SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — In 1929, Pierce Taney, an amateur magician and costume sewist, opened Taney’s Costume Shop in Scranton. With an eye for the extravagant, Taney’s outfits soon drew the attention of many performers in the Vaudeville Circuit performing just a few minutes away at the Ritz Theater, which was known then as “Poli’s Theater.”

As the shop neared its 100 year anniversary, a post was made to the Facebook page to the shock of the community.

The post read in part,

While we are still looking for a buyer for the store, we are heartbroken to announce that after almost 100 years in business, Taney’s will be closing its doors on October 31. There is so much history with our store and our prior owner, Jim loved the store and had many years serving our wonderful community. When Craig Friedman bought the store in 2018, he was thrilled with the opportunity and worked very hard to continue the Taney’s tradition and excellence and he loved every moment of it. Then COVID hit and shut us down for almost 2 years. Craig was building it back up again and then was abruptly diagnosed with cancer in July of 2024. After 9 months of fighting for his life, Craig passed away in April of this year, and it changed everything. We have tried to keep Taney’s open, but it is no longer feasible.

Three months later, in early 2026, another post was shared to the page, providing the update hundreds were hoping for.

That post read in part,

We are thrilled to announce that Taney’s is transitioning to new ownership! It is our intention to continue providing our services to you in the same way you have come to expect for nearly 100 years! For 99 years, Taney’s has been a mainstay in our community, and as we move into our 100th year of business under new ownership, you can expect Taney’s to honor its legacy while evolving to fit the modern needs of our customers. As things become official, stay tuned for a proper introduction from the new owners, who are very excited to foster old relationships, create new ones, and find new and meaningful ways to better serve you, our customers. Thank you to the community for all of your support, well wishes, and love! The show must go on!

The new ownership team is comprised of Ashley Nole, Spencer Shotto and Allison Engle.

For Nole, the decision to purchase the historic store was a no-brainer.

“It’s so known in the community, and there’s not many places like this. It was so important for us to preserve the history and legacy and tradition in Scranton,” she said.

Raised in Dunmore, Taney’s had always been a constant in her life.

“It was like a wonderland to me. With the masks on the walls, there’s just so many different places to look,” Nole said.

The shop is home to an impressive collection of over ten thousand costumes; many of which are familiar to Shotto.

“I attended Scranton Prep and most of our shows were costumed by Taney’s. I can’t tell you how many times I came in here to get fitted. I can look around and show you costumes that I wore on stage,” he said.

Working with local schools, universities and theater groups, Taney’s costumes continue to shine under stage lights.

“As a high school student, it makes you feel like you’re doing something more than just regular high school theater. It gives you that professional flair,” said Shotto.

Professional, intricate and unique costumes fill over half the store, with some dating back to the store’s early years.

“We’ve got costumes from all eras, spanning all the way back to ancient times, cavemen, ancient Egyptian costumes, all the way up to more modern stuff. We have some pretty high end Star Wars costumes here. Some are older and need to be retired or fixed or mended but we’ll also be doing some updating. Venturing into the world of cosplay,” said Shotto.

Available for rent, the costumes provide a unique advantage to those bought online or at a big box store, according to Shotto.

“Costumes seem to get more expensive every year. Kids grow out of them very fast. The benefit of having us is you can come here, spend less money on a costume that you’d like just as much or even more and return it the next day and not have to worry about keeping it in your closet, or finding space for it, or getting rid of it,” said Shotto.

The ownership team plans to modernize the store with additions like a website.

“It will give our customers easier access to be able to order online, look at the inventory and see what we have, design balloons,” said Nole.

The store is open Monday from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM and Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM.

The store is also open by appointment.