Cure Re Ous Ity, a store with a name as unique as the items it sells, will be closing its doors.

Valerie Iverson, owner of Cure Re Ous Ity, 417 Main St, said she is remaining optimistic although her store is closing.

“I don’t look at this as a failure,” Iverson said.

Cure Re Ous Ity opened in June 2008. Prior to opening her shop, Iverson, who has lived in Ames since 1981, worked with the special-education program in elementary schools.

“I felt I needed a career change,” Iverson said.

Throughout her life, Iverson has been an avid collector of unique items. She said she always found elements of items — such as their time period and history — fascinating.

“I think that things are just so unique,” Iverson said. “I like the aspect, the way things are made.”

Sometimes, Iverson said, customers would know things about items in the store and share their stories with her.

But several factors beyond Iverson’s control affected her store’s progress, including the severe flooding Ames encountered in the summer.

Just three days before her store opened, she had to relocate items from her house to other locations because of possible flood damage. The flooding and rain into the summer didn’t improve matters.

“June was pretty dead because of what was happening downtown,” Iverson said. “July and August were my best months.”

Iverson’s store included artwork, clothes, jewelry and other miscellaneous items. The store, Iverson said, had “some everyday stuff to nostalgic kind of stuff.”

Kathy Corones, Ames resident, is a dedicated customer.

“I think this is like Dickens’ old curiosity shop,” Corones said.

Corones said she bought many of her Christmas gifts for friends at the store. She most recently bought a Mexican moonstone hat pin, though she said she doesn’t know if she’ll keep it or give it as a gift.

Iverson said people also donated items to sell, such as clothes, wall hangings and a brand-new saw.

In October things began slowing down again, Iverson said.

“I expected October to be a slow month, but then when November came I expected things to pick up.”

In November, Iverson was injured after falling on ice, forcing her to close the store for a week while she recovered.

When December arrived, Iverson thought it “would be the biggest month,” but the weather and economy didn’t play in her favor.

Running the store by herself, Iverson said, got to be strenuous. But assistance from her daughter Brittany, family, friends and volunteers was helpful.

Around Feb. 1, Iverson decided the store would have to close, since “things through December weren’t well” economically.

This past week, Iverson was busy returning items to donators.

“There hasn’t been enough progress,” Iverson said. “I think the hardest part is saying goodbye to everyone.”

When Iverson is finished with her store, she said she will “probably do something at home care with the elderly,” which she has done in the past. She also will be looking for a full-time job with health insurance.

Iverson said she plans to open the doors of Cure Re Ous Ity again in the future. She hopes to open her store again in August, but Iverson said that may be too soon. If August doesn’t work, she’d like to open again by the summer of 2010, with the location possibly in or near Campustown.

Along with the store, Iverson would like to offer art classes like origami, sewing and jewelry making to children and adults.

Iverson said art is part of her life and is meditation for her.

Iverson would also like to emphasize community artwork more, which she wanted to do, but didn’t have enough time. Another goal is for her future store to be non-profit, but she said she needs to do more research on what that requires.

Through opening her store, Iverson said she’s met many artists from whom she’s learned different techniques in sewing and jewelry.

“This was a start for a dream and it was just a beginning and it hasn’t ended,” Iverson said.

Iverson said the store has allowed her to create friendships with people who come into the store. She said she recently met people who’ve lost their jobs in the community.

“They’re turning to art to keep themselves busy until they can get a full-time position.”

The last days of Cure Re Ous Ity:

Open: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday