Stores have come and gone the last 50 years in Manteca’s downtown business district.

The one exception is Tipton’s Stationery & Gifts on the corner of West Yosemite Avenue and Maple Avenue. It keeps on going and going like the eponymous Energizer Bunny.

Among the many downtown businesses along Yosemite Avenue that Tipton’s has outlived in the past half-century:

•Dress shops like The Twins Dress Shop of Mary Gomes & Minnie Mello, Peggy’s, and Jo-Sels.

•Shoe stores like Comstock’s, Richard’s Shoes, and Warren’s Shoes.

•Department stores like the Manteca Department Store (which is now Leon’s), Mars Department Store owned by the Mars family, and Brown & Mahin (which is now the home of Century Furniture on the corner of Yosemite and Main).

•Men’s wear like Mendosa’s, and Wrigglesworth’s.

•Hardware stores like Turner Hardware, and Ace Hardware Mart.

•Drug stores like Manteca Drug, Honodel’s, and Cliff Parr’s.

•Jim and Art’s Liquor where, according to Bowlsby, her former husband, Tip, would send their daughter, Brenda, “at age eight or so” to get him some cigars. “That would not happen now,” Bowlsby said.

The secret of their success

At the monthly program of the Manteca Historical Society in October held at the museum where the historical highlight was focused on the 50th anniversary of Tipton’s, Bowlsby let everyone in on the secret to Tipton’s enduring success in a business that has been buffeted through the years by threats of competition brought on by big chain stores, and by down economies such as the one that is currently gripping the country today.

“My theme has always been to listen to what your customer wants,” she stated simply.

She elaborated on that further during the interview at her store last week, saying, “You grow with the demand. We didn’t use to have toners and ink cartridges. Years ago, we didn’t have computers. Now, everybody needs one.”

The other part of the secret to Tipton’s business longevity is that Bowlsby and Franklin always make sure that the store stays on the cutting edge of the latest in merchandise, thus catering to customers’ changing interests and demands without losing the anchor products that they have always been known for, like the office supplies, stationeries, gifts and collectibles.

Every six months, mother and daughter go to various gift expos in cities such as San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles where the latest and currently popular product lines are being showcased. Lolita and its “Love my Martini” collection, touted as “the hottest gift brand in America today,” is one of these merchandise items that Tipton’s carries. Another one is CRISTLU jewelry. The collection currently on display at Tipton’s includes a reproduction of the sapphire-and-diamonds engagement ring of the late Princess Diana. It also comes with a matching pair of earrings. Both can be bought as a set or separately.

Not to be left behind by the booming computer and high-tech industry, Tipton’s constantly keeps a fresh stock of toner inks for all brands of copy machines and a whole wall of ink cartridges for every type of printer in the market today – Epson, HP, Brother, Lexmark – you name it, they have it. And if the item you’re looking for is not there the day you came in, they can get it for you as soon as the following day. That goes with any of the office supplies that they carry.

“We are lucky to have two office supply wholesalers in Sacramento who deliver overnight – anything from paper clips to office furniture. Just ask us. If we don’ have it, we’ll get it for you,” Bowlsby said.

This may be news to some, but Tipton’s also has legal forms “that you may not need everyday but are in demand,” she said smiling as she opened the top drawer of a four-door filing cabinet. Even the courthouse sends people looking for these forms to Tipton’s, Bowlsby said.

By the way, Tipton’s also offers free deliveries for office supplies to places like Ripon, Tracy, Oakdale, Manteca and other areas in the vicinity. They even have customers now from Turlock, Lodi and other places in the surrounding area “because their stationery store is no longer there,” Bowlsby said.

They even ship to customers who now live out of town or out of state. These are loyal customers who have started their collections buying items at Tipton’s such as the popular Hallmark Christmas collectibles.

To check out the other places where they will deliver purchases, log on to their web site at www.tipton.biz.

Special mother-daughter partnership

While they work together side by side with the help of two employees – Sam Farrow and Brandy Zamora, their “fabulous sales assistant” for the last six years – mother and daughter each has their own specialty.

“Brenda does a lot of gift-buying,” said Bowlsby who handles most of the office supplies inventory.

Franklin said she never entertained the thought of working elsewhere or moving out of Manteca to pursue a career after graduating from Manteca High “because I like what I do, and I love the customers – that’s the best part” – meeting them on the many “unique circumstances” in their lives such as weddings and anniversaries. In fact, they now have second- and third-generation brides coming in for Tipton’s bridal invitations and registry.

But the best part about working in the family business, said Franklin quite seriously, is that “Mom and I are best friends.”

As for future plans, Bowlsby said, “Brenda and I plan to have Tipton’s continue for many more years.”

In this tight economy, she added, “We’re hanging in there like everybody else.”

Evolution of Tipton’s Stationery & Gifts

Bowlsby gave the following brief history of Tipton’s during the monthly program presented by the Manteca Historical Society at the museum in October.

“It was early in 1961 when we were living in Porterville that we came up to Manteca to visit Tip’s parents. They owned the Scoop News and Fountain at the time.

“Tip heard that Johnson’s Studio wanted to sell their camera shop and Hallmark Cards. Dale was too busy (taking) portraits and (selling) cameras at the same time.

“We talked and decided to go home and try to sell our house in Portervile but Dale didn’t want to wait. Dale and Pat and Mr. and Mrs. Mearl Thompson, a realtor, came to Porterville to look over the house and offered to take the equity in the house as a down payment. So we moved to Manteca and opened for business on Oct. 9, 1961.

“It soon became apparent that I would have to get a job to supplement our income. I had four years of experience working for Bank of America so I was hired at the Bank of America at Charter-Hunter in Stockton. Brenda was 18 months old then and stayed with my mother for 5 days a week and we had her on weekends. That was until our son, David, came along in Jan. 1963.

“We moved the store into the east half of our present location and added office supplies. Our competition was Gibson’s Stationery in the next block. He would turn on the light in the ceiling when you entered and off when you left. His main interest was really printing in the back room.

“When we needed more room, our landlord, Franzia Brothers Winery, cut through the wall into Sam Hanna’s Manteca Club next door taking half of his space. That’s why the arches are there to support the second floor. At the time, the second floor was a working man’s hotel.

“Comstock’s Shoe Store was in the back facing Maple Street. The next move was taking over the remaining space of the bar. Comstock’s space became Chen’s Import. As time went on we leased the entire building and the Maple Street entrance became the beginning of J&J Printing.

“Eventually, we persuaded Franzia to let us buy the building.”

The imposing two-story corner structure that currently houses Tipton’s Stationery &  Gifts was built in 1917.

And the rest, as they say, is history.