Western business rides into the sunset

Doc Holliday's, the Western-themed store that anchored the corner of Oak Street and Cascade Avenue, is going out like the gunfighter it was named for - quietly.

After a little more than 13 years, Steve and Barb Wilson have decided to move on to the next season of their lives.

Steve Wilson has sold the building after 14 summers of success. Wilson prefers to count in summers, saying "the Indians counted in moons; people of Sisters count in summers," for life in Sisters revolves around the summer tourist season.

Much to the surprise of Wilson, considering the business had such a strong and loyal following, its purchase did not generate much interest. So the decision was made to sell the building as a separate entity from the business.

Wilson has a career opportunity that has been in a holding pattern, and this also affected the decision to sell the building separately from the business.

This new journey started about 10 years ago when Wilson made a comment in passing. During a historical reenactment, Wilson quipped that he should be working for his real estate appraiser friend since he was always so busy. Wilson's comment turned out to be a seed that germinated, and in the last few years it became a serious consideration for both of them.

Wilson is going to work as an apprentice real estate appraiser for his friend until he obtains his own license.

When asked about the career change, Wilson commented that he seems to reinvent himself every seven to 10 years. His first career was as a stock broker for seven years. Then, he ran a large Christmas tree plantation for nearly 10 years. His last career was as the store keeper at Doc Holliday's (originally named Mountain Man Trading Post) for 13 years, with a stint in the middle as mayor of Sisters for six years or so.

The other factor that influenced Wilson's decision was a desire for change.

He said, "It is kind of like eating your favorite dessert every day; one day you wake up and find that it is no longer your favorite dessert. It is time to try something new."

He went on to admit that there are also personal factors; his eldest child is off to college and his youngest is now a junior in high school.

During this time of his life he wants to be a little less tied down by career obligations and a new hobby is calling him.

"Owning a store is a little like being a dairy farmer," Wilson said. "You are needed seven days a week. You have to make sure that you are there or that you are covered by reliable personnel."

Wilson said that during the past year, he has reacquainted himself with fast and fun cars. His fast cars of choice are Mustangs, new and old. He has become addicted to "open tracking," a sport that is only a few years old. Wilson goes to Portland International Raceway (PIR) and other road race course tracks for high speed driving.

He said: "It's not racing. There are no prizes. You are out on the course with 15 to 20 other guys going as fast you can go and stay on the track. It is just a hoot. It is like I have been transported back to high school."

The person who purchased the Doc Holliday's building is an investor who purchases commercial rental space. Wilson believes that the new owner already has a tenant who will open a new business in the Doc Holliday's location that will be in the spirit of Sisters. The tenant has other stores in both Jackson Hole and Cody, Wyoming.

From the day after Labor Day until September 30, Doc Holliday's will be having a liquidation sale, and everything will be sold. True to the spirit of the name of the business, the sale will be a gamble. The first week everything will be 20 percent off; the second week things will be 30 percent off and so on. Buyers will have to decide if they want to wait for additional discounts and take the chance the item might not be there.