Capturing The Essence of Island Living

Tourists stop by and ask what it’s really like to live somewhere as magical as Marco Island. Are the hurricanes as bad and frequent as the news makes them seem? Do we spend every evening at the Tiki bar, frozen cocktails in coconuts, swaying to live music? How do we tolerate the sweltering heat and ravenous mosquitoes? Florida isn’t for everyone. But for those of us who embrace the nuances of sub-tropical living, it’s truly paradise.

Truth is, heat and bugs are an acceptable trade-off for summer’s peace and quiet. We zip around the island with no traffic, enjoy leisurely dinners out, and make 10-minute runs to Publix. Summer is bliss.

I also love the excitement of busy season. Tourists, snowbirds, and full-time residents all have a place in our local economy and in our shop.

For blissed-out tourists wanting a piece of the island to take home, we recommend a golden sand dollar or Marco Island Map Pendant.

For part-timers, you save up your repairs while you’re away and browse our cases for something you’d never find up north.

For full-time residents, July and August are when you emerge to discuss custom projects for Christmas. Every single one of you adds to the success of our shop and we appreciate you.

A special thank you to the plan-ahead people. Nothing adds to holiday stress like an eleventh-hour custom project that is nearly impossible to pull off. I mean - doesn’t Christmas arrive the same day every year? I love a challenge, but I hate being the one to ruin Christmas with a “no.” We run out of miracles by December 23. Dad still tells the story about one Christmas Eve when a gentleman called while we were closing at 6:00 PM. He begged for my Dad to stay and work all night on a custom-made gold trinket, suggesting he would come by early Christmas morning to pick it up! Dad said, “Sure, you can pick it up the next Christmas after this one!”

Even if you’re not sure what you want yet, now’s the time to start thinking about it. Early fall kicks off our buying season to re-stock the store. I keep a notepad of items customers are hunting for. It works beautifully. You get first dibs on that exciting new piece!

Yes, we already have Christmas on our minds. That’s retail reality. We’re studying trends and working on little projects we can’t touch during season. Our jewelers have time for custom pieces that will soon be available. When we reopen after Labor Day, it’s all hands on deck. Season starts earlier every year. The changing demographics of Marco mean busier summers. We’re seeing younger faces and we’ve aimed to draw the newest group of soon-to-be-weds. If your adult children are in the market for an engagement ring, send them to The Harbor Goldsmith!