Finding our identity

When opening a store, you have to have a clear vision of what you want to be. Do you want to be a thrift store where only the most frugal collectors come to shop, or do you want to cater only to the high-end designer trade? Do you want to be somewhere in the middle? There's nothing wrong with any of these...but you have to identify your niche.

We had sold at an antique mall in the past, where we carried fairly inexpensive pieces we had picked up for pennies. When we started talking about opening the store, we knew we were ready to up the ante quite a bit. We were also adamant that we didn't want our only criteria for buying a piece to be its age, which can sometimes result in buying items that were of poor quality 60 years ago and haven't grown better with the passage of time. That led us to talking about buying only pieces that were quality items when new and are still in excellent condition... no "fixer uppers" on the floor that needed reupholstering or refinishing.

So out of an ongoing discussion of several months' duration about what we didn't want to be, a clear idea finally emerged of how we envisioned ourselves. We wanted our store to have an upscale look and affordable prices. We wanted our customers to walk in and immediately be visually delighted by meticulously arranged displays of tasteful, stylish pieces of furniture and accessories. Once the visual "wow factor" was achieved, we wanted their second reaction to be, "The prices are so reasonable!"

Admittedly we don't sell at thrift store prices, but we have something for every budget in the store. And no matter what the item, we make an effort to sell for less than the prevailing retail price, because we fervently believe that good design should be accessible and affordable...and because we believe that if you offer great items at  fair prices, your customers will show their appreciation by coming back.

For example, unfilled atomic barkcloth pillows covers can consistently be found in the $30 to $50 range, but we sell the cover with the pillow form included for $35.

A recent search turned up a spate of vintage fiberglass desk lamps in the $60 to $100+ ramge, but we have a couple in excellent condition for $45.

Just today I found a pair of almost identical Bitossi Rimini blue candleholders by Aldo Londi for $139. A few searches later I found a single for $95. We have a pair marked at $65. We also have a large pedestal bowl for $75.

A high-end retailer sells this Jens Risom chair for $837. Ours is priced at $420.

Of course we want to make a profit on what we sell, but to us it's not about squeezing every possible dime out of an item. Rather, it's about getting a reasonable return on our money and putting beautiful design into the homes of people like us who appreciate it. So far, customer reaction is exceeding our expectations.