Karen Snyder

Nestled within historic downtown Plymouth, Na Rie Simple Treasures has a wide variety of unique items for those looking for gifts for loved ones. another unique thing about Na Rie is how it came to be located in downtown Plymouth and how the owner, Karen Snyder, came to operate it.

The story didn’t begin in Plymouth though. It began in argos.

Karen was born and raised in argos, graduating from argos High School. She moved to anderson in 1990 to work for her brother-in-law.

“He was just opening his orthopedic office and asked me to come to work for him. Over the ten years my brother-in-law’s office merged with other orthopedic offices. The last merge was a big one and I was unsure what position they would put me in,” Karen said.

She went on to say that at this point, she made the decision to move to Plymouth to live with her parents while she looked for a place of her own.

Karen’s parents used to own a store in argos called Na Rie Treasures in honor of Karen’s grandmothers Nadine and Marie. It was operated from a barn that her parents had renovated.

When she came back to the area, she started going on job interviews. However, she didn’t find anything suitable.

So she tried something

else.

“When I lived around here, before moving to Anderson, I enjoyed going with my mom to all the craft shops and craft shows and I would go with her to the Chicago gift mart to purchase for her business. I always thought it would be fun to have my own shop,” Karen said. She wanted to use the same name as her parent’s shop.

In December 2003, Na Rie Simple Treasures opened in Plymouth.

When asked what she enjoys most about operating her own business, Karen replied, “I enjoy and appreciate the customers. I like that I can be creative with displays and I also make and refurbish some items to sell.”

One of the more interesting items Karen has sold seems to be the vintage ones. “I find it interesting how the younger adults buy the vintage items, such as Pyrex bowls, ball jars and old medicine bottles. I guess one of the most interesting was a vintage macrame hanging table. It’s true what they say, what’s old is new again.”

Karen said that being a business owner for 18 years, there has been ups and downs. “When I first opened there was not a lot of retail downtown or events. New stores would open and close within their first year. It has been a struggle at times because of the economy and COVID. We now have more retail and more events, which is great. This brings more local and out-of-town people to downtown Plymouth and I feel the merchants support each other.”

When asked where she see’s herself and her business in five to ten years, Karen replied that “I hope to still be working in my shop for at least the next five years and maybe more.”