Hamilton-based party and costume store, Magic Moments, is looking to sell or find a partner to help carry on the business.The sale has not been prompted by the recession, according to the owners of the shop, located on Reid Street near the corner of Queen Street. Instead, they are looking for potential buyers or partners due to family health issues.In an interview with The Royal Gazette, owner Ann Marie Clarke said she doesn’t want to sell, but due to her family obligations she hasn’t been able to spend the needed time at the shop, which offers a variety of costume accessories, make up, wigs and party favours year round.“My heart isn’t into selling it at all,” she said. “Just realistically right now, I just don’t have the time to devote to it.”Currently the 700-square-foot store is open Thursday, Friday and Saturdays and closed the remainder of the week. If Ms Clarke does not find a partner or a buyer by the end of January, she will most likely be closing up the shop for good.Ideally, she says, she’s looking to partner with someone that has the same passion for the store as she does.“It’s my baby; I believe in Magic Moments,” said Ms Clarke, who owns the shop with her husband. “It’s not a job to me but a living, breathing thing. From dusting the shelves to unloading the stock, it’s not work to me. I would want someone to love it as much as I do.”While other retail stores have suffered due to the struggling economy, according to Ms Clarke, it has actually helped her business.“I cannot stress it enough: this has nothing to do with the recession,” she said. “The recession hasn’t hit us, it’s my lack of time and family matters.“People cutting back on going out has actually helped our shop. People still want to celebrate birthdays and holidays, and it’s easier and cheaper to entertain with a themed dinner party at home with friends instead of going out.”Magic Moments has been supplying party decor for approximately ten years, starting first as a catalogue shop out of Ms Clarke’s home and then moving to the upstairs level of the Washington Mall for seven years. She eventually moved the store to Reid Street near the corner of Queen Street about a year and a half ago.The location made a significant difference in foot traffic.“The very first Halloween we were there we did more business than all the other Halloweens put together,” she said. “We just had the foot traffic. From the very beginning we honed in on what we sold because we didn’t want to carry the same supplies as other stores. We found our niche. We bring in items that nobody else has year round, so we have year-round customers.”If you thought that a party and costume store wouldn’t do well in this economy, according to Ms Clarke, you’d be wrong.“We have always cleaned out of stock and our client base is extremely loyal,” she said, adding that she has supplied supplies for school plays, sports days, themed dinner parties, holidays and hen nights. “Since we’ve opened, we have clients who came to us for their bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, their baby showers and then their kids’ birthday parties. It’s like we’ve grown up with some of our clients.”With the help of her college-aged daughters, Ms Clarke posted a notice of her sale intentions on the store’s Facebook two days ago that generated some interest about the shop, however, nothing yet has been confirmed.“My kids grew up with the store. The topic is like the elephant in the room no one wants to talk about it,” said Ms Clarke. “We’re hoping for a Christmas miracle.”