She Sells Sea Shells to celebrate 50th anniversary
An almost 50 year career on Sanibel, all started because of a dog named Lady who led one business owner to buying her first home on the island.
Anne and David Joffe found Sanibel in the early ’70s when they decided to take a vacation with their children.
She recalls sitting on a pile of shells, a 5 foot pile, when a little brown dog jumped into her lap. When a man started calling “Lady,” Anne said she thought he was referring to her, but rather was calling his dog.
The conversation eventually led to the gentleman inviting her to his house. By the time she left she had bought the man’s house, boat, and became the new owner of Lady, as he was moving to New Zealand.
Anne recalls taking the Greyhound Bus from Louisville to Fort Myers to pick up Lady and when she arrived at her new home they left all the furniture, and even stocked the refrigerator for her family.
The first store of She Sells Sea Shells opened in November 1976 on Sanibel. Although there have been various locations throughout the years, the Periwinkle Way location has remained since 1984.
David said it all started with selling puka necklaces 50 years ago. Since then they have sold more than a million products made from shells, sand dollars, star fish, and sea urchins. The products have run the gamut from Christmas ornaments, to land and sea animals, to ballerinas and weight lifters, magnets, shell flowers and dishes.
Anne said every creation is made from by products of food, as they have arrangements with different countries to send them the shells. She said it is a wonderful conservation effort.
She said she still carries, one of her mentors, Sam Bailey’s words with her to this day, “if the island is good to you, you need to give back to the island.”
“He was right,” Anne said. “He was a very generous man.”
She continues to give back to the community that has supported her for five decades.
The Joffe’s are currently selling She Sells Sea Shells 50th anniversary T-shirts, which features Sanibel’s prize junonia shell. The unisex style shirt is $18 for small through extra large and $20 for 2X. Six dollars from every T-shirt sold will be donated to island charities.
This year, Anne chose the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, and the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife.
Anne first opened She Sells Sea Shells in Louisville, Kentucky for a year and a half. Sand was brought into the store to create a beach, as well as a Tiki Hut, which created an atmosphere people became interested in visiting.
“People came in and took their shoes off. I put shells in the sand. It was really cute. It was a fun time to start a business,” she said.
Although her interest in shells stems back to her early childhood, Anne pursued a degree in microbiology in Massachusetts and worked for a microbiologist for the Massachusetts Public Health Department. Anne said she ran the clinic where she tested for syphilis. From there she worked for the state of Maine where she tested cows and chickens after they died.
Her career path changed after moving to Kentucky and met Donald Dan, who at the time, was a young boy hosing off shells in his backyard. Sixty-two years later their friendship still remains.
From that conversation, the love of seashells ignited a new passion and a career that has been one for the books, including being a founding member of the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum.
One of her favorite memories from She Sells Sea Shells was when Bill Clench visited her Sanibel store and brought 20 fresh water clams with him. She recalls him sitting down on the floor with the clams, and what transpired from that moment still has her smiling.
Before she knew it customers began sitting on the floor by Clench.
“He was holding a classroom and teaching them,” Anne said. “Each one of them bought the shell. The best part – sitting there with enthusiasm at 90 years old.”
She too has taken on that role, passing on the knowledge and helping people understand shells.
“You can take them to the beach,” Anne said of teaching youth about shells. “It’s still great to take people shelling and show excitement.”
She Sells Sea Shells is located at 1157 Periwinkle Way. For more information, visit , or call (239) 472-6991.
She Sells Sea Shells Founder Anne Joffe.
The popular She Sells Sea Shells has an assortment of handmade shell creations for sale at the Sanibel shop.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email mbradbury@breezenewspapers.com