Mast General Store & Annex

BARRELS OF CANDY, I TELL YOU! This is a fabulous store for the whole family. The candy is memorable for years to come. Mary Janes, Bit-​o-​Honeys, tootsie rolls, sugar daddies… Everything from your childhood, and now your children’s.
The footwear store has been good to me for years. Pretty good selections, and they have nice, practical options for Boone winters.
The prices seem kind of high, but I feel that way any time I go into an outdoors store. It takes money to stay warm in the wintertime. This is a great place to spend it.

This place is great, they have a ton of Candy and a ton of other stuff. I loved that they had popcorn, you need something salty to break up the sweet. Loved the milk chocolate covered espresso beans so good!

It is a must place to visit when up in the NC Mountains near the Boone area! Yes it is a tourist hot spot, but it is fun to look at all the stuff, grab piles of candy from bins and eat ice cream!

We make sure to stop by the original Mast General Store every time we are in the area. There is always something for everyone… from the candy store in the annex to the pottery… to the shoe section full of our favorite brands of shoes! Make time to stop by even if it’s a little out of your way… totally worth it!

I always feel like a little kid when I come visit the annex. They have such a huge variety of candy and it’s fun to make your own personal basket. They also sell close and shoes but I come for the candy.

This store was so fun. I found myself in the candy section more so than the clothing. Old school candy in barrels that you can dish out and pay per pound. Take yourself back for $ 6.99 a pound. I got to relive my youth with every bite. Staff was friendly, store was clean. Lots of choices. Candy, Old school toys, clothing, sporting gear… one stop shopping.

I love stopping here when we are in the area. The general store is great, and it is rare to find one these days. I love browsing around, and always find an item or two to purchase. I like their printed t shirts quite a bit and usually pick up one or two on each trip.

I love that Mast General Store (not to mention the candy side) have weathered the times, the economy & corporate retail.
As others have mentioned, yes, there’s candy! & off beat brands you may not find in mainstream retail.
Boone natives, tourists & ASU students /​families frequent this store, so it doesn’t have that «tourist trap» feel to it.

Decent outfitters with a candy barrel attached. We used to drag our parents here all the time to stock pile on candy during our summer vacations in Boone.
Now I’d go here for the annex which has some nice clothing and outdoor choices.

The last time we were in Valle Crucis, we did not get the chance to check out the Mast Annex. We arrived late in the day on a Saturday and it was fortunate that we were able to get into the main store, while the annex was already closed. This time we managed to get there before they shut down for the day.
Why the two places run on different hours, I do not know. But it is what it is, and since the annex is actually more our speed, it means if we are in the area, we have to run on their time, not ours.
While the original store has just about anything you might want, the annex has some clothes and a whole wing (a big room, really) dedicated to candy. Candy of just about every shape and size. Sure, you can find some standard stuff, but they also have candy that you can only find in a Cracker Barrel lobby, as well as other items that you can only find here. Or maybe in 1940.
If you are anywhere in the area, definitely check it out. Just make sure you check the hours to make sure you get in.

A must see. Great store full of things of all types.

You had me at the candy.
Barrels and barrels of the stuff. Just wander about with your basket, pretend Halloween is coming up or whatever excuse works for you, and fill up a nice bag of candy for yourself.
Then there is actually more to the store! A really nice selection of clothes, mens and women’s, and not at outrageous prices. Certainly not a bargain, but reasonable. Besides, your on vacation.
And the women were so helpful. The old fashioned «let me get you another size» while you wait in the dressing room and «Don’t worry, I’ll put that back» kinda helpful.
They also have knick knacks upstairs. Along with pocket knives and basically anything you might want to pick up for someone as a gift.
A must stop location.

Want to take a step back in time? Check out this store for all kinds of toys, candy and a turn-​of-​the ¹⁹⁄₂₀^th century (still functioning!) post office. The main reason I come here is for the shoe collection! I love Keens and Tevas and they have a great selection. A separate building in the back has even more shoes. Enjoy a cold, old-​timey root beer or Coke –in bottles– in a rocking chair. Tourists can also find postcards and trinkets here.

The Mast General Store Annex is just that… an off shoot of the main store. They have a limited supply of clothing, metal signs, souvenirs, etc… but the main reason you come here is for the CANDY! Barrels filled with candy abound. They have all the new stuff: War Heads, Pez, Jolly Rancher, that you can find at any 7−11…the treasure here is the huge selection of candy, especially the nostalgic candy that you remember eating when you were a kid! They advertise over 500 different types of candy.
Barrel candy is sold by the pound ($ 5.99 I think) and there is loads sold separately. You pick up a basket on your way in and then try hard to limit yourself to no more than a pound! I picked up a variety of licorice to send to my Dad for his birthday… found at least eight different kinds. (which he was happy with… like a kid in a candy store you could say)
You will find nostalgic toys among the candy: wheel-​o, slinky, tops, sock monkeys. After filling up on candy & toys, we also picked up some moon pies & RC Cola & sat outside in the rocking chairs, enjoying a taste of the south on a sultry summer day.