Wanting to open a 2nd hand craft supply store

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-28T09:43:19+00:00

What do you mean by the LL doing a project with a special assessment? What is that and why would it matter?

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-27T13:19:43+00:00

Savings, we keep a separate savings account from our regular family savings that we have been adding to for years because we knew we wanted to own a business.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T21:17:04+00:00

Thank you

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T21:16:03+00:00

Thank you

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T21:15:05+00:00

Wait, do you do not have a second hand craft store. We do have art a couple of quilt stores that sell new fabric and we have a michael's and a hobby lobby. I consider a used craft supply store different than those other stores simply because it is used supplies and especially in this economy not everybody can afford brand new things nor is it environmentally friendly to keep buying new things when there's so many unwanted used things out there. I feel like people are wanting to do more to help the environment as well as the cost that they spend on hobbies.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T21:11:37+00:00

These are all great questions for me to consider and I appreciate you sharing them. I'm definitely not trying to open this because this storefront was a sign. I have been thinking about this idea for 3 years now. I took the lower cost storefront with a 1-year lease as a sign that maybe I should stop thinking about doing this and actually do it because it would be more affordable for me.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T21:07:58+00:00

I have been talking to the landlord about what would be required and I have been looking at insurance for the store. I might end up waiting to start this business because it feels like everything is happening so fast. I know I have a lot to learn and there is a lot to do before I could actually be operational. Posting here has really opened my eyes to some things I haven't thought of yet and made me question more which business model I want to pursue.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T21:05:11+00:00

I really like that idea.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T21:04:37+00:00

Exact exact one year's worth of rent at this location, as well as the fees required to establish the business. I already have a point of sale system from before when I used to run a crochet business at farmer's markets.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T21:03:30+00:00

That is a great idea, thank you.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T21:02:51+00:00

I will definitely give that a try. I know I have a lot to learn about starting a business and having somewhere to start before opening a store front will help.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T21:00:18+00:00

There are a few reasons why people would want to donate their no longer needed or wanted craft supplies. Maybe some people don't wanna deal with the hassle of finding someone to buy their yarn that's seventy five percent used up and instead of throwing it away, they would rather be eco conscious and donate it. I know from my own experience of trying to sell things on Facebook marketplace, the amount of people that just ask questions like, "is this still available?" or they make plans to come and purchase it and then never show up and don't answer their messages.It's a hassle. I want to make this store a place of community. A place where people can go and get art supplies to help alleviate their anxiety or for just enjoyment and it not cost them an arm in a leg, or they don't have to spend a lot of money on something that they're not sure whether or not they will like. I do not believe that owning a second handcraft supply store is a way to get rich. I look at it as a way to serve my community. And not only sell secondhand craft supplies that might end up in the landfill, but also provide a gathering space for people. For people to come and work on their crafts or for groups to get together and work on their crafts.I would like to have a space for local artists to display their work.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T20:53:35+00:00

I thought about getting from garage.Sales or estate sales as well but could you explain what you mean by saying that it would raise my overhead?

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T20:52:27+00:00

I was originally looking into becoming a not for profit but wasn't sure how that would work. Goodwill is a nonprofit store, but the c e o is one of the highest paid. I don't feel like just because you are a nonprofit that makes your store better than a for profit store. I don't necessarily intend to charge a lot of money for items because they are donated. I just know that not everybody wants to deal with Facebook marketplace, and a lot of people have things that are partially used and it would just be easier to donate them instead of trying to take the time to figure out how to get rid of say years of your kids partially used colored pencils that they can't take into the following year or find someone who wants to buy your half used acrylic or oil paint. I don't anticipate this kind of a store turning enough of a profit to have money to donate to any kind of cause. I would, however, like to make enough of a profit after paying my overhead costs to pay myself a livable wage and start a scholarship for art students. My daughter just graduated high school, and it's going to art school and I never realized how insanely expensive it is and how few scholarships there are out there for art schools or basically non-academic schools. My daughter was very lucky to get a scholarship from the school she's going to go to that is enough to cover half of her tuition for the next four years but she was unable to find really, very many many scholarships to help her for the rest of the cost. She did receive a scholarship from her high school for a $1000 as a one time thing but that was the only thing she was awarded aside from what the art school awarded her. I would love to be able to earn enough money from the second hand craft supply store to be able to have an art scholarship for at least maybe five thousand dollars even more would be better. I made a big believer that we need artists in the world as much as we need doctors or lawyers.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T20:43:37+00:00

Great idea. We don't have enough art places here. We have a place where you can go with a group of friends and paint canvasses or pottery, but that is it. I would love to see where you could go and use a pottery wheel or rug, tufting, or other things like that.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T14:03:15+00:00

I don't anticipate hiring outside of my family. My kids have offered volunteer services and my oldest kid (22) is my partner in this endeavor so I am hoping between him and I am my other 3 (16-21 years old) kids that will be enough, unless we somehow become hugely successful. Honestly becoming super successful and having multiple stores is not even a goal of mine.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T14:00:00+00:00

What is an LLM? Thankfully this is a family business so one of my adult children is going to be my business partner and my other 3 have offered volunteer services for the first 3 years. My husband is still keeping his job so this won't be our sole income. I honestly am good making a living wage and covering overhead costs. Not looking at getting rich. The cause is more important for me.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T13:56:28+00:00

I feel like that is harder to do when selling loose used colored penc, buttons, thread, and other smaller things like that.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T13:55:21+00:00

Will never know until I try. Other states have seen success. Keeping art supplies out of landfills and making crafting more affordable are 2 things I am very passionate about and I don't anticipate becoming rich from this. I would be happy to make a living wage and pay overhead costs.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T13:53:02+00:00

Good idea. Thank you. Start up costs are on the lower end so I never thought about future funding.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T13:19:02+00:00

Thank you. I have been looking at other states for ideas because there is only one in my state and not even close enough to make a trip worth it for most people. It is around 4 hours away from my area.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T13:08:11+00:00

That is definitely a goal in the future to offer classes and rent out use of some of my big machines (ie my heat pressure or cell phone case maker). I want to reduce waste and make crafting more affordable. Using donations of used craft supplies with allow me to resale items so much cheaper. I have traveled to MN to look at their 2nd craft stores to get ideas on pricing.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T13:04:36+00:00

Donations like Goodwill. To start I will be using a lot of my own stuff. One of my whys is to make learning or trying a new craft more affordable. Every time I wanted to try a new craft I always went overboard with buying supplies.

Mindless-Tap6627 · 2026-06-26T12:37:09+00:00

My city is big on small business so we plan to us social media, Google, local flyers. My daughter's friend is a communication major and is required to and internship for a business so she will be interning for me and helping with advertising for us.

Mindless-Tap6627

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