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Women bikers want to have it both ways. They want to look like bikers — but Tiffany Rings than that, they want to look like women. Even — or perhaps especially — if it means pink chaps and orange bandanas.

“Everything has evolved away from black,” said Christy Koethe, an avid motorcyclist from Cottage Grove. “The girls want a lot more colors. It’s all over the color spectrum: whites, blues, pinks, greens, purples. We can even buy pink leather if we like.”

That has helped make motorcycle shops a lot more vibrant visually, with splashy head-to-toe apparel and even the bikes themselves in brighter hues. Women make about 12 percent of U.S. motorcycle purchases, according to J.D. Power & Associates, but only in the past decade have they had attire geared for them. Before that, Koethe said, “we ended up wearing men’s clothes because that’s all we could find.”

Now gatherings such as this weekend’s International Motorcycle Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center even feature fashion shows.

“For years, women were dressed basically in a husband’s or boyfriend’s boxy gear, which didn’t fit their shape. By 2000, women had tired of wearing the men’s stuff,” said Brenda Trumbo, product specialist for the California-based Icon apparel line, which will be part of the fashion show here. “For women, we go for Tiffany Money Clips outfits, with the helmet to match the jacket to match the chaps to match the boots. We have hot pink chaps with a helmet and jacket to match.

“Red has made a comeback, but pink continues to dominate, and I don’t think it will go away.”

There’s another kind of “match game” in play, said Jim Kaempfer, owner of Afton Leather shop (formerly Leather and Lace). “Women like to match the outfit to the colors on the bike, so you see a lot of reds and oranges,” he said.

Indeed, Koethe’s headgear is “metallic ruby like my bike. But I see a lot of girls wear bandanas with rhinestones, especially with long hair. You do the do-rags because your hair would be a complete mess.

“And we all love our boots. You see a lot of tall heels, the taller the better. The toe jewelry, the buckles, we see a lot of that, the more buckles the better. You see chaps with fringe and beads on ‘em.”

Are they worried about looking a little too, well, girly?

“No, not with all the ribbons and fringe and other froufrou stuff available,” Koethe said, adding that most of the women in her riding circle go the froufrou route. “I would say probably at least 50 percent, because you have a lot of women who are heavier-set and they tend not to wear the deep V’s and the backless tops.”

Kaempfer — whose store sits along Minnesota’s busiest motorcycling road, Hwy. 95 — added Tiffany Cuff Links many riders are gravitating toward an alternative to the tried-and-true leather jacket. A nylon-based material called Cordura, he said, is “tougher than nails and a lot lighter than leather.”

Many women still often opt for leather, of course. Koethe, who said she “climbed on my daddy’s Harley as a small child,” admitted that “it’s interesting what leather will do to a female, and to people’s perceptions.”

Still, unlike their male counterparts, these women want to look not only good but distinctive.

“We believe all bikers want to look good,” said Kaempfer. “They want to be classy-looking, but they don’t want to look alike.”

Bill Ward –612-673-7643

CYCLE WORLD INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SHOW

Where: Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Av. S.

When: 4-9 p.m. Fri.; 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat.; 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun.

How much: $15 for adults, $6 for ages 6-11. All children under 12 free on Sunday if Tiffany Key Rings by a paying adult. Discount tickets for Ladies Night on Friday are available at www.motorcycleshows .com.

Fashion shows: 4:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Fri.; 11:30 a.m., 2:30, 4:30 and 7 p.m. Sat.; 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sun.

Info: Call 800-331-5706 or go to www.motorcycleshows .com.

Creations 2010, a four-day fashion spectacle featuring aspiring, established, and Tiffany Nature Dragonfly pendant designers, will take to the ramp on February 18th and go on till February 21st at The Dubai Mall. A key highlight and a successful initiative of Dubai Shopping Festival since 2004, Creations 2010 presents 12 designers, 16 international models, and 3 shows a day.

International designers/labels this year include Marco Marcu, Rohit Verma, Nili Zahar, and Fahad Hussayn. Established designers/labels include Sa Soie by Noha Karam, Amber Feroz, Rocky Gathercole, and Amato Couture. Aspiring designers/labels this year are Arabella by Irene Traikova, Asma Rafiq, Haute Pink Couture by Shafaq and Ayesha, and Preston University Ajman.

Suhaila Gobash, Projects Director of Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment said, “From a platform for designers to reach out to a wider audience, Creations has become an awaited fashion event that witnesses the participation of international and established designers, while keeping our commitment of giving Two Hearts pendant designers a venue to launch their designs. Over the years, Creations has attracted interest from designers regionally and globally, and has come to be synonymous with everyday fashion.”

Shows for aspiring designers will start at 6pm, with 7pm slotted for established designers, and the 9pm show for international designers. Celebrity models on the ramp this year include Miss India 2005 and Bollywood actress Sayali Bhagat, Miss India 2008 Tanvi Vyas, Miss International 2nd runner-up Ana Ostorjic, and Miss Earth England 2008 Holly Ikin, among other noted models.

‘Creations’ is aimed to be a step towards the far-sighted and shared vision of establishing Dubai as the hub of fashion in the Middle East by creating and supporting all fashion related events that will cumulatively complete the needs and interests of fashion enthusiasts from all over the world. More specifically, the Venetian Link necklace is aimed at launching the city’s and the region’s emerging and existing fashion talents in an event that, in the years to come, will be looked upon as a sure ground for fashion careers of all sorts. 2010 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

On Tuesday, February 16th, at 10:00am, bebe will kick-off the two-day STYLE360 Event with a tiffany rings show featuring the ‘bebe-Kardashians’ collection with Kim Kardashian scheduled to attend. The launch collection is slated for delivery to bebe stores nationwide shortly after the runway debut and Internationally by the end of February 2010.

In its seventh season, STYLE360 attracts over 6,000 fashion and beauty editors, celebrities, stylists, bloggers, fashionistas, VIPs and industry influencers.

“STYLE360 provides a modern, glittering platform for both upcoming and notable designers to showcase their collection concurrent with New York City’s acclaimed Fashion Week,” states Sophie Rietdyk, Vice President of Global Licensing for bebe stores, Inc. “We are honored to sign on to such a prestigious event and are excited to reveal bebe’s first licensed collaboration with Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian to such a formidable audience.”

The Spring 2010 launch collection includes a comprehensive array of modern, body conscious styles and distinctive details including unique zipper detailing, cutout shapes, sheer backs and foiled jersey for an overall tone that is sexy and feminine. The Spring 2010 collection is perfectly in sync with the season’s color trends running the gamut from soft nudes, subtle grays, crisp whites, creams and black.

A total of five deliveries are slated over the next twelve months. Priced competitively with a tiffany silver range $59-129 the collection is perfect for the on-point, trend-driven fashionable consumer.

STYLE360’s official kick-off party will be co-hosted by ELLE, on Monday, February 15th at bebe’s newly opened SoHo store in New York City. About bebe: bebe stores, inc. designs, develops and produces a distinctive line of contemporary women’s apparel and accessories, which it markets under the bebe, BEBE SPORT, bbsp, PH8 and 2b bebe brand names. bebe currently operates 305 stores, of which 213 are bebe stores, 33 are 2b bebe, 58 are PH8 stores, stores and 1 is a bebe accessories store. These stores are located in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada. In addition, there is an online store at www.bebe.com.

Keywords: Consumer, Fashion, Manufacturing, Retail, Specialty, Textiles, Women, bebe stores, bebe stores, inc., inc., bebe stores inc.

This article was prepared by Journal of Technology editors from staff and other tiffany silver accessories. Copyright 2010, Journal of Technology via VerticalNews.com.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) For Immediate Release: Tuesday, February 9, 2010

MEDIA ADVISORY: “BEHIND THE SEAMS” AT THE HEART TRUTH’S RED cheap necklaces COLLECTION 2010 FASHION SHOW

WHAT: The Heart Truth will go “behind the seams” on the opening night of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to remind women that the truth isn’t always pretty — more women die of heart disease than any other disease. More than 20 of today’s hottest celebrities will walk the runway in red dresses created by America’s top designers for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection 2010 is presented by Diet Coke. National sponsors of the collection include Swarovski, and Tylenol and St. Joseph Aspirin; make-up partner is Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. The Heart Truth is a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Red Dress, introduced by the NHLBI in 2002, is the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness.

WHEN/WHERE: The Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection 2010 Fashion Show Thursday, cheap pendants 11, 2010, 7:00 p.m. EST Media check in: Celeste Bartos Forum, 40th St. entrance between. 5th and 6th Avenues

ADDITIONAL INFO: For the second consecutive year, through a partnership with Clothes Off Our Back, a selection of designer dresses worn by celebrities in the fashion show will be auctioned at www.clothesoffourback.org. Proceeds will benefit the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and will be used to further efforts related to women’s heart health awareness and research.

Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation’s Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it cheap rings the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov

There will be a sale this weekend at Pennies for Change. Thieves made it happen.

The Chapel Hill Road thrift store sells donated items to benefit the Durham Crisis Response Center, which Heart tag charm Toggle bracelet victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. But last weekend, someone tore siding from the back of the store, smashed a hole in the wall to enter the business and took the store’s donation jar and safe. The combined monetary loss and damage is in the thousands.

So today and Saturday, most of the store’s clothing items are half price. Store manager Terry Pannick is also looking for big donations, including computers, new clothes, art, jewelry and cars.

The nonprofit is still recovering from earlier break-ins. In June, two windows were broken. In April, a doorknob and a lock were damaged.

“We never really get that much stuff taken, mostly damage,” Pannick said. “So this is major compared to anything else that has happened. … I don’t think these thieves care about what we do.”

The store, at 1826 Chapel Hill Road, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through charm bracelet. For more information or to volunteer, call 489-2681 or go to durhamcrisisresponse.org/pennies.html.

Credit: The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.

Buoyed by strong international sales, Harry Winston Diamond Corp. more than tiffany earrings its second-quarter profits Tuesday and solidly beat analysts’ estimates.

The Toronto-based retailer and supplier of diamonds reported a 149 percent leap in profits, posting net earnings of $49.9 million, or 81 cents a diluted share, for the quarter ended July 31, versus net income of $20.1 million, or 33 cents a diluted share, for the year-ago period. Analysts anticipated 43 cents a share.

Sales grew 7.4 percent to $186.1 million from $173.3 million last year with retail sales up 18.9 percent to $81.1 million. The company’s cost of sales was $73.5 million for a gross margin of 60.5 percent, compared with $81.8 million, and a gross margin of 52.8 percent, for the comparable quarter in 2007.

The firm said retail sales in luxury jewelry were “robust,” and, with a global footprint, are “well tiffany bracelets to withstand regional economic disruptions” in the U.S. and Japan. Harry Winston said the sales performance in the first half has left it positioned to achieve its annual sales growth objective in excess of 15 percent.

“Our businesses in Asia, Europe and the Middle East have been sufficient to offset the general market softness in the U.S. and Japan,” said president Thomas O’Neill. “This contributed to our strong retail finish for the second quarter. Together with solid results from the first quarter, the first half of the year has put us on firm footing into the second half of the year.”

For the first half, profit ballooned 205.4 percent to $71.2 million, or $1.17 per share, tiffany rings with $23.3 million, or 39 cents a diluted share. Revenue was up 8.8 percent to $342.2 million, from $314.6 million.

For the fiscal September period, reported comparable store sales decreased 3.0%. This sales tiffany bracelet was the result of a decline in the number of comparable-store transactions, partially offset by an increase in average transaction size. Comparable-store sales in September 2007 increased 1.2%.

The current-month sales release quotes Gregg Steinhafel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Target Corporation, as saying, “Sales for the month of September were below our expectations, reflecting continued daily volatility. Challenges in the current environment, including weak topline growth in our Retail segment and higher net write-off rates in our Credit Card segment, has increased the likelihood that our third-quarter EPS may be slightly below the current First Call median estimate of $0.52. On balance, we currently expect 2008 full-year earnings per-share to meet or exceed last year’s full-year EPS of $3.33. This outlook for 2008 EPS assumes essentially flat year-over-year same-store sales in the fourth quarter, and a continuation of recent write-off rate trends through the remainder of this year.”

All earnings per share figures refer to diluted earnings per share.

At the merchandises category level, comparable-store sales were driven by continued strength in nondiscretionary healthcare and food categories, with comparable-store sales increases in the mid-single digit range. Both the apparel and home assortments experienced overall declines in the high single-digit range.

Specific categories with the strongest comparable-store sales increases in the month included healthcare, consumables, perishables, and household/personal/baby. The categories with the weakest comparable-store sales performance for the month included decorative home and garden, women’s apparel, and jewelry/discount tiffany.

Target’s strongest comparable store sales performance in September was in the Northeast region, while comparable-store sales performance in the West and South was weakest. We continue to see sales weakness in Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and Southern California.

At month-end, our inventory was in very good condition, reflecting continued strong control of merchandise receipts.

Looking forward to October, our comparable-store sales results will compare the four weeks ended November 1, 2008 to the four weeks ended November 3, 2007. We expect our comparable-store sales for this period to lie in the range of minus 3 to 0%. For perspective, comparable-store sales for the four-week period in October 2007 increased 4.1%.

Target’s current sales disclosure practice includes a sales recording on the day of our monthly sales release. Our next sales recording is expected to be issued on Thursday, November 6 and may be accessed by calling 612-761-6500.

Statements regarding sales and EPS expectations are forward-looking statements and should be read in conjunction with the cautionary statements in Exhibit 99-A of the Company’s first-quarter 2008 Form 10-Q.

[Thomson Financial reserves the right to make changes to documents, content, or other information on this web site without obligation to notify any person of such changes.

In the conference calls upon which Event Transcripts are based, companies may make tiffany pendant or other forward-looking statements regarding a variety of items. Such forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those stated in any forward-looking statement based on a number of important factors and risks, which are more specifically identified in the companies’ most recent SEC filings. Although the companies may indicate and believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove inaccurate or incorrect and, therefore, there can be no assurance that the results contemplated in the forward-looking statements will be realized.

A dollar doesn’t buy much these days, but at a fantasy sports website run by PageFad LLC, a tiffany jewelry on sale Hartford tech firm, a buck or two can buy an energy boost for your team or a sneak peek at the competition.

The company’s website features six sports games, but much of the firm’s profit is made from the sale of “virtual goods,” items that cost real money but exist only in cyberspace.

The 10-month-old PageFad offers a twist on the sports fantasy concept: Users can turn friends on social networking sites such as Facebook into athletes and assemble them into a sports team at onlineathletes.com, the company’s gaming site.

Competing in any of the online tournaments is free, but Adam Alfin, the company’s 27-year-old chief executive, hopes you’ll skip the latte and instead buy your online team a pair of virtual binoculars for $1.25 to check out the opposition. Or pay $2.50 to give your team more energy.

“When you buy an item, you’ll see one of the on-screen icons light up,” said Alfin, PageFad’s co-discount tiffany.

Who’s buying these online goods? Young, computer-literate and mostly male customers from around the world, Alfin said. He said his site’s 3 million registered users have put the company on track to gross $1.2 million in revenue in its first year.

Seventy percent of that amount is derived from the sale of virtual goods and virtual currency, which can be used to expand your team’s virtual stadium or even to bribe a referee, Alfin said.

Last year, Americans spent an estimated $200 million on virtual goods, including designer jeans for online avatars and virtual kibble for their virtual chihuahuas. Worldwide, sales total more than $2 billion, analysts estimate.

“Compared to other kinds of entertainment, most virtual goods are really, really cheap. … Most items cost from $1 to $20,” said Charles Hudson, a social games developer in Mountain View, Calif., who tracks the virtual economy. The sale of virtual goods is steadily increasing and expected to double in the next few tiffany sale, Hudson said.

“We’re still in the first generation. People are continuing to devise more ways to create revenue streams,” Hudson said.

Facebook currently sells more than 400 virtual items and gifts, from jewelry to cupcakes, priced at about $1 each. Supplies are limited, and the selection changes regularly.

PageFad’s virtual goods can also be bought with credits, which can accumulate when registered users complete an online survey, for example, or sign up for a service from one of the company’s advertisers, which include Blockbuster, Netflix, Sony Bravia HDTV and the iPhone 3G, Alfin said.

Last May, Alfin, co-founder Joshua Viner, 21, and founding team member Robin Weston, 24, raised $500,000 from angel investors. The sum allowed PageFad to move out of Alfin’s West Hartford home into a 2,000-square-foot office in downtown Hartford and hire seven full-time employees to expand the company’s offerings.

“We’re developing a sports game application for iPhone and Blackberry users, and we’re adding more Tiffany Bracelets goods for our users to buy,” Alfin said.

Hudson said the recession is unlikely to dampen the growing appetite for virtual goods.

“In the virtual world as in the real world, people want to accumulate things, keep up with the Joneses and improve their social standing,” he said.

You know how everyone keeps saying now’s a great time to buy a house? tiffany on sale from all the sales going on it’s apparently also a great time to buy jewelry, which may be even better because it’s cheaper, doesn’t involve a 30-year commitment and looks shiny and pretty when you put it on.

OK, so maybe there’s not the return on investment potential there, but the instant gratification of buying something beautiful and cheap might make up for that.

If you’re worried about not having enough extra cash for a jewelry-buying spree, your dollars may get you a lot more than you bargained for at Kingoff’s Jewelers Front Street store, which is selling its entire inventory down to the walls in preparation for its move to Hanover Center in October after 90 years in downtown Wilmington.

The store’s owners are calling it the “sale of the century” because items are marked down to what they call “ridiculously low prices” and “pennies on the dollar,” including giftware. The savings started last week and will continue as moving day draws closer, so the sooner you shop the better selection you’ll find. discount tiffany is closed on Sunday.

On the Web: www.kingoffs.com

Another shiny sale

Speaking of jewelry, just a couple of blocks from Kingoff’s another big sale is going on, but this one’s not due to the closing of a store but the closing of a season.

JP Jewelry & Accessories, 248-1 N. Front St., is having an “End of Summer Sale” with up to 50 percent off items through September. Stop by to browse the selection and register to win a Tiffany necklace to be given away in an Aug. 31 drawing.

On the Web: www.jpjewelryonline.com

Brides get something back

Getting hitched soon? Both Wilmington Belk locations, Independence Mall and Mayfaire Town Center, are having an In-store Wedding Expo 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

Start or add to your wedding registry with the help of certified bridal consultants while getting information from other local wedding businesses that can help with planning the big day of your dreams. It’s free and open to the public. If you register as a result of the expo, you’ll receive a $25 gift card to be used with a minimum purchase of $75 through Oct. 4.

On the Web: www.belk.com

Supplies savings

The sales tax holiday is over, but you can still get some great back-to-school deals to get the kids ready for the first day and beyond. Walmart has a special bargain collection that includes the following items for $9 each: an elementary school supplies basics bundle, lunch kits, notebooks, a flash drive, a tiffany jewelry on sale calculator, socks and underwear packs, backpacks, sneakers, eyeglass frames, tops and tees. And Walmart will match the price of any local competitor’s printed ad for an identical product.

On the Web: www.walmart.com

Great buy for going green

Think buying green materials for your home is out of your price range? Before you write off the environmentally friendly route, check out Sapona Green Building Center’s Marmoleum click-on flooring sale through Aug. 31. The sustainable and natural floating floor in select colors with easy, glueless installation is discounted to $3.95 per square foot from $5.99. The material is the first floor covering to be certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America as asthma- and allergy-friendly and comes with a 25-year warranty.

On the Web: www.saponagreen.com

A winning deal

You could be next! Jessica Worriax, Hanover Center’s first Shopping Made Easy Raffle winner, recently arrived at stores with her guests in a chauffeur-driven limousine, where she spent $150 in shopping money she won as part of the contest. The limo, from Above the Rest, came with champagne and goody bags. Hanover Center will choose a winner monthly from those who fill out the online form found at the “Shopping Made Easy” link, so start clicking!

On the Web: www.hanovercenter.com

Taste and see

Spectrum Art & Jewelry, 1125-H Military Cutoff Road, is having an open house and wine tasting 6-8 p.m. Friday. Featured artist Sarah James, a glass beadmaker, has a collection of popular jewelry that will be on display.

On the Web: www.spectrumartandjewelry.com

New arrivals for “Project Runway” fans

Are you a “Project Runway” fan? The designs of former contestant Carol Hannah are discount tiffany at Ziabird Studio Inspired Jewelry & Accessories in Lumina Station, and the shop is celebrating from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday.

On the Web: www.ziabird.com; www.carol-hannah.com

Read Judy Royal’s column weekly for great deals and fun finds at local shops. Send tips to Judy.Royal@StarNewsOnline.com.

Like many of his competitors, Hummer dealer Jim Lynch is fighting for Return to Tiffany heart tag Charm and bracelet.

Unlike the rest of them, Lynch reached for a gun. Lots of them, actually.

Faced with declining sales and an uncertain future, his Chesterfield dealership has expanded in a direction that’s drawing national attention. It’s what happens when you replace some of those pricey Hummers with dozens of Glocks, Sig Sauers, Colts, Berettas and Brownings.

For Lynch, those guns are the solution to a problem that’s been hounding him for months.

“We’ve got a beautiful building with a big mortgage,” Lynch said. “The Hummers weren’t going to cover it.”

In the good old days — way back in 2005 — Lynch’s dealership could sell 70 Hummers during a strong month. But high gas prices, a sour economy and the auto industry’s ongoing struggles have wreaked havoc. These days, he’s happy to watch 10 of the gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles leave the lot. But the money he pockets selling guns makes up for the profit on about 15 Hummers.

But why guns? Why not flowers? Or lawn mowers? Or jewelry?

That’s easy. The people who like Hummers also tend to like guns. They’re like Matt Massa of St. tiffany ring, who dropped by the dealership Tuesday to have a look around.

“I work outdoors. I shoot outdoors. I hunt outdoors,” said Massa, who, by the way, also drives a Hummer.

Lynch’s dealership, which made the change in mid-July, isn’t the first to link guns to automobiles. A dealer in Kansas City, for example, grabbed headlines recently with his offer to include an AK-47 rifle with every pickup sold this month.

But Lynch may very well be the first dealer in the U.S. to turn part of his business over to the gun trade.

A spokesman for the National Auto Dealers Association said he hadn’t heard of anything similar. More common are dealerships that offer things likes restaurants, spa facilities and driving ranges.

For Lynch, this may be just the beginning of the transformation.

Four of his sales offices have been cleaned out and turned into shotgun and rifle displays. Floor space once set aside for a massive Hummer now provides counter space to show off the shop’s handguns. He hired a Glock sales representative to help run the operation.

Later, they may expand the outdoor offerings to include things like kayaks, canoes and archery supplies. And he’s pushing to build a shooting range on the 60-acre off-road course behind the dealership.

It’s almost as if Lynch is planning for a day when he’s no longer a Hummer dealer. It’s hardly far-fetched, considering what’s happened to dealers here and across the nation who have lost their franchise agreements. Hummer’s own fate is unclear, with General Motors attempting to sell the brand to China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. in a deal that could close next month.

Diversification just makes sense, said Michael Lowenbaum, a St. Louis attorney who Return to Tiffany Heart tag ring dozens of auto dealers in the region.

Dealers who have lost their franchises this year are scrambling to stay in business. Many are turning to the used car business or focusing on service and repairs. Some are looking into new products, including scooters and battery-powered cars.

For now, though, few have ventured outside of their automobile comfort zone. “But give it a couple months,” Lowenbaum said. “It’s all still so new.”

Not everyone, however, is thrilled with Lynch’s sudden change of direction.

Hummer spokesman Nick Richards said the dealership never asked to make the change — a violation of its sales and service agreement, which requires the automaker’s approval of any new line of business on the property. Richards would not say where the automaker stands on the gun sales. But he said they would try to find a solution that works both for Lynch and Hummer.

“You let one go off and do whatever — regardless of how it fits with the brand — and you potentially open the floodgates,” Richards said. “Who knows what the next dealer will want to do?”

If Hummer and GM do balk at Lynch’s diversification, that won’t be a huge surprise to tiffany earring Testa, a marketing professor at Cabrini College in Philadelphia.

It would be in line, he said, with the unimaginative way the U.S. auto industry operates.

“That’s how these car companies got themselves into this mess,” Testa said. “You’d think they would be very open-minded. But that’s not always the case.”

It’s an issue that’s certain to be watched by locals like Eric Schnellmann of Wildwood.

He’s not the typical Lynch customer. He doesn’t own a Hummer. And he doesn’t buy guns.

Yet there he was late Tuesday morning, strolling through the dealership marveling at the assortment of handguns, rifles and shotguns. He was just happy, he said, to see the dealership try something different.

He said it might actually give people a reason to drive to the western edge of St. Louis County, especially if the dealership succeeds in its efforts to open the shooting range.

“The area needs another thing to do,” Schnellmann said. “What else are we going to do? Heart tag charm Toggle bracelet up another Putt-Putt golf course?”