Decline in sales causes Modesto store owner, 88, to close ‘good business’ in McHenry Village
An 88-year-old Modesto store owner and his wife are getting ready to retire, but it’s not exactly a decision they made because they were ready to.
When I talked to Norm VanHorne on Tuesday, he said he and his wife, Connie, will be closing Marcy’s Hallmark Shop in McHenry Village sometime in June. They opened the store in 1994.
“We decided that due to the decline of the business, why don’t we just retire?” he said. “It’s been a good business, it’s just, unfortunately, it’s spent its time.”
The golden years for Hallmark stores were during the Beanie Babies craze of the mid- to late 1990s, VanHorne said. I can confirm — I’m sure my parents were nearing bankruptcy by the time I was satisfied with my collection.
“We made a lot of money during that time,” VanHorne said. “But in 2020, Beanie Babies stopped shipping and the sales in Hallmark stores started going down. They’ve been going down ever since, pretty much.”
The 31-year-old card and gift shop isn’t the only one that’s faced closure. Out of the 7,500 Hallmark Gold Crown stores that once existed, around 1,200 are left, VanHorne said.
“Retail in general is having a struggle right now,” he said. “We all know that at some point there’s going to be fewer and fewer Hallmark stores and that’s just the fact of the world.”
Closeout sales have begun at Marcy’s Hallmark, and all products are 10% off. The discounts will increase every couple of weeks until the store’s final day.
VanHorne worked for the Hallmark company for 14 years — from 1965 to 1979. He was involved with putting new stores in shopping centers throughout California.
In the last few years that he worked for the company, VanHorne said he was saving money and looking for a “breakout” to open his own store.
Hallmark Gold Crown stores are not franchised. They are independently owned and licensed, and the owners have an agreement with the company to maintain certain standards.
VanHorne, who lives in Grass Valley, opened his first store in Chico. He then bounced around and opened stores in Paradise, Auburn, Grass Valley and Reno before settling his business in Modesto.
Linda Johnson, who owned Linda’s Hallmark next to Mervyn’s (now Hobby Lobby) sold her shop to VanHorne in October 1994 and he moved it to McHenry Village, according to Modesto Bee archives.
VanHorne reopened the store as Marcy’s Hallmark Shop — named after his daughter. Independently owned Hallmark stores can be distinguished by name from those that are corporate owned, he said. All corporate stores are called Amy’s Hallmark, and independent stores are restricted to using the names of family members or anyone who isn’t an Amy.
There is an Amy’s Hallmark Shop near Barnes & Noble in the Promenade Shopping Center, 3501 McHenry Ave.
Marcy’s Hallmark Shop is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
As for the VanHornes, they’re off to Vegas to celebrate their retirement, Norm said jokingly (I think).
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 8:43 AM.
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