Brenda Edwards carefully sorts through a pile of used baby clothes, weeding out the pieces too worn or stained to resell. It’s a process she goes through often at her "upscale resale" shop to make sure her customers are getting the most for their money.
After five years in a location on 16th Street in Sedalia, Edwards recently relocated her business, New To You Thrift Store, to a space on West Ninth Street.
Edwards was a stay-at-home mom prior to opening the thrift store and credits her daughter as part of the inspiration for launching her business endeavor.
She said as her daughter got older, it got tougher to find clothes for her at a resale store.
"This town needed a place that carried more sizes," Edwards said.
Edwards found a building to rent, took the plunge and has been running her own thrift store business ever since.
"I enjoy the people and it’s something I like to do," she said.
New To You specializes in "gently used" clothing for women, men and children, as well as some new clothing for teens.
"People thought I was just a kids’ store. That’s a misconception. We carry adult clothes too," she said, pointing out a sign in her window advertising extra big sizes for men.
But New To You offers a lot more than just clothing, Edwards said.
She also offers her customers new items such as Avon products, perfumes, colognes, lotions and jewelry.
Other items available at the store include purses, shoes, DVDs, videos, scrubs, maternity clothes and children’s play clothes.
"I look at almost anything. Most is used but there is new stuff,tiffany rings, like the clothes teens like to buy," she said.
The thrift store operates mostly on trade, Edwards explained, and new items are constantly coming in. Customers can bring old and unwanted items and trade for store credit. The credit can be used for up to a year toward any type of merchandise,tiffany money clips, Edwards said.
"It’s hard for me to say no, but there are certain things you don’t want used," she said.
Prices on resale items are reasonable, Edwards said, pointing out that a pair of "gently used" jeans may cost around $6 or even less, but some may be more depending on the brand, she said.
Edwards has noticed some new faces in her shop along with her regular customers, but said business so far has been about the same since the move.
"But of course we always want it to be better,tiffany pendants," she said. "I rely a lot on word-of-mouth."
With the stumbling economy putting a vice grip on many household budgets, Edwards believes more people are looking for ways to save money wherever they can and she believes her business is a way people can do that.
"This is something you can cut back on. You can’t cut back on food or insurance,tiffany key rings," she said.
New To You Thrift Store is located at 1716 W. Ninth St.
Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 829-4998 for more information.
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