By LOU HATTER

By LOU HATTER

Rappahannock Newt Staff Writer

Rappahannock County gained another celebrity business last week when That Sperryville Emporium was featured on the cover of “Washington Business,” the Washington Post’s weekly business magazine. That was followed on Monday by a visit from Channel 9’s Mike Buchanan, who did a feature on the store.

Ushering a visitor into the crowded corner which serves as his office, answering an occasional telephone call as he talked, owner Maurice O’Bannon was philosophical about all the fuss. He leaned back in his wellworn chair and smiled, “It’s all too much.”

The Post called the Emporium “A Store With Character.” And if there’s any truth to that, there’s no doubt that Mr. O’Bannon is largely responsible for it.

He related part of the interview done by Mike Buchanan on Monday when he asked a first-time customer what she thought of the store.

“It’s alright, but it’s kind of tacky,” she told the interviewer.

Mr. O’Bannon continued, “Mike turned to me and asked, ‘What do you think about that?’ I told him I agreed. If I’d thought about it I would have added that after last weekend it’s bound to look tacky.”

And, Mr. O’Bannon quickly emphasized, “We’re not trying to imitate Tyson’s Comer in display — or prices either. As long as people buy it, that’s what counts.”

The interview is interrupted by a phone call. “Yes,” Mr. O’Bannon tells the caller, “if you can get any apples you’d better buy them.” He laughs and adds, “If you’ve only got 30 bushels you might as well close up and call the resuce squad,” he says, with a mischievous look at his visitor. After he hangs up he explains, “That was Huey from Parkway.” The Parkway Gift Shop, several miles west of Sperryville, is also owned by Mr. O’Bannon. “He’s trying to find some apples for this weekend. ”

He estimated that the store sells about 200 bushels a week during the peak fall season, most from the large bins outside. “Most people like to bag their own. We sell them the bags inside and they can fill ’em, mix them up, whatever.” Cider sells briskly too, about 150-180 gallons each week.

As for best sellers, Mr. O’Bannon said that’s hard to figure, although since the Post story, the large pig banks, at $19.95, have been hot items. He sold the last one Monday evening. “I guess I’ll have to go and get some more,” he mused. That pig has been one of the Emporium's longtime items, but never as popular as in the last week. “We’ve had them for a long time. It wasn’t a best seller, but he made it one.”

And the pig isn’t the only item which is a brisk mover. Business is booming, Mr. 0’Bannon said. Up about 15 percent each year, he said that sales have already equaled last October’s total, “and there’s still one weekend togd.”

If past weekends are any indication, the parking lot will fill up early and empty after dark as the visitors finally head down country.

But it’s not just customers from Washington, D.C. and the Virginia suburbs who find the Emporium fascinating. “We get them from everywhere,” Mr. O’Bannon said. The busload of senior citizens mentioned in the Post was from Amarillo, Texas. “They come every year, one bus a day for five days. Then there’s a Chinese group