Golden Pleasures, one of the two local jewelry stores that were burglarized in September will be closing its doors in early February.
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP -- Don Farmer is done.
After 35 years of dealing in jewels at his shop Golden Pleasures just off Route 206, he's retiring from the retail jewelry business and closing his store in early February.
"I've realized I'm an old fart now," Farmer said.
Golden Pleasures - along with Dave's Jewelers in Hamilton - made headline in September when a two-man smash-and-grab burglary team struck both stores. But Farmer said the crime is not driving him out of the business.
"That was more of a waste of time than anything," Farmer said.
He said the duo thieves did more damage breaking glass than on his finances. He guessed his jewelry store lost around $12,000 in merchandise.
"It's just something we know we may deal with in this industry," Farmer said. "You have what everyone else wants for free."
The September burglary was the first Farmer has dealt with in his 35 years in the business.
He said he is now looking forward to a life of retirement in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with his wife.
"Retail is a jail," he said, adding that the industry is especially depressing around the holidays - a time period most retail employees spend working.
Farmer said he has run Golden Pleasures from the very beginning with help from his two daughters - Theresa Farmer and Denise Schaffer.
"They're not just my daughters, they're my business partners," he said. "But we're all growing and going our own way."
Theresa Farmer said she was around 7 years old when her father started the business - which was originally run out of the Farmers' home in Bordentown.
The business then moved to Lambertville for a shirt time before finally settling on its Mission Road location 28 years ago.
"I did a lot of cleaning," Theresa Farmer said. "Kind of what my 4-year-old is doing now."
Theresa Farmer said she's actually looking forward to leaving retail to raise her daughter.
"Of course I'm going to miss it," she said. "My whole life has been here. Our customers have been like extended family which is just amazing."
Don Farmer said his shop became one of the biggest of its kind in the area in terms of store space and through its success he's proud to have been able to give back to his community.
He said throughout the years he has given "approaching seven figures" to area charities such as the Sunshine Foundation and Campfire NJ.
"We dominated the field for many, many years," Farmer said. "You got to give back."
Farmer said while he is glad to finally get out of retail, he will miss the Bordentown community and his many loyal customers.
"It's a bitter-sweet pill," he said. "Do I want to retire? Yes. Do I want to leave? No."
Lindsay Rittenhouse may be reached at lrittenhouse@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.