From the bustling streets of New York City to the charming brick-lined avenues of Mount Vernon, Anne Silva never expected to live in Iowa—let alone build a business. But nearly 25 years after opening The Silver Spider, her eclectic shop filled with oddities, pop culture treasures, and vintage finds, Silva has become a cornerstone of the town’s business community.

As the Silver Spider nears its 25th anniversary, Silva reflects on the journey that brought her to the Midwest, the challenges of small business ownership, and what’s next for her ever-evolving shop. Silva has not only survived in an era where fashion seems to be ever-changing, but she has thrived through times like this, and even worse. Silva credits the community for the ability to stay open for so long.

“Well, one thing I have to say, the events that the town organizes and puts on have been a real lifesaver because it brings a lot of people to town,” Silva said.

Jessie Thurn, executive manager of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group, said Silva’s dedication and variety have kept the shop open for so long.

“Silver Spider attracts shoppers of all ages, with a niche market of items for young shoppers. If you have a kid in the area, chances are a Silver Spider gift card is on their birthday list,” Thurn said.

One event that Silva praised was the Chalk the Walk event, which started almost 20 years ago. The events bring in large numbers of people to the town, which Silva calls a “real lifesaver.” Silva also praises American Express for its Small Business Saturday event. The event is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the day after Black Friday.

Silva started her career working for ESPN and Fox Broadcasting. She knew that a life in a cubicle would not work for her, so she started to set up shops at craft shows in different cities to start selling hand-painted picture frames. From New Jersey to New York and in Minneapolis, Silva would set up shops in various cities to sell her custom frames. This may seem like an unstable life, but it was exactly what Silva was looking for.

“I never really wanted to be pinned down and have just one location and have to be there. I like being able to move around and do different things at different times, in different places,” Silva said.

When Silva moved to Mount Vernon, she never expected to open a shop, let alone have it succeed.

“I would look up and down Main Street Mount Vernon, and there would be very, very, very few people at any given moment, and having lived in New York City, where it’s teeming with people on the sidewalks and such like it, I was just like, ‘I don’t know if this is going to work out,’” Silva said.

Silva credits her former partner, Elizabeth Gibson, for much of the success of the Silver Spider. When Silva first started the shop, she knew that she was not great with bookkeeping, but her partner was able to help in those areas.

“We’re still friends, and she’s amazing and she did a lot. I give her so much credit for helping get things going,” Silva said.

After a few years, though, they decided to split up because they had different visions for the store. Silva envisioned a shop with “a little bit of everything,” while her partner preferred a minimalist, highend boutique.

Silva had expanded beyond Mount Vernon, running a second Silver Spider location in Iowa City for 17 years—until COVID-19 forced her to make an impossible decision.

“My dad said when COVID started, like ‘You have to choose, you can’t have two stores and pay rent when you have to be closed.’ It was actually more profitable at that location, probably, than the Mount Vernon one,” Silva said. She chose the Mount Vernon location because the rent was cheaper than at the Iowa City location.

Thurn mentioned how important it was for the community to see the Silver Spider survive the pandemic and how important it was for the Silver Spider to be supported by the community.

“I believe the ability of Anne to pivot during the pandemic and survive very uncertain times is an undeniable demonstration of how much Silver Spider means to our community and vice versa,” Thurn said.

One of the biggest changes in customer behavior Silva has seen since COVID-19 has been the rise of online shopping. She believes everyone went online because the restrictions around COVID-19 forced people to stay inside and learn to shop online.

“I mean, I boycotted Amazon for a few years, but then when my son started working for them, I started buying from them again, but it used to make me annoyed when I’d see the trucks go by,” Silva said.

For the past year and a half, Silva has started to buy and sell Pokémon cards. Silva is getting help from her 18-year-old nephew to sell cards and other items on a live streaming app called Whatnot. Silva believes this will be the future of showcasing and selling items.

As the retail landscape continues to evolve, Silva sees livestreaming as the next big opportunity for small businesses.

“I want to go back to livestreaming, and I think livestreaming is the future in terms of selling things because it’s so hot in Asia and China,” she said.