Harold’s Southwestern Gifts celebrates 54 years in business

At the south side of Socorro is a shop that draws in folks from around the world with its colorful, eclectic offerings. Once inside, the smiles and conversation that shoppers are met with from owners Harold and Martha Baca are just a bonus to the unique Southwestern gifts that fill shelves, walls and floor space in the three room store.

On March 1, Harold’s Southwestern Gifts celebrated their 54th anniversary since opening their doors in 1971. Over that time, the Bacas have gotten to know and provide gifts to people from all over the world. After so many years in business, the Bacas know what people want and keep items of interest for men, women, and children.

“A lot of people come hunting here in the fall. I have guys who have been coming here for 20 or 30 years, and they stop here every year on their way home,” Harold said. “I say, ‘Hey, long time no see.’ And they say, ‘Yeah, we have to buy our wife a peace offering before they let us in the door at home, they told us, be sure you go to Harold’s.’”

When Martha met Harold in 1965, she was studying to be a librarian at New Mexico Tech. A self-proclaimed “Navy brat,” Martha grew up bouncing around the country before enrolling in college in Socorro. Her background in library science fills their shop at 714 Old US Hwy 85 with racks of cookbooks, history and local interest books, and a thoughtful collection of children’s books that Martha said mothers are always excited to see.

“Children have to get a love of books. Read a book, feel a book, see the books. A lot of children aren’t exposed to them unless we expose them,” Martha said, adding that the New Mexico history books they sell hold information you can’t find anywhere else.

Alongside books, music and postcards are vibrant displays of Talavera pots and decor, woven rugs from Mexico, locally made candy, sterling and turquoise Navajo jewelry, a wide selection of ammunition, hunting supplies, and so much more that visitors should plan extra time to discover all the treasures to be found.

According to Martha, being surrounded by bright colors keeps the blues away, and owning something as simple as a colorful apron can change the way you cook.

When the Bacas first opened their doors, it was as a carpentry shop where Harold made and refurbished furniture, while Martha made pottery, crafts, and helped refurnish furniture to sell. Then, about 30 years ago he fell from a truck and broke his neck.

“I should be dead, according to the doctors, but I’m still here,” Harold said. “I had to find something else that wasn’t so much physical labor, and that’s when we expanded the gift shop.”

Now in their 80s, the Bacas are still going strong and credit the daily interactions at the shop as keeping them young. Harold said he’s grateful for every day he gets to see the sun shine, while Martha said every day is a different adventure and owning their own business has been a great way to make a living, adding with a laugh that if she had to work for anyone else she’d probably get fired.