Dilly’s Curiosity Shop – An eclectic establishment for all walks of life

Dilly’s Curiosity Shop is a gift shop unlike any other in the Model City. Sterling silver and gemstone jewelry greet you when you walk through the door, but as you delve deeper into the store the selection becomes more and more eccentric.

Visitors browse through more than 450 varieties of stones, crystals and gems. Statues from every belief system can be found poised throughout the store while paintings from local artists hang from the walls.

Other selections include unconventional books, clothes, posters, incense, essential oils, tapestries, home décor, herbs and resins and a dabbling of musical instruments. A few of the more unusual items for sale include a sitar, dinosaur bones, altar bells and singing bowls.

“The charm of this place since its inception has been its focus on variety, items that are new and different and unique,” said Dagney Gray, who owns the store with her husband Todd. “Many one-of-a-kind items can also be found here in the store.”

A Rich History

Dilly’s Curiosity Shop was established by Dillard and Sally Clark – hairstylists and salon owners who hailed from Norton, Va., and opened in the Kingsport Mall in 1986. The couple’s interests in art and culture would eventually lead to the addition of books, jewelry, incense, oils, herbs, musical instruments, and home decor into the business.

In 2000, when the Kingsport Mall closed, the Clarks relocated the shop to Center Street and then to Bloomingdale on the John B. Dennis Highway where it would remain for 15 years. When Dillard passed away in 2004, Sally offered the business to her daughter Dagney, son-in-law Todd and their daughter Violet. Three years later, the family relocated Dilly’s to the Green Acres Shopping Center where it has remained ever since.

An Inclusive Space

Todd describes Dilly’s as a metaphysical shop, a bastion of openness no matter your belief – everything from Christianity to witchcraft and everything in between.

“Our inclusivity is our strength. We have just as many Christians who come through the door as we do wiccans or Hindu or Buddhists,” Todd explains. “We’re very much about finding that common ground and focusing on the commonality rather than the subtle differences.”

Growth & Craftsmanship

With new ownership and direction, Dilly’s has grown over the past 20 years to include hundreds of crystal and mineral specimens, while also expanding their classical offerings of handcrafted oils, bulk herbs, and incense. Dilly’s also offers custom services of wire wrapping, candle crafting and jewelry repair.

“We cater to an eclectic clientele, customers who seek something different rather than the run-of-the-mill merchandise you get from the big box stores,” Dagney said. “We’re very individualized and focus on the customer’s needs and wants.”

40 Years of Community

Dilly’s is celebrating its 40th year in business this year and the couple takes pride in knowing generations of customers have shopped with them over the decades.

“We have customers who now have children who shop with us…who were customers of my parents 20 to 30 years ago,” Dagney said. “For me and our family, hearing stories of my parents and meeting people that they met through the course of the business they had, is just great to hear.”

Over the past 40 years, Kingsport has embraced and supported Dilly’s creativity and diversity, from the days when Dillard and Sally first opened, to today under the direction of Dagney and Todd.

“Kingsport was very accepting of my parents, moving from a small town in Virginia and being weirdos at the time,” Dagney said, noting she and Todd also consider themselves as weirdos. “We see it as a compliment and would rather be called weird than normal.”

“We just hope we’re continuing on with my parents’ ideals in our own way.”