“I have always loved working with my hands. I have always loved creating.” For Jean-Michel Arrigona, owner of nātür showroom, that simple truth has followed him across countries, languages, careers, materials, and ultimately into a Salt Lake City shop unlike any other - a place filled with butterflies, beetles, fossils, minerals, skulls, skeletons, and objects from the natural world that seem to stop people in their tracks.

“It’s not only about trying to make a profit, but honestly, I do it more for the collective.” That philosophy sits at the heart of Neko Collectibles, the Millcreek shop Bryan Pineda and his wife, Natalia Majda, opened in May 2025. What looks at first like a collectible store is, in many ways, the natural result of Bryan’s life - a life built on curiosity, travel, engineering, and an instinct to understand how things work.

“I was eight years old when I started working,” said Peter Marshall, owner of Utah Book and Magazine. “Got five bucks a week. That was good money.” He dropped out of school just two weeks into the eighth grade. “Told my dad and grandpa I’d rather work with them. And I never looked back.” At no time has Peter stepped away - not once in sixty-two years.

“Owning a small business is joy and/or terror, depending on the day,” Jacqueline Whitmore said with a laugh. And yet, it is clear to anyone who walks through the doors of Copperhive Vintage that joy has the upper hand. A kaleidoscope of color, texture, and nostalgia, her store is more than a place to shop. It is a personal expression, a gathering space, and a curated love letter to the past.