Fairy Glen Offers Fantasy in Historic Smithville

Joe Tate and his wife Stephani Ansley share a passion for fantasy and art, so it's fitting that the couple, who met at a renaissance fair, have opened a shop in Historic Smithville filled with collectible figurines of fairies and dragons, artwork featuring mythical creatures, fantasy-themed greeting cards and such jewelry as medallions and pocket-watches.

Their store is a haven for fantasy lovers, gift seekers and anyone who wants to look for something unique.

Fantasy has become very popular, Tate said, especially with the popularity of books, movies and shows like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. Ansley agreed.

"Fantasy is mainstream," she said. "Look at Tinkerbell."

Tate also said that he feels Historic Smithville is a perfect fit for his business.

"This is a great area; a nice, artsy area," he said. "It's an area where we feel our products would do well."

Although the storefront is new, the company is not. Tate and Ansley (who doubles as a teacher) have nearly a decade of experience in the business through FairyGlen.com, where they have been selling the same types of products that can be found in their store. Although the online store has a larger selection because of warehousing, the store features what Ansley called a good sample of everything they offer.

The store is full of fairies and dragons of varying sizes. There are many figurines, which Tate said were designed by mostly American artists, but the store also features artwork, purses, stickers, buttons, countertop art, jewelry, and greeting cards.

Prices on figurines vary, with the smaller pieces being close to $13 and the larger being close to $60. The artwork ranges mostly from $12 to $20, but because they also deal in limited edition and collectible work, some of the prices are much higher—hanging over the fireplace in the store is a $400 limited edition piece of art signed by the artist.

One thing the Fairy Glen store has that the website does not is an ability to browse and to talk to staff in person. Tate's passion for fantasy was especially apparent on Saturday as he greeted new customers browsing for the first time.

"What other kind of job do you get to play with dragons and fairies?," he said. "It's fun."