 "Photo: Keeley Smith")
On the outside, the pale blue building may not look like much. It sits in the alleyway between D-hop and Store 24, hidden from the hubbub of Main Street.
But on the inside, Bindy’s boutique is bursting with an eclectic mix of consignment goods: anything from shoes and tops, to scarves and sunglasses. Mirrors line the blue and yellow walls, with “gently used” clothing hanging orderly from a diverse array of racks.
“It’s such a unique store,” said UNH senior Taryn Lafountain, who noticed the boutique after leaving Store 24 one day. “There’s tons of stuff to look at. It’s different from anything else.”
“Different” is exactly what Bindy Curtis had in mind when she started her business a year ago. A resident of Durham for 14 years, she knew the town was lacking in the retail department.
“Beyond college living essentials, like pizza and beer, there wasn’t much,” Curtis said. “I wanted to open a place that offered variety.”
And with last year’s closure of Common Threads, a consignment store that exclusively targeted a college student base, Bindy’s is officially the only store of its kind remaining in Durham.
Since she opened the boutique, Curtis has accepted all clothing, a major contrast between Bindy’s and the now-defunct Common Threads. Her store caters to people of all ages. Curtis prices the items deemed appropriate to sell and gives them 90 days. People who are selling their clothing can either stop by or call every month to see if their donations sold, and are paid in cash for the full value of the sale. All items left unpurchased are donated to charities, such as Goodwill.
“I like donating to charity,” said Curtis, who also promotes local artists through her stock of cards, handmade scarves and jewelry. “When I go to the girl’s home in Dover, I feel like Santa Claus. They love it.”
As for Bindy’s location, Curtis said timing might have made up for lack of Main Street visibility.
“People are more willing to buy ‘gently used clothes,’” she said, referring to the lingering economic recession. “Some students are having to work; their spending habits are different. It’s a college town – more people are opting to come here.”
“It gives us an opportunity to sell stuff for cash,” said Helena Diodati, a senior and Bindy’s Boutique customer. She said the store’s location was perfect for a spontaneous purchase of $3 sunglasses on a sunny day in Durham.
“You put out what you want to sell – it’s like recycling clothes,” said Diodati.
For her part, Curtis, a mother of two daughters, ages 20 and 17, is enjoying a change in profession. She was an accountant at UNH for most of her years in Durham, spending most of her time “in the corner at a computer,” according to Curtis. She said her job suited her well because of a childhood bout with Measles had left her deaf for most of her life.
A cochlear transplant two years ago changed all that.
After gaining the ability to hear her children for the first time and connect with people in new ways, Curtis decided to try something new.
“I was good at what I did, but I wanted to find a job where I could interact with people,” she said. “I decided I’d give this a try, and I’m so happy.”
Curtis just came back from promoting her store at the Great Bay Music Fest, where she said donated tie-dye items were all the rage. She plans on advertising in the table tents at the UNH dining halls, and stocking up on Halloween decorations and costumes.
“That was something I learned last year – I wasn’t prepared for Halloween and everybody looking for costumes,” said Curtis.
Lafountain said it’s good to know Bindy’s is around to stay.
“It’s hard to find, but if you really look, it’s a great place to find cheap clothes,” said Lafountain. “And they have nice jewelry.”
1 comments
First off, this isn't a term paper, you aren't getting graded on the length.
Second, HTML and this page's layout only make the article look more silly with this spacing.