‘Be Yourself Somewhere Else’: An eclectic Sacramento shop survives with flair
A newcomer can enter Mixed Bag unsure of what they’ll find.
We’re here to help. Expect curiosity to become glee at this eclectic shop on 24th and K, and be prepared to laugh by the third aisle, if not sooner.
This midtown gem has tickled the funny bone for nearly 40 years. The sign above the structure promises as much: “Gifts For Every Reason.” And what better reason to let loose a little amid COVID-19 times, when the news can be all manner of glum and small businesses are either on life support or already had the white sheet pulled up.
Mixed Bag is chock full of essential items for the kitchen or dining room. There’s also silly stuff, from socks to magnets to toys. All of it is shelved and displayed not far from puzzles, books, baby items, purses, skin care to cooking spices that read, “Pain: 100 percent.”
“Snarky things? Oh, we have snarky!” said Mixed Bag owner Linda Novi. “You can send a message either subtly, or not so subtly. Laughter helps you heal faster.”
Here, you can find a magnet that reads, “Be Yourself Somewhere Else” or “A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it” or a pair of socks that read, “Worst Gift Ever.”
Novi added, “We have a little bit of everything of an awful lot of things, for all ages. Some fun, some serious, some useful, some totally not useful, some edible, and all great fun. We’re unique. We have to be different with eye-catching items, to be quality but not too pricey. So far, it’s worked. Our 40th anniversary is Sept. 1, 2021. We want to be around for a long time.”
‘Still here because the customers want us here’
Novi used to be a regular here, as a customer and in her role as a gift-business sales representative.
This was her favorite stop. She often departed with a snarky something. Two years ago, Novi learned that original Mixed Bag owner Susan Larson was ready to retire. She had put her time in.
Novi pounced at the chance to purchase Mixed Bag with the blessing and muscle of her husband, Tom.
“It’s just too neat of a place to have it stop,” Novi said.
But any “neat” handbook of small-business ownership didn’t included a guide on dealing with a pandemic. Business has slowed, amid stop-and-starts or stay-at-home orders. Sales are down from this time a year ago, per the norm for most businesses, but optimism remains steady.
That’s a credit to Novi, a delightful woman who can roll with the punches when showing people her store, or deliver the punches.
“We’re still here because the customers want us here, and we’re so thankful for their support,” Novi said, adding she gets orders from as far away as New York. “All through the holidays, people kept thanking us for being here, for being open, that they’ve been coming here for 25 or 30 years. That keeps our outlook upbeat.”
She added, “Sometimes, we worry. We’re realistic, we’re senior citizens, and neither my husband nor I are ready to fully retire. We want to be active. I worry if I’m too old for this, is the stress going to get me? But we’ll get through it. I won’t stress. We took a home-equity loan to help feed into the business because we believe in it. I’m stubborn and not ready to throw in the towel.”
Novi is a hands-on owner. The store manager, Wendy Gray, is a longtime family friend and the mother of the Novi’s daughter-in-law, Nicole, who created the social media pages for Mixed Bag and helps with displays and decorations. Daniel Clay has worked here for 21 years. He’ll greet you with stories and cheer.
It’s a family affair, a mom-and-pop/daughter-in-law thing.
“It makes you feel good to shop here,” said customer Pat Landgraf, who said every time she has a nearby dental appointment over the decades, she follows a cleansing or root canal with a Mixed Bag visit. “I want to support them (with my business.”
Said a woman flanked by a friend upon eagerly and hastily entering the store recently, “This is the fourth or fifth time we’ve come by in the last week. Wanna go again? Let’s go!’”
From a rough start to 50 years of marriage
As Novi prepares for the 40th anniversary of Mixed Bag, she’s still glowing from her 50th wedding anniversary with Tom.
The way they met lends one to believe there’s a snarky pair of socks to be made.
Born and raised in Fresno, Novi arrived at an apartment complex not far from Sacramento State in the heat of August to move in for her senior year. It was 1969.
“Not a pretty story,” Novi said with a laugh. “Tom and his roommate watched a friend and me move all of our stuff into our apartment across the street from him. When the last box was pulled out, Tom came over and asked if we needed help, or wanted a sip of beer. Thanks, but no thanks!’
“Nice of him to offer a hand after everything was moved, but there was some serendipity there. His persistence paid off. We got married a year later.”
Novi earned a degree in home economics and sociology and Tom a degree in business. Their most-recent Sept. 26 anniversary included a family gathering in the backyard, a crowd of 10 with takeout from Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
“Tom’s been so supportive, wonderful,” Novi said. “We didn’t get off to a great start. Maybe that’s why I still bring him snarky things. We both still like to laugh and have a good time.”