Skip Maisel’s Indian Jewelry and Crafts store in Albuquerque closing this year

With the owner wanting to retire, Skip Maisel’s Indian Jewelry and Crafts store will close later this year after 42 years in downtown Albuquerque.

Maisel told the Albuquerque Journal he already has sold the store at 510 Central Ave. (aka Route 66) and has marked down his merchandise 50 percent. However, he said he was in no hurry to close and has until December to empty the building.

“Whoever takes over the building, if they want to start a jewelry business like mine they are going to have to start from scratch because I am taking everything that’s not sold when I finally close the doors,” Maisel said.

The departure will be bittersweet for Maisel, whose family has ties to the building at Fifth and Central.

“My grandfather built this store in 1939, and after it passed through a few family members, I bought it,” he said. “It was kind of empty at first, so we pushed the shelving up front. The inventory began to grow a little each time after I would go out on the road.”

According to Maisel’s website:

During its heyday in the late 40’s and early 50’s, he employed over 300 craftsmen on premise. It was the largest store of its kind in the world.

In the 1960’s, after Morris’ death, the store was sold and later closed down. Then, in the 1980’s, Morris’ grandson, Skip Maisel, decided to re-open the store. At that point, Skip had spent fifteen years on the reservations buying and selling Indian merchandise to retailers for resale. He gave the Maisel building a major facelift and began selling Indian jewelry and crafts to the public at genuine wholesale prices.

Today, you can see the Indians coming and going with their handmade goods, which Maisel buys daily. He also employs several Indian craftsmen whom you can watch work in the store.

Maisel told the newspaper he wants to devote more time to his horses.

(Screen-capture image of Skip Maisel’s Indian Jewelry and Crafts store in Albuquerque)