Mast General Store Old Boone Mercantile

I love this store. Lots of merchandise for the outdoors, weather, and gifts. The old timey candy in barrels is such a novelty that doesn’t get old. Always a must visit when you’re in Boone.

The tourist literature promotes this place as an ol’ timey general store but the actual store is like a cross between REI, Urban Outfitters, a candy store and a bit of a local farmers market, with a heavy emphasis on REI. Tons of kids running around, high prices (albeit on seemingly high quality goods). They had a lot of sale merchandise outside, it was very clean and the employees seemed really nice and helpful. Not a bad place but not what I thought it was advertised as. Boone is a cute place and worth a stop though.

I love it. I spend a lot of time hiking in the area nearby which makes this the perfect stop before or after a hike. I love that I can find older brands of candy you don’t see anywhere else and that they have about anything you could want.
The prices are fair on most things but some of the clothing and kitchen items are a little overpriced in my opinion.

Overpriced

I like the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis better, but this store isn’t bad.
There was plenty of outdoorsy, hipster, camping related merch available… much of it on sale. Patagonia seemed to be a prevalent clothing brand.
I found a separate «local» craft type store filled with honey, jams, jellies, etc. upstairs in the back of the store.
The two flights of stairs to get upstairs to the shoes reminded me of climbing into a rickety old barn attic. As an aside, «man, am I out of shape.»
Sperry Topsider shoes were well represented, and they carry Sorel boots.
I remember seeing rock climbing accoutrement at the store in years past, but I didn’t see any shoes or gear (rope and carabiners) today. I guess that market is too specialized. The shoes are comfy though and rappelling is FUN.
I agree with my other Unilocal compadres that this place is pretty much «fueled» by tourists.
PS: The young college student employees were helpful, smiling, and friendly. Kudos!

My family enjoyed this store. From the great candy selection to the selection of name brand shoes and clothes. There are also many unique home goods. Our main complaint was not having enough car space to buy more!

This is a very cute general store. There are about four rooms that make up this store. Upstairs you have food and kitschy items. The prices aren’t crazy either. We got a whimsical birdhouse for $ 20.
Downstairs you can find the standard tourist clothes as wells a huge candy selection. I saw a lot of candy that brought back childhood memories. Rainbow laces, circus peanuts, push pops! The candy price is fixed by the pound. Keep in mind though that all the candy is prepackaged.
We came on Black Friday and the place was packed! I have a feeling that this store is mostly always crowded though.

Friendly and attentive staff. We always make time to visit.

This place can best be described as a mishmash of a small REI, a candy store, and a Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Half of the store seemed to be outdoorsy clothing, a quarter of the store basically sweets, and the other quarter kitchen/​foodstuffs/​household goods. It’s cool to just wander and browse all the various items up for grabs. I got a kick out of the sock monkey section and the mugs made for left/​right-​handed folks.
Mast General also seems to have employees teeming all over the place so it wouldn’t be too hard to get help, and I didn’t have to wait at the register at all. Worth a peep if you’re in downtown Boone.

I always adore going into these stores as it brings back childhood memories. First off the candy is always a good place to start. They have a wide range of hard to find candy. They sell it by the pound so you can stock up on all your favorites. The clothing section can be a bit overpriced but the quality is amazing and if you wait for sales you can good stuff cheap.

Mast General Stores are pretty cool — if you’ve never been in one, go at least once. Mast is very popular and has become a bit of a tourist attraction. They’ve expanded quite a bit and you can find stores all over Western NC. That being said, once you’ve been in one or two, the novelty wears off and you’ve pretty much been to all of them.
This particular store is in downtown Boone. One side is clothing and the other side is candy in barrels and what I would classify as «bric a brac» or «kitsch». I counted at least 10 employees, 4 on the clothing side, 4 on the candy side and two out front monitoring the sidewalk sale. The customer service is definitely good, but they must have to sell a ton of stuff to have that many employees on duty.
The displays here are very colorful and esthetic; a wonderland for the eyeball. Prices tend to be on the higher side of retail. The price of loose candy is $ 7.99 per pound. The silence while my children eat their candy, priceless.

Not as good as the original but still a fun place to visit. I like making my own candy basket and buying jam. I also like the old fashioned toys.

It’s a quaint old time looking store that really relies on tourism. I don’t know what draws us into it but we go every time we’re near one. For me, the novelty has worn out. I’ve been in the store maybe a couple dozen times now and I’ve bought something once. It is a cool store with a variety of things from clothes camping and kitchen things and candy. Maybe because I have been there so many times but I think it has so many people in the store just for the reputation of being an old general store. I enjoy the more intimate private old stores (Washburns in Bostic for example) they are more of the traditional general store.

Mast General Store is a go-​to destination is the little town of Boone. Kids love the rows of old-​fashioned candy presented in huge barrels and the vintage toys that are stacked to the ceiling. Guys love the second floor guy-​stuff like knives, shoes, outdoor gear and jackets. Ladies love the showroom packed with mountain-​feel sweaters, hats, gorgeous scarves and handbags. Upstairs offers even more: kitchen items, calendars, music, candles and handmade trinkets.
The entire store has the feeling of stepping back in time, including the creaky wooden stairs that lead to the second floor. There is an old metal coca-​cola cooler filled with glass bottles of Né-​hi and root beer. There are tin signs that feature 1930’s advertising. Everything offered has a vintage flair and you just can’t leave without finding a little something inspiring.
Mast General is a perfect place to find unique gifts and clothing. Be sure to allow at least an hour or two to wander around. There is so much to see!
Truly a fun place in downtown Boone. We love it!

This place was awesome. Brought back so many childhood memories. Even got a cast iron skillet…

We love this place — both locations. What a nostalgic trip back to my youth. It’s such fun to go into an «old country» store with everything from an old fashioned soda cooler and candy that you can’t find anywhere else, to all sorts of nice clothing and home accessories. If you go, be sure to try the ginger ale — it’s made from real ginger and is nothing like the stuff that you get everywhere else. It comes in two strengths, mild (which has a nice warm after-​burn) and hot, which I’ve heard should come with a small fire extinguisher. The mild also comes in a diet variety.
Overall, it’s just a fun place to explore. You’ll appreciate it all the more if you’re in the «baby boomer» generation. The young-​uns just don’t get it.

I’m a huge fan of Mast. I’ve been to the original outside of downtown Boone and in Asheville. This location… is just a little lacking for me. The service is fine and they have all of the funny, kitschy gifts/​toys you or your kids could ever dream of, but the selection of gear and other brands just isn’t as extensive as other locations.
Seemed like the abundance of choices were either North Face or Patagonia. I love the other locations’ selection of brands like Marmot, Arc’Teryx, and Outdoor Research. Not a huge deal, but just a bit of a letdown.
Also, parking isn’t the best for this location. You’ll have to find a spot on the street.

Cute spot for nostalgic items — candy and games etc. Great place to wander around and discover fun items.
Upstairs there are kitchen items — which I bought a few of!!! Love the pottery and the personalized Mast General Store mugs.
The service is excellent — folks were quick and packaged up my pottery so it would be sure not to break Thanks guys!

So the Mast family must have been pretty popular in Boone and they started the general store there. There are a couple locations throughout the area and keep in mind, this isn’t the original one. You’ll find that one closer to Banner Elk/​Valle Crucis.
Like a general store should be it’s full of old time games and candies. Clothing as well as kitchen ware can be found upstairs.\
If you need a blast to the past, come in here.

Mast General Store in Boone is a landmark of its own high on the list of must-​see stops when visiting. I’ve been to Boone a few times and I make it a point to stop in every time just to take in all that this great general store has. It’s so amazing that President Obama stopped in here at the end of October!
Like the other review notes, I love the vartiety of offerings. There’s winterwear and other clothing; shoes and other footwear; some furniture; camping, climbing, and other sports gear; music and local movies; games, toys, and all sorts of entertainment; gifts and knicknacks; kitchenware and other house décor; and a huge candy shop dept! This isn’t your typical toy or candy store either. It’s not only current, but retro swingbacks to Uncle Wiggly and the hard candies your Grandma used to suck on! Be careful as you wander about though because your total will add up pretty quickly once you get to the register and you’ll be a bit astonished like I was… Also, those lines can be a bit long so be aware and be patient for them.
Definitely take a walk down and around King Street after leaving the Mast General Store and be sure to pick up the local High Country Press Magazine or Newspaper too. Directly across the street is Our Daily Bread and I highly recommend grabbing some lunch there too. Magnificent mountain offerings for sure!