While Treasures From the Valley has been on Vernon Street in Ironton for two years, the operation has been around in the region for far longer.

“I started in 1988 from my home,” owner Valerie Freeman said.

She said she began her T-shirt company by doing “20 shows a year,” ranging from craft shows to vendor shows to pop-up shops.

The store was located on Seventh Street for a year before moving into its current location.

Chosen as Best T-Shirt Shop by readers of The Ironton Tribune in this year’s Best Of voting, Freeman said they produce a number of items, screenprinted on site.

“We do T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and blankets,” she said. They have also been making masks the past two years for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The focus of the shop is school spirit wear, offering items for Ironton sports, as well as nine other school districts.

Freeman works in Ironton schools as a special education teacher and is active in the band program. Earlier this month, she could be found helping out the Ironton High’s annual Buckeye Classic band competition, which brought 15 bands from across the Tri-State to Tanks Memorial Stadium.

She said the shop is family-based, with Angela Malone, Patty Freeman, Sally Jones and Ashley Freeman also taking part.

In addition to school items, Freeman said they also do seasonal-themed shirts, as well as floral arrangements.

Freeman said the shop hosts a vendor on site, Doll Mall, which sells specialty doll clothes.

Treasures From the Valley also sells Duck’s products, from a company in North Carolina, which includes a line of green tomato pepper butter and salsa.

Treasures From the Valley also teams up with Cardinal Wishes Antiques, a nearby neighbor, to organize several vendor markets throughout the year, including Spring on Vernon, Pumpkins on Vernon and Christmas on Vernon.

Freeman said fall and the holiday season are both strong times for her business and she sees customers from all over the Tri-State.

“And it’s really nice seeing people from out of town come in,” she said of those from outside the region, who may be looking for an Ironton-specific item on their trip.

Freeman said she also tries to stay involved in the community, and regularly does fundraising for local sports, church groups, school organizations and others.

She said the shop hopes to offer new items in the upcoming season.

“We be doing fall T-shirts and more floral designs,” she said.

She said she also plans to do some kind of celebration at the shop, at a date to be announced, to celebrate their Best of the Tri-State win.

We want to thank everyone for giving us this opportunity,” she said. “We’re very honored to accept and it means a lot.”

Treasures From the Valley is open from 4-7 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, from noon-4 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays.