KERRVILLE — Before the big box stores arrived, there was Gibson's Discount Center on Main Street, and unlike many old-timers, more than fifty years later, they are still in business and going strong.
Their motto is "If we don't have it, you probably don't need it."
Everyone who works at Gibson's is constantly on the move, making sure that each and every customer gets exactly what they need.
Travis Reeh said he knows his family has been shopping at Gibson’s his entire life.
Reeh, who brought a hunting bow in for repair said “I’m pretty sure my parents bought this bow here when I was in second or third grade, so I love coming here. It’s great!”
Reeh was delighted to learn his bow could be repaired on the spot, and the fix-it job came with valuable free advice.
“They have all the stuff I need for hunting and they’re the only place in town that can fix my bow,” Reeh said, adding “I come here to get fishing lures when I go to the coast, so they have everything.”
Tim and Traci Shadrock said coming to shop at Gibson’s is a family tradition handed down from their parents, that they are passing on to their daughter. In fact, happily choosing items in the shoe department, Traci laughingly said, “We are probably Mr. and Mrs. Gibson.”
Naming her favorites, Traci said, “Fix it supplies and novelty items that you can’t find anywhere else.”
Tim added, “The gun selection is amazing. The ammunition selection is amazing. There are camping supplies and anything for sportsmen is here.”
Tim said Gibson’s is a paradise for people who love to fix things themselves.
“There’s people here that have the knowledge to tell you how to fix it,” Tim said.
Traci said her family returns time after time because the choices are always new.
“You have to come here because you never know what you’ll find,” Traci said.
Phyllis Ford said, "I came for light bulbs but I'm ending up in the kitchen department. They're oven bulbs. They're very hard to find and Gibson's always has them.”
Lee Jones has family in the local area but he lives out of state. Jones said he could order specialty items online, but he intentionally waits to shop at this brick and mortar store when he returns to Kerrville.
"I was looking for hat pins and yes I found at least three I'd like to take back to Connecticut with me," Jones said, while displaying a U.S. flag pin and an armadillo bearing the colors of the Texas flag.
Tammy McCullough brought her mother from Houston. They found delight in tiny cookie cutters, planning on using them for cold cuts, trying to satisfy a young picky eater.
From the mundane to the extra fancy, Gibson’s tries to have something for everyone. Their buyers are all local people who are allowed to choose what they know will appeal to their families, friends, and neighbors.
Gordon Ames said his background was in sales before he made his way to Gibson’s.
“You got problems around the house? We can do it. You got problems with your car? We can do it. If we don’t have the solution, we can probably lead you to one,” Ames said.
Ryan Turner has lived in many cities around Texas, but he said when he came to work at Gibson’s, it was like coming home.
Turner said, "Gibson's is just, it's my first job that I've had here in Kerrville and I think it's going to be my last. I'm here for the long haul."
One quote from their website says it all: “You won’t just like us on Facebook, you’ll love us in real life.”
https://www.gibsonsdiscount.com/ is their website.