AUGUSTA — Sonny Chavarie didn’t open his new shop, Sonny’s Museum and Mineral Shop, at midnight for Black Friday — nor at 4 a.m., or even 6 a.m.

Nor is his downtown business located in a mall, surrounded by national big-box chains.

Despite a growing trend of major retailers opening earlier and earlier during the wee hours with giant “doorbuster” sales, Chavarie opened his shop on Water Street at 10 a.m. Friday, as usual.

“I can’t compete with the big stores; I want to be different, to be a small-town store,” Chavarie said of the shop he opened recently in downtown Augusta. “I want to come downtown and be a pioneer. … I’d like to think I can be part of the progress they’d like to bring here.”

Chavarie, at 86, has a mind-boggling variety of minerals, gems and other collectible items in his storefront in what was once the location of the Chernowsky’s department store. Just a couple shoppers stopped by his shop Friday morning.

Although he wasn’t offering any specials for Black Friday, he’d be happy to “make someone an offer they can’t refuse,” he joked.

There’s a national movement, begun last year, to recognize today as “Small Business Saturday.” Chavarie, though he hadn’t heard of the movement, said he hoped it would help bring shoppers downtown today, as will holiday tree lighting festivities planned downtown this afternoon.

Across the street at Cosmic Charlies, which sells tapestries, gifts, jewelry, smoking accessories and adult items, that local store also declined to hop onto the Black Friday bandwagon. The shop did open a half-hour earlier than its usual 10 a.m. opening and listed some items on sale.

“We’re hippies; we’re a hippy store,” D.J. Hardy, assistant manager of the store, said as to why the store didn’t open at 4 a.m. like many big-box retailers.

Stephen Arsenault, of Augusta, visited Cosmic Charlies, looking at incense and some jewelry.

“I don’t believe in big-box stores,” Arsenault said. “I like to give the smaller businesses the money.”

Crowded openings

Most shoppers, however, stormed the major retailers early Friday. Throngs of people crowded outside to get into those stores and score deals on televisions and other marked-down sale items.

Several stores, such as Walmart, arranged for Augusta police officers to work special details at their stores, providing crowd control and to act as a deterrent to criminal activity.

Augusta Lt. Christopher Massey said he had heard of no major incidents at retail spots on Black Friday, but added that the crowds were large.

Police officers working details at stores are paid by the city, but the city is, in turn, paid by the store that requested their presence, Massey said.

“They stand at the front doors and make sure there aren’t any problems, provide a visual presence, and they’re able to deal with any incidents that arise,” Massey said. “If there is an assault, they’ll deal with it — that’s why they’re there. If someone steals something, they’ll deal with it. It doesn’t matter if the officer is working the road or assigned to a specific area; they have the same authority to enforce laws.”

Russ Anderson, a 44-year-old from Canaan who teaches eighth-grade science at Gardiner Regional Middle School, went after the big holiday deals for the first time this year. He took over the job of buying discounted gifts while his wife, Stacy, stayed home with their two daughters, Lila, 2, and Cora, 6.

He arrived at Walmart in Waterville late Thursday night and found hundreds of shoppers already lined up outside. Just before the store was supposed to open at 10 p.m., the crowd learned it would have to wait a little longer, he said.

“At five (minutes) of 10 p.m., they told the crowd of hundreds that the Maine law doesn’t allow people to go inside until midnight,” he said.

Anderson said he and other shoppers told employees that advertising in recent weeks didn’t mention the change. Employees explained that national advertising campaigns gave the opening time as 10 p.m. Thursday, he said.

Maine law prohibits many businesses from being open on certain holidays, including Thanksgiving Day. Exceptions to the law include restaurants and hotels. In no event may any store having more than 5,000 square feet of interior customer selling space be open on Easter Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, the law states.

Anderson said he bought all the gifts on his list and more, getting caught up in the rush of the shopping frenzy. He estimated at least 700 people arrived by the time the doors opened.

“I got in there and just started grabbing things that I didn’t even need,” he said. “I couldn’t help it.”

Staff writer David Robinson contributed to this report.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

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