FARMINGTON – Despite heavy rain and snowfall and loss of jobs in the region, most business representatives said they did well this holiday season. Some better than others.

“It was very busy,” said Suzanne DeBiase, a clerk at Mickey’s Hallmark Shop in Farmington. “I guess you could say a little hectic and frantic at times but exciting. People were happy when they came here. They wanted a special gift.”

It’s still busy because of sales, she said.

Laura Fitzgerald of Tasteful Creations in Jay said the store did “excellent.” She said sales were a little slower than last year but attributed it to weather.

The message on Mountain View Chocolate Shoppe’s answering machine notes that this year was a “complete sellout.”

The store is closed this week for inventory and to restock the candy, Pam West states on the message.

“Sales were very good,” said Nichole Eustis, manager of K & J Apparel & Footwear in downtown Farmington. “We were impressed. The snow really helped.”

Hot items included jackets, women’s Dockers, snowshoes and mountain climbing equipment.

Eustis said sales were about the same as last year.

“When we get a lot of snow, it really boosts everything,” Eustis said.

Bob Trask of Trask’s Inc. in Wilton said he had one of his best seasons because of the early snow. He said he was hoping for more to keep sales strong.

The hottest selling machine was the revolution chassis Ski-Doo, which is designed around weight control for a smoother ride, Trask said.

Marsha Planting, an owner of The Calico Patch on Broadway in Farmington, said they were busy despite three days where there was a major snowstorm, an ice storm and a flood.

“This year feels like it was better than last year,” Planting said.

A new Web site www.calicopatchsilver.com for sterling silver jewelry helped keep sales going during bad weather, Planting said.

Ernie Scholl of Everyday Music in Farmington said, “Generally, things went well.”

Entry level guitars and the new Moody Blues Christmas album were popular choices, he said.

It seemed as though there wasn’t as much activity as there was last year, Scholl said.

The closing of manufacturing plants in Franklin County has also hurt the economy, Scholl said.

Any time another plant closes, it hurts everyone, Scholl said.

“I think the year turned out about like I expected,” Scholl said. “A lot of last minute shopping and for the most part, we had everything people were looking for.”

“I thought we did remarkably well considering how many difficulties there were,” said Kenny Brechner of Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers in Farmington. “There were so many access problems.”

The night after heavy rains, Brechner said, he came into find a leak caused thousands of dollars in damage to some best sellers.

“It was just brutal,” he said. “Parking, flooding, considering all that, we closed very strong. We felt there was a lot of support from the community.”

Hot sellers included “The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book One: The Amulet of Samarkand” by Jonathan Stroud for children age 10 to 16, “Mistrial” by Woody Hanstein and “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown.

John Anderson of Trask Jewelers in Farmington said despite slow business during bad weather, sales evened out.

“They came fast and furious toward the end,” Anderson said. “People seemed to shop local, which is a great help to businesses.”

Assistant Manager Beth Neeley said diamond earrings and jewelry boxes were hot items.

“There are a lot of happy ladies this year,” she said. “Engagements were down a little. I’m hoping for a resurrection on Valentine’s Day.”

dperry@sunjournal.com

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