A new generation for Just a Trace

Kelsey is about the same age as Tracey was when she started her toy store in Jasper.

Kelsey also has a pair of young daughters — Shae, 9, and Keely, 6, — that she wants to spend a lot of time with, just like Tracey did when she opened in October of 2002.

Tracey can see that Kelsey loves to play with her daughters, just as she does — even though Tracey’s daughters are adults now and the toys have changed a bit.

Kelsey loves bringing her girls to Just a Trace. Tracey’s girls used to play upstairs when she opened her business.

Kelsey and Tracey even go to the same church, sitting near each other in their preferred pews.

And when Kelsey asked if Tracey would be interested in selling her business, Tracey could see that Kelsey would carry on the love, passion and fun she had instilled in it from the beginning.

Kelsey posed that question to her in March, just a few months after Tracey’s dad had passed away. She had planned on continuing for a few more years but something seemed to be nudging Tracey on a different path. She wanted to spend more time with her adult daughters and be available for her mom’s needs.

“I was going to try to make it till I was 60,” Tracey said. “I’m not tired of this place. That’s why I’m still going to come in.”

Her parents, Barb and Tim Dilger, had always been a big part of the success of the store. Barb was there when Kelsey walked in and asked about selling the store. They discussed the idea as Tracey was ruminating on it.

“And mom’s like, ‘well, what are you going to do?'” Tracey explained. “I said, ‘you know, Mom, God always comes in at the right moments to tell me what to do next.'”

Kelsey was the right person.

“I always had the bug of maybe wanting to do my own thing, like, have a business of some sort,” Kelsey explained.

She appreciates that Just a Trace is built on the trust customers have with Tracey’s advice. She’s always there leaning on the checkout counter ready to guide you to the perfect toy, game or book.

“I love talking to Tracy,” she said adding that it’s part of the store experience. “And, I always thought it would be cool to have that type of relationship with customers.”

Kelsey brings extensive marketing experience to the role, having worked in marketing at several businesses in the area since graduating from college. She currently works in marketing at German American Bank, where she’s been for six years.

Kelsey admits she’ll have to rely on Tracey’s eye for toy selection as she learns how to help those loyal customers, but she is also bringing a strong background in marketing and working with local organizations that will help modernize and strengthen the store.

She’ll be working on an improved website with options for the younger, digitally native generation that may not know how much they will love Just a Trace.

“The younger generation doesn’t have the time the older generation has,” Tracey explained. “The older generation will come in and bring me their list, and we’ll go down it. The younger generation, I think they like to see it online and then come in and get it.”

Kelsey emphasized that the core experience customers love will remain unchanged. The store will retain its name, and Tracey will continue working for Kelsey, providing continuity for longtime customers.

“It’s only going to change for the better and they will still see me here,” Tracey said about what customers can expect. “They’re still going to come in and see the same things, the same faces with a couple new faces, but that’s not going to change anything.”

The store will continue operating under Tracy’s ownership through the Christmas season — Tracey’s 24th, with Kelsey taking over on January 1.

You can follow the store on Facebook here. Just a Trace is located at 215 W. Ninth Street, Jasper.