Jesse Dent loves scented candles.

He sells them in all different kinds at his store, Trader Bob’s in Jonesburg. Among them are apple cobbler, pumpkin pie, Indian summer, black cherry and strawberry mango.

Dent even had a scented candle lit on the afternoon of June 28 so customers can smell it when they enter the store.

“They’re my pride and joy,” Dent said. “With my candles, I try to make them stronger than anybody else can possibly make.”

Scented candles are not the only items Dent sells at Trader Bob’s. The store, which is located at 201 W. Booneslick Rd., also has jewelry, toys, tools, electronics, hats and vaping products.

“I try to have a little bit of everything,” Dent said. “The main gist of it is no matter what you see before you, it’s always going to be cheaper than what you can get at retail price. That’s what I try to do.”

Trader Bob’s has been open for business since January 15. Dent and Raphael Robert Crews, also known as Bob, share ownership of the store.

“I lived in Jonesburg for a very short time when I was younger,” Dent said. “Whenever we were trying to find a new business, I basically rediscovered the town. I remembered this place being a fishing shop kind of deal. It was vacant. My boss (Crews) and I talked about it. We figured since the town doesn’t have that much in the terms of retail besides like a Dollar General, we could cater to the markets that are being missed. There’s no baby store, for example.”

Long before Trader Bob’s opened, Dent used to make his living by traveling around Missouri and other states and selling candles at craft shows and flea markets. Now, with Crews currently in hospice, Dent is determined to make Trader Bob’s a very popular store in the Jonesburg community.

“Before he (Crews) passes, his dream is to have a very successful business that he can hand off to the rest of his family,” Dent said. “But the rest of his family are elderly people and they needed somebody else to take the reins from them. That’s where I come in. That’s why I’m a co-owner. I’m helping him achieve his dream. Once this business sustains more capital regularly, I’m going to branch out and try to establish two or three more stores. That’s the goal. I will admit that it’s a slow start, but it’s a small town.”

Dent and Crews have known each other for seven years. Dent met Crews while working at a retail store.

“The place was like a revolving door,” Dent said. “So I was telling him about it and he convinced me to be my own boss. One thing led to another. I became the head of Raphael’s Candles (a subsidiary of Trader Bob’s). For a long time, I was selling my candles all over Missouri and the neighboring states, but COVID-19 happened. Then, like a lot of other small businesses, it kind of put us under for about three years.”

Dent said Trader Bob’s was successful during the Jonesburg Fair and Homecoming on June 15-17. He worked 12 hours in each of those days.
“With the fair, it brought a lot of outside customers, which was good for me,” Dent said. “The more outside customers I get the better. That helps word-of-mouth travel and have them tell their friends and family that I’m here.”

Trader Bob’s is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Dent said he plans for the store to have a re-grand opening soon.

“Whenever my re-grand opening happens, I want to do a month-long sales palooza, where I’m giving a whole bunch of 50 percent off,” Dent said. “My main marketing strategy is I take things at retail value and I cut 20 percent or more off of it. Every week, I do different sort of sales and stuff.”

Dent said another goal for the store is providing outstanding customer service.

“I treat other people with kindness and respect and courtesy and it goes a long way,” Dent said. “I feel like my personality helps a lot with people who want to come back in because they’re like, ‘Yeah, that guy is nice.’ The nicer I am to people, the more likely they want to come back.”