Celebrating Nederland’s attitude and humor: Nance Mathews (right) hopes to harness that special Nederland feeling and encapsulate it in a T-shirt. PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER KELLEY[/caption]
There are different versions of novelty stores and souvenir shops that exist across this country and the world. One can visit New York City and find an “I *heart* NY” shirt or a Statue of Liberty pencil sharpener made in Korea. Or one can visit Hawaii and find authentic hand-painted crafts representing local culture, made with love by local artists.
The best version of these gift shops go beyond providing tourists with fun kitsch, they also properly represent the attitude, the humor, and the customs and traditions of their local communities by selling items designed and crafted by the people of those communities. And that’s the ideal that Nederland’s newest shop Mountain Goat Tees, hopes to become.
“The timing of everything worked out perfectly,” Owner Nance Mathews expressed to The Mountain-Ear feeling lucky that she was able to open Mountain Goat Tees on the same weekend as the town’s first annual Nederdays event. “I’m excited to be open in March and to get warmed up for the summer.”
“I know that people can be cautious of new things, and it’s such a special town that I don’t blame them, and so I was a little nervous,” Mathews said, referring to the days leading up to her grand opening. “But everyone’s been so incredible so far; I’m so grateful.”
Mathews gave shout-outs to the community, to her family, and to her husband for all their support making Mountain Goat Tees, located at 92 East 1st Street Unit C, a reality.
“My husband Stephen came up with the name, he’s very proud of it,” Mathews said, while also giving thanks to friend Jay Rust for the creation of the mascot “Freddie,” the mountain goat specifically designed to have an “obnoxious goatee.”
Mountain Goat Tees carries T-shirts, stickers, mugs, patches, keychains, magnets, and toys that are all either Colorado or Nederland focused. Mathews strives to carry custom designs and creations made by local suppliers in the Peak to Peak area and across the state. Many of the T-shirts were designed right next door in Rollinsville by local favorites Elevated Impressions.
“They do most of my T-shirts,” Mathews said as she joyfully gave a tour of her inventory of colorful shirts and hoodies that feature Ned-centric phrases and images. “These are made at a cute little Mom and Pop shop in Denver, and these are from a local women-owned company. I try to buy specifically from women-owned and LGBTQIA-owned small businesses.”
“I just found a source to get custom made enamel pins. So I’m going to try really hard to get some Ned specific pins because I know people collect them too!” Mathews said, going from shelf to shelf.
In addition to the embroidered hats and Sasquatch socks that’s on display, Mountain Goat Tees also has a selection of modern jewelry that may appeal to younger customers. And even with the wide selection of items, Mathews still strives to carry a different selection than what is carried in similar retail stores in town.
Mathews graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in interior design and spent much of her early career working in model home design and historic home restoration.
“Interior design isn’t decorating,” Mathews specified. “There were 120 of us that applied, 36 of us were accepted into the program and I think 28 of us graduated. It’s a really intense program and it’s very architecture and construction document based.
“Planning electrical, HVAC, lighting… the detail is insane! Especially when you get into permit plans and dealing with cities and codes.”
An undiagnosed illness forced her to change careers, though Mathews doesn’t lament this time in her life, but instead notes that this led her into the world of retail.
“It was like 35,000 square feet,” Mathews began explaining her experience working as a visual lead and then visual manager at one of the largest Crate & Barrel stores in Colorado. “I was doing all the seasonal floor plans, ordering all the furniture, planning where everything was going to go and how it was going to get executed. And then I got sick…again.”
After living ten years with the illness, Mathews was eventually diagnosed with Lyme disease. She moved to Nederland with her husband Stephen and began treatment, but shortly after moving to the area the COVID-19 pandemic happened.
Mathews took the downtime to begin developing the concept for her own retail store, a place where she can institute her natural spatial awareness and eye for design, as well as fill the shelves with all of the things she loves.
“Stephen and I love to travel, and I find so much joy in finding things that are really unique to a specific area, especially if they make me smile or if they make me laugh. It makes my heart happy.
“Those things make you think of being back there; of the awe you might feel in the nature there or the warmth you might feel in the people,” Mathews said.
“So I wanted to create that same moment for people but here in Ned…to encapsulate Ned in a T-shirt! Because even though we travel all over we also love to come home. We love Nederland and we feel so grateful that we get to live here.”
With Mountain Goat Tees Mathews hopes to foster the same atmosphere and spirit inside her store that visitors to the Peak to Peak area can feel as they walk around outside. Mathews desires to harness that special Nederland feeling that visitors fall in love with, and that locals are grateful for, and to make it available for anyone who wants to take that feeling with them everywhere they go.
Mountain Goat Tees is located at 92 East 1st Street Unit C, right next door to Igadi, and is open Thursday through Monday from 12 p.m. to “6ish.” Any change from a cash transaction can be donated to the “Change Jar” which is collected and donated to a local charity; right now all Change Jar proceeds are being donated to the Nederland Food Pantry. Follow Mountain Goat Tees on Facebook and on Instagram: @MountainGoatTees. For more information call 720-899-4188.
