The Prairie Wind Merchants, a business that handles eBay sales of antiques and other merchandise, will open a new store by the same name at 220 S. David St., Sidney.

Set to open Dec. 1, the store will sell antiques, folk art, candles, crafts, gift items and colonial home decor, according to owners Kendra and Scott Adams.

They plan to relocate their eBay business from their home to the store, which is in a restored building with wooden floors and a tin ceiling next to the Sidney post office, Kendra Adams said.

The store hours will be 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, with longer hours planned for the holiday season.

For the grand opening weekend, hours will be 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 3.

The phone number is 688-2718.

Groom your own dog

For dog owners who balk at the cost of full-service grooming, a Champaign grooming business is now offering a lower-cost, do-it-yourself option.

Pampered Pets at 603 E. University Ave., C, now has three self-serve stations two for large dogs and one for small ones.

Ron Hitch, the retired owner of the business now run by his son, Jason, said he's been noticing a decline in grooming visits due to the economy. But he figured dog owners would still appreciate a place to give their critters a bath.

The cost is about $15 for a do-it-yourself wash, with a few towels, shampoo, and use of the blowers and basic tools included. Fancy and medicated soaps cost extra, Hitch said.

Pampered Pets is also providing continuously running videos on grooming, with a video for each breed, so "if you're adventurous enough, you can do a little trimming," Hitch said.

Full-service grooming is still available by appointment. Self-serve grooming is available on a walk-in basis.

By the way, another business run by Jason Hitch, Balloon Creations at 202 W. University Ave., U, has undergone some remodeling and now has more parking and services, Jason Hitch said.

It has doubled the number of balloons available to 1,000 different kinds, expanded custom-printed balloons and corporate/special events decorating and added more costumes for balloon deliveries, he said.

The shop also runs messages from customers to balloon recipients on a scrolling sign in the store window, Jason Hitch said.

Auction gallery opens

Martin Lipa, owner of Priority 1 Real Estate in Fairmount and several other businesses in the Danville area, has opened Priority 1 Auction Gallery at 3027 Georgetown Road, Belgium.

Auctions are held every other Tuesday evening starting at 5 p.m., with the next set for Dec. 5.

Consignments of antiques, guns, furniture, coins, cars, motorcycles, jewelry, old toys and other items are being accepted. Sellers should call 267-7811.

Auctions of personal estates and real estate are also handled offsite.

Lipa also owns a real estate business based in Fairmount, along with Country Carpentry, a roofing business, miniwarehouses in Westville and an oil change shop and car wash in Danville, according to Carol Costgrove, office manager.

For more information on the auction service, see the Web site at www.lipaenterprises.com.

Firm helps prevent dryer fires

If your dryer doesn't appear to be working properly, it may be a vent problem that Steve Oldfield can fix.

Oldfield has started Midwest DV Services Inc., a Champaign-based professional dryer vent cleaning company.

Oldfield said he cleans out lint from dryer vents from the back of the dryer to the outside of the home, using a snakelike brush and air system.

For a limited time, he's throwing in a cleaning of lint from the back of refrigerators free to dryer vent cleaning customers, he said.

Oldfield said he will serve about a 60-mile area around Champaign-Urbana.

For more information, see the Web site at www.preventdryerfires.com. Or call 888-55DRYER.

Are you opening a new business or changing something at your existing business? Debra Pressey can be reached by phone at 351-5229, or 800-252-3346; by e-mail at dpressey@news-gazette.com; or by regular mail at The News-Gazette, c/o It's Your Business column, P.O. Box 677, Champaign, IL 61824-0677.