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My dream was to provide a service for our community by giving a well deserved break to middle class working
people. I wanted for them to be able to make a little money from their last year’s wardrobe – and also to be able to
purchase gently used clothes at really reasonable prices for this year. And I wanted to make it easy as possible
for people to drop things off once their account was set up. And I wanted Stage 2 to never smell or look like an old
junk store. It was also important to me to maintain regular business hours and to treat customers and consignors
honestly, fairly, and kindly – in the way I would want to be treated!
With a $1,000 loan I began gathering clothes and supplies and information on how to do it. I opened Rodeo
weekend in 1985 in a small building at 1120 Ave G. Rent was $160 a month. During that first year, I hired a shy
little 15 year old high school girl to work after school and weekends. Except for a couple of years off when she
had her babies, she (Phyllis Gorrell) has been with me for all these years. She was the manager and handled a
lot of the day to day stuff while I was traveling quite a bit as President of the Illinois Foster Parent Association.
The first move to have more space was 4 years later when we moved to 715 18th Street. At first it seemed like we
had lots of room to grow. Within a few years, we had to rent another section of the building to expand again.
During this time I also added another employee who is still with us: Stefani Kern.
It was also around this time that I had a computer program written to handle most of the paperwork. I can’t even
imagine doing it the way I started out with the volume we have now!
In only a few more years I began the search for either a place to build or somewhere else to rent. We ended up
moving downtown to 734 Ave G the week after Rodeo weekend in 1997. By this time, the moves were becoming a
huge feat!
*We were downtown! I was a little worried about how all the other downtown businesses would feel about my little
used clothes store moving right in the middle of some of those classy places, but Myrna Welder was Chairperson
of the Riverfront Business District Association at that time and she was wonderful at welcoming Stage 2 and
encouraged me to join their group.
Although this building looked huge at first, (about 4,500 sq ft of sales floor) more and more consignors brought
more and more clothes, and after 4 years I once again began the search.
I began seriously looking for a piece of ground to build on, because I never thought I wanted to own one of those
big old dinosaurs downtown. We had heard horror stories about people who had bought old buildings at a decent
price, but then had to spend a fortune to bring them up to code. I even looked at the possibility of moving to
Burlington or somewhere in between (depending on where the new highway bypass landed).
*(When I was planning to open 20 years ago, my husband jokingly said I should maybe rent the old TG&Y
building. I thought he was completely . . . . crazy. Now I think we could fill it! !)
Long story short. I called Karen Harry, since she was not only a Real Estate sales person, but also President of
the Chamber. I thought (correctly) that she might understand my dilemma. I really wanted to stay in Fort Madison
because everyone had been great to us, and the business was continually growing.
Karen told me I should look at the old Spurgeon’s building. I wasn’t interested. She talked me into just looking at it.
I found that it was a beautiful old building with tons of potential! And 3 floors of space! I didn’t let myself get
excited about the possibilities because I knew I didn’t want to do this one on my own. I definitely needed my
husband, Dan to be involved. It was a very solid building but needed remodeling work. After much ciphering and
research and prayer we decided to make an offer.
I commend the SMIDD group for having the foresight to begin the restoration work on the building. Those
improvements undoubtedly made a difference when I was considering purchasing the building. Fort Madison is
very fortunate to have them working to improve the downtown.
We moved in September of 2002 - and immediately filled up the top 2 floors! In the summer of 2005 we finished
the repair and remodeling of the basement. It was quite a challenge since the building came with six sump pumps!
(Perhaps a history of water problems? ?) We very quickly filled that space too, which brings us to over 10,000 sq.
ft. of sales floor.
I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I can’t help but wonder where we’ll grow to next! ! This building is definitely
a keeper, but what will happen when we don’t fit? ? Worry about that later! At the NARTS (National Association of
Resale and Thrift Shops) conferences, I hear about stores with multiple locations, so maybe . .
I hesitate to tell people how much (in $$) the business has grown. It sounds huge, but the bigger it gets, the
smaller (percentage wise) my share gets. My share. It just means what’s left when I pay all the bills. For some
reason resale looks easy to people. I can tell you it is really labor intense! Payroll is my biggest expense. I have
WONDERFUL employees and I thank God for each of them. Each of us has our strengths and weaknesses and
we compliment each other pretty well.
Stage 2 has come a long way! It seems strange when I meet someone new who is impressed to learn that I own
Stage 2. But when I actually stand back and look at it, I agree that it looks pretty impressive! It’s not as if I feel like I’
ve done it on my own - it's more like I just work here, too. Stage 2 seems to have taken on a life of its own and I’m
relentlessly trying to keep up. I give God all the credit for giving me the wisdom to make good decisions, the
desire to do it, and the ability to follow through.
