Marianne Tocmo
They have stayed at the same spot for 25 years and what started as a simple thrift shop has become a stable and profitable venture for its owners, bringing unique home furnishings for its regular customers.
“We started 1987 dito sa floor namin sa Makati Square. Kami ang one of the pioneer tenants sa Makati Square,” says Jacqueline Paredes, one of the owners of Segunda Mano, a thrift store at the Makati Cinema Square.
Even without any formal business background, Paredes decided to go into the furniture and home décor business in 1985—with a store on Reposo Street in Makati. She said she got the idea and the training from an uncle who had containers imported from the US. Two years later, she was invited by her friends to get a spot at Makati Cinema Square.
“We are an association; we divide the rent and have our own stalls and inventory records. Walang central manager,” she explains. “Ang set-up dito is by corner, by areas. Marami kaming owners, originally we were eight. Now we have tenants, like ’yung mga money changer and nagbebenta ng gems.”
The shop is definitely a collector’s haven with different unique and imported items on display and up for grabs for reasonable prizes. Chandeliers, which Paredes said are Segunda Mano’s bestsellers, start at P3,000, while drop lights cost around P1,000 on average. Paintings, ceramics and china may also be included on your shopping list once you visit the store. Arrays of sculptures and figurines are also for sale.
Paredes said her clients are varied. Some go for newer items, while others want antiques. But she stressed that many of the items are hard to find, such as the narra furniture, which are not as common now as before.
But what caught my eye is a collection of Louis Vuitton bags—in good shape and good prices.
“That’s Dick Evanghelista’s area. He’s more into fashion, designer bags and antiques. He’s also a tenant in the store,” Paredes said, adding that the store counts on many fashion designers as clients, since these customers tend to look for very specific pieces. That’s why even if the shop also has its off-season—usually before the enrollment period and bouncing back during the holidays—they count on these regulars to pick up the slack in sales.
It’s not easy for a business to survive for 25 years. In the case of Segunda Mano, Paredes attributes this longevity to pure hard work and the joint efforts of the tenants to continuously come up with new items from friends, referrals and garage sales in villages.
Still true to its former name, which was Segunda Mano Swap Meet, the thrift shop still does swap deals from customers, thus providing more variety to the products, which are priced according to product quality, source and condition.
“Importante na alamin mo din ’yung price ng product mo sa labas. Dapat at least half siya ng price ng bago or ng kaparehas niya ng design or structure. Hindi dapat mas mahal,” Paredes said. “Our edge here is karamihan naman kasi sa items namin dito eh hindi makikita sa mga ordinary stores or shops. They’re all unique, original and most of them are imported.”
Asked for advice to young entrepreneurs, she said it’s important to know the business, especially in a business like thrift shops. She said one has to know how to dispose such items. “Kasi kami based on experience, alam na alam na namin kung ano ang mura at kung paano mag-mark-up,” she said. “Dapat alam din nila ’yung product. Kung saan galing, at dapat may basic knowledge ka on valuables.”
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