OCEAN CITY, Md. - The Holiday Shopper's Fair in Ocean City falls on Thanksgiving weekend and the 160 arts-and-craft vendors aren't just competing with each other.
They're competing with big-box sales.
"I just say you find stuff that you won't find if you just go to the mall or Walmart," said organizer Melanie Collins.
"It's not a norm that you go in Walmart, Kmart or anybody like that and find this kind of product ever available," said vendor Jeff Becker, Magnetic Connections.
Becker is a therapeutic jewelry maker. He's been competing with big-box stores all his life, so Thanksgiving weekend doesn't faze him.
"Buy a TV. [If] it breaks, too bad, you have to buy another one. If this [bracelet] breaks, I fix it, so I have those customers for life."
After 30 years, the Holiday Shopper's Fair definitely has it's dedicated customer base.
"People are looking for our specific merchandise," said Nancy Schmidt, Nancy's Needlecrafts. "We do all kinds of dogs, so everybody is looking for their particular puppy on a shirt."
The tradition lives on.
"It brings people to Ocean City. They stay here. They get to come in all weekend," said Collins.
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