a few years of attempting to smoke them, I no longer turn green! My mouth still tastes like a sewer the next morning, but what the heck.
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