Fandom-themed shop to open in downtown Wauconda
A Lake County family with a fondness for the "Harry Potter" books and other popular fictional franchises is launching a fandom-friendly business in downtown Wauconda.
Literary Alterations on Main is set to open Sunday at 119 S. Main St. The shop will feature jewelry, keychains, wands and other merchandise inspired by novels, comic books, cartoons, films, TV shows and even Broadway plays.
A backroom will be used for collectible card gaming tournaments, craft events and parties.
The store represents a significant business expansion for owner Donna Manley and her children, who have been selling fandom-themed objects at comic book conventions, craft shows and other weekend festivals around the country.
"When we were starting at local craft shows seven years ago, we took our favorite literary works, like 'Harry Potter,' 'The Secret Garden' and 'The Great Gatsby,' and (turned them) into jewelry," said Manley, of Round Lake. "We've branched out quite a bit since then, but at our core, we're still the same."
Manley is opening Literary Alterations in a storefront previously occupied by Dreamscapes Whimsical Boutique & Studio, which closed in September after about seven years on Main Street.
Manley said Wauconda's people and scenery sold her on the spot.
"We were immediately hooked," she said.
The store merchandise features characters and images from "Batman" comic books and cartoons, "Star Wars" films and the "Stranger Things" TV show, among other properties. Characters from some Japanese animated productions, such as "My Neighbor Totoro," are represented, too.
Some are licensed pieces, while others are created by independent crafters and aren't official merchandise.
Two of Manley's teenage children, Tyler and Grace, and her mother, Donna Stevenson, worked in the store Friday to prepare for customers.
Tyler, 18, said the business helps make the books he and his family loves "come to life."
Stevenson said she's excited for her daughter and grandchildren. Opening a brick-and-mortar store may have been a business goal, she said, but it's also fun.
Although all of Literary Alterations' inventory hasn't arrived yet, Manley and her crew want to open in time for Sunday's Trick or Treat on Main Street event, which will draw a big crowd to the shops on the block. The store is scheduled to be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. that first day, she said. Trick or Treat on Main Street runs from 2 to 6 p.m.
Maria Weisbruch, executive director of the Wauconda Area Chamber of Commerce, said she expects Literary Alterations will help create "a different atmosphere" on Main Street.
"It's going to be a pretty magical place," Weisbruch said.
To follow the store on social media, go to facebook.com/literaryalterationsonmain.