Christmas Shopping Treasures in Nodaway County: Best Brands Plus has Christmas ideas for everyone on your list

By Kathryn Rice

A local business jewel with plenty of gift ideas is Best Brands Plus, 2605 South Main Street, Maryville.

Its motto, “Great brands, nice folks, low prices and service after the sale” isn’t just words but a way of life for owner Cliff McNair and his employees.

The business has been in Maryville since 1939 when it started as Ragan Radio. In 1968, the store became Appliance and TV Mart. With the move from Downtown Maryville to the current location on South Main Street, 20 years ago, the store’s name changed to Best Brands Plus. There have been three owners and four locations in the business’s 83 years of business.

One Christmas idea, Best Brands Plus owner Cliff McNair recommends is the Mountainaire Air Purification System, a great gift for a household’s health. It has four-layer filtration including electrostatic and UV light to kill viruses and bacteria. It will cycle the air of a normal household in 20 minutes. McNair has dealt with the Nebraskan company for 40 years.

Another Christmas gift idea is a smart television set ranging in size from 22 to 75 inch. An add-on to a home theater is a home theater sound bar system for $269. It improves any TV’s sound, making voices easier to hear and not overwhelming the listener during the action sequences.

Best Brands has stocked up its inventory of new and refurbished laptop computers. A great gift for students, teachers and others who want a reliable computer system. The laptops have Windows and most have Microsoft Office installed, and new hard drives, four to eight gigs of ram. Prices are reasonable; there is a 60-day warranty. The variety of stocked laptops changes weekly.

McNair said the company from which he gets the computers has a good reputation. He uses the computers in his business.

“Service after the sale” is one of the qualities that makes Best Brands Plus unique. There are seven people in the service department.

“Even though Radio Shack is closed, we can get 90 percent of the parts from three to four warehouses,” McNair said.

In stock at Best Brands are cables, adapters, power supplies, electronic components, soldering equipment, corded phones, PA microphones, switches, CB equipment, antenna equipment for TVs, speciality cleaners for ranges, dishwashers, washers and refrigerators, and adhesives, glues for repairs.

“No one has the selection of items that we have,” McNair said.

McNair suggests NEBO lights as a great gift idea. There are LED pocket lights with a magnet on the back, flashlights with a red warning light and garage lights.

Specials for Christmas have green tags and are half price and below. These are items that have been discontinued or older models or something that is being blown out. Items will be added to the green tag sale throughout December.

Of course, Best Brands is known for its full selection of appliances including stoves, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers. McNair said the business has had supply chain problems but he has worked to keep a good supply of appliances.

There are vacuums, heaters, shelves and more items scattered throughout the store.

Best Brands Plus is open 9 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday. On Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24 and New Year’s Eve, Saturday, December 31, the store will be open until 4 pm.