Although I love almost each and every item in the store, I must confess I mostly go for the unique dose of psychology, philosophy and good advice served up for free by the store owner.
He is definitely from the old school in his approach to business. I love his low-pressure sales tactics. He is the exact opposite of the corporate culture mentality that permeates our society today.
He keeps his costs low by not advertising and operates on a cash only basis, thereby avoiding paying all of those pesky large bank fees that can really add up for small business owners. Then he passes these savings on to his customers.
Customers are treated on a one to one basis. Sometimes the tax is added on and sometimes it is included; it all depends on whether you are annoying him that day. (Hint: a courteous demeanor usually results in a tax-free exchange.)
He has an established clientele from his considerable years in the secondhand business and has survived almost exclusively by word of mouth.
An internet search yields only the most basic information: where the store is located and its phone number. There is no linking, tweeting, dragging or poking going on here.
He has his business hours posted on the door, but this is really just a rough guideline because as the owner of the store and the building which houses it, he has the luxury of opening and closing whenever he feels like it.
During one of my visits, he told me he would be closing early because one of his cats was missing and he was going to look for her.
Feeling a little hurried, I paid for my purchase (tax included) and wished him luck finding her.
As I left the store, he followed me out and flipped the sign on his door from Open to Closed. It was roughly 1 p.m.
At that moment, the strangest image popped into my head. The Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid.
When he decided to close up shop to look for his missing cat, it hit me - the owner had reached the highest level on that pyramid; self-actualization.
Or, in layman's terms, "I don't give a shit what anyone thinks." It is the most difficult level to achieve in any walk of life and is the one we are all trying to attain, whether we are conscious of it or not.
I left the store with a great item, at a reasonable cost and a life lesson to boot. I realized that I would like to close for cats too.
Of course, a thousand plus reasons will flood most people's minds why this is impossible: My boss won't let me close for cats; I don't even have a cat; I'm hungry...and so on and so on...
The only way to truly close for cats is to accept that you can, no matter what your present circumstance is.
A subsequent visit to the store revealed the owner had indeed found his feline friend. Yay!
A more recent visit resulted in some good advice I overheard him shell out to a customer who mentioned the last time he came to shop, the store was closed.
The owner, without apology or explanation, suggested the customer should stop by when the store was open.
Recommended Viewing: Shirley Valentine
Recommended Reading: Your Sacred Self - Wayne Dyer
Recommended Listening: The Walk of Life - Dire Straits
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