Kid to Kid resale shop 'upscale retail' Susie Steckner Special for The Republic Mar. 18, 2006 12:00 AM Brenda Spezzacatena wants to change your mind about resale shops. "We pride ourselves. We're upscale retail," she said. This is no car dealer passing off a used vehicle as "previously owned." Her Kid to Kid store has a genuine boutique feeling, with a carefully merchandised mix of new items, hair bows of every conceivable size and color, select used clothes and other kid gear, and even more bows handmade with crystals by a local mom. Spezzacatena has worked in the resale business for a decade but opened her own shop in August after encouragement from her family. She decided to take her husband, John, and her mom, Molly Varner, along for the ride. Her husband, a fire captain with Rural/Metro, works at the store on his days off, and Varner takes care of the administrative duties. That leaves Spezzacatena with much of the fun: buying and selling. advertisement With all the unknowns in business, one thing was clear when she started out. "I knew what I wanted and I knew what I didn't want," she said. She definitely didn't want that used-stuff smell and feel that some resale stores can have. The result: a cheerful shop that's well stocked but not crowded. She's got new items, like the popular Bumbo seats that help little babies sit, Robeez baby shoes, and the trendy Diapees & Wipees line of diaper bags with fun fabrics like the one covered with Eiffel towers. She tries to carry unique boutique-style items, like the Frog Pod bath organizer, which was recently made available to the masses by Target. Beyond the new, there are the traditional used clothes and toys, books and videos, furniture and bedding, and necessities like strollers. Spezzacatena also keeps some winter jackets and ski clothes around so even when it's warm in Arizona families are covered when they travel to colder climes. Spezzacatena talked a bit more with The Arizona Republic about bow mania, getting discovered, and the thrill of the hunt. Favorite item in the store? New item is the hair bows; used item is the infant clothes. "I love fashion. I love clothes." She likes to walk the malls and surf the net to keep current when selecting resale items. Best kept secret? "That we're here." The shop opened in August, near behemoths JC Penney and Target. But the word's spreading and customers from as far away as Maricopa, who come to town for the big-name retailers, are also walking through her doors for deals. Claim to fame? The bows. Since the store opened, 1,500 of them have been rung up and clipped onto the heads of preemies, toddlers and young girls everywhere. If you didn't own Kid to Kid, what store would you run instead? She might venture into selling something on eBay, but she's sticking with resale. To help fill the store before opening day, she scoured yard sales to find treasures among the trash. "I have a passion for it (resale). . . . I love finding treasures."
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