By Sue Moore
“I can’t talk on my phone right now because I’m driving real slow, carting a piano in my car that I want to get home in one piece.” That was Evie March, owner of Home Again Consignments at 107 S. Main Street in Vicksburg, briefly postponing an interview.
But she noted it’s atypical of her day as more often customers are bringing their items for resale to her shop. Now she will have a new partner at the store who can help her unload the piano. The partner, Kristi Lyp, will be buying into the business. They are going to celebrate the partnership with the community on Saturday, October 13 at an all-day Open House with special food for their many appreciative customers.
Lyp has been working with March for two years and says they both have the same passion for recycling objects of worth. If they can sell an item rather than clutter up landfills, that is an extra dividend, so they aren’t being wasteful. Their specialty is repurposing objects that are not necessarily antiques but vintage items that are still in good condition.
“It’s the thrill of the hunt,” March says. “Kristi enjoys the business just as much as I do, so having her join as a partner will allow us to grow and add new lines of merchandise to our selections. She has been a big help in getting us recognized on social media. We have seen a jump in our sales since she got us deeply involved on Facebook and Instagram. We are even looking at selling online as a possibility.”
March opened the first store a few doors south at 123 S. Main St. in 2004 as a consignment shop. Her market research indicated that there wasn’t a business model like this around although it was popular in the South. She had a young daughter, Elle, who is now 16 whom she would bring with her to the store. March had been teaching and been an administrator in a Christian school after graduating from Western Michigan University. She took time off to raise her two older children, then got back into the work force by starting the business and brought her youngest with her. Consignment seemed to be a solid business model, so she jumped in big time when she purchased the larger building next to Jaspare’s Pizza about 10 years ago. She and Elle moved into the apartment upstairs above the store; March loves the short commute to work. Her daughter Genevieve lives in Detroit and her grown son, Lewis Hall, lives in Vicksburg.
Lyp has lived in the Vicksburg area since 2009 and had a cake decorating business before she did a short stint with PNC Bank at its call center. She found a home with Home Again Consignments when she went to work with March and liked it so much she offered to buy in as a partner. She has two children: Tyler, a recent Vicksburg High School graduate, and Mackenzie, a freshman involved in sideline and competitive cheer at VHS.
The store is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday turns out to be their busiest day.