About a year and a half ago I wondered whether a used outdoor gear store would be successful in Atomic City. I doubted it. We were too far removed from civilization I told myself. Who's gonna drive all the way out to our little isolated town in the middle of the desert to check out a used gear store? But............we had a large metal storage building on the property that was dong nothing, I had plenty of gear left from when we had closed up shop in Wyoming, and I thought "what the heck - let's set it up and see what happens"..............So this time last year we officially opened our doors for business. I have to say, it's been an interesting year.
Some of the most vivid memories that I have, have been related to the people we've met along the way. Tourists from Germany, Italy, China, Poland, Czech Republic and from all across the country. The elderly man from Detroit who as a young man had fought the communists in Algiers and then fought in the French Foreign Legion. The five young western European kids who had worked the summer at Yellowstone National Park and who were now roaming the west in a beat up old mini van before heading home. The young German family who limped into town on gas fumes and who were so grateful when we and our neighbor across the street gave them all the spare gas we had so they could limp into Arco to fill up. All the tourists and visitors we gave bottles of water to when they realized just what an isolated area they had wandered into in the middle of summer. The lady driving a rolling billboard of miniature landmarks from across the country, and the couple pulling the tiniest camper I had ever seen. The "sage grouse kids" - college students living out of tents and campers in Atomic City while working for Fish and Game through the summer, studying sage grouse out in the desert. And I can't forget all the folks I met in Salmon when I took a whole bunch of paddling gear up there one day early in the summer.
The folks who visited and then unexpectedly gave us gifts. The couple from Moore who gave us two beautiful home-made bird houses. The young Italian girl who ran back from the car before heading out onto the highway and wordlessly handed me a garland of dried lilacs. The couple from Arco who gave us a display board that (unfortunately) was too big for our space but who we are eternally grateful that they cared enough to try and help our business.
The lady who I good naturedly make fun of whenever she stops by, because she brings a different man with her every single visit. The two rough and rugged well diggers who stop by regularly just to see what's new, and who always seem to have a smile and good conversation at the ready. The little kids who left the store decked out in their cool new bike helmets and goggles, their new winter coats, and their new hiking boots. The young girl on her way to college down in Utah who could not believe that the exact hiking boots she had coveted while reading a blog about a woman hiking a trail in Oregon could be found at OAR in her size. Size 5. What were the odds? The man who in the past had a gig field testing outdoor gear and who sold a bunch of that gear to us when he was done for a REALLY great price. He could have easily sold that gear for more but he didn't. Because he knew that I had a new business and (I think) just wanted to do something nice for someone. All the people who laughed (and there were many) when they walked into the store, because they couldn't believe that such a store in such a town would have such a great selection of gear.
We have a lighted building but not a heated building. Last winter I looked at the layer of ice covering the roof and inside walls of my frozen store and thought "NOBODY is gonna come here when its this cold!!". But this is Idaho and Idahoans don't hide from the cold. And so they DID come in the winter (frozen walls and all) to buy snow mobile helmets, snow mobile suits, winter boots, gloves, goggles, snow shoes and more.
It's been a crazy year of non-stop buying and selling. Of searching and driving. Of gear cleaning and testing and repairing. Of having gear in various stages of readiness to go out to the store, laying all over the house. Of kitchen tables filled with unsorted gear. Of living room floors disappearing as I set up tents to make sure they were in good shape and all pieces were accounted for. Of gear drying on the concrete out front of the house and out front of the store. Of picture taking and price researching and gear describing. Of Face Booking and blog writing. Of book keeping and receipt collecting and mileage recording.
So.........how has business REALLY been over this past year? It can only be described as Hit and Miss. Sometimes busy. Sometimes not busy. Sometimes so quiet that I question why the heck I keep doing this because as I write this blog I realize just how much work it's been to keep pushing this store forward. And then something happens - a young woman finds a pair of boots that leaves her ecstatic as she begins a whole new chapter in her life, a couple of guys drop a whole wad of cash on a whole bunch of stuff, we get to help a Boy Scout group deck out kids with little money to spare for gear for upcoming camping trips, and it suddenly seems all worthwhile again.
I had hoped to displace my husband by now. Take over his two car garage (with the insulation and the wood stove and the concrete floor and the additional space) and move him into the smaller space currently used by OAR. I would LOVE the extra space because I need it. I would LOVE the wood stove, and the counter tops for a coffee pot and the additional gear I could fit into it, and the stools for visiting I could set up and..............wow.............maybe even a dressing room to try on clothing! But I can't justify displacing him at this stage. Business is just not steady enough. But boy.........I sure wish I could kick the man of his space and take it over. Maybe next year.
To celebrate one year of business OAR is having a 20% off sale this coming Saturday and Sunday (Oct 8-9). We'll have 20% off everything in the store. We'll have cake and bottles of water for our visitors on those days, so come on out and check us out. There will be stickers for the kidlets and sidewalk chalk for the little adventurers to keep them busy while you visit and shop.
To everyone who has supported OAR over this past year we say THANK YOU. Thank you to those who bought gear, who consigned gear, who swapped gear, and to every single person who took the time to stop and check us out. Thank you to everyone who Liked our page, who took the time to read about the gear we were finding, and who took the time to read our blog. Thank you for every great conversation, every smile, and every kind word of encouragement. It has been a privilege to meet so many of you, and we look forward to our second year of business.
(The picture above was taken about a week ago up on Pass Creek Pass. We are blessed to live in such a beautiful place).
Some of the most vivid memories that I have, have been related to the people we've met along the way. Tourists from Germany, Italy, China, Poland, Czech Republic and from all across the country. The elderly man from Detroit who as a young man had fought the communists in Algiers and then fought in the French Foreign Legion. The five young western European kids who had worked the summer at Yellowstone National Park and who were now roaming the west in a beat up old mini van before heading home. The young German family who limped into town on gas fumes and who were so grateful when we and our neighbor across the street gave them all the spare gas we had so they could limp into Arco to fill up. All the tourists and visitors we gave bottles of water to when they realized just what an isolated area they had wandered into in the middle of summer. The lady driving a rolling billboard of miniature landmarks from across the country, and the couple pulling the tiniest camper I had ever seen. The "sage grouse kids" - college students living out of tents and campers in Atomic City while working for Fish and Game through the summer, studying sage grouse out in the desert. And I can't forget all the folks I met in Salmon when I took a whole bunch of paddling gear up there one day early in the summer.
The folks who visited and then unexpectedly gave us gifts. The couple from Moore who gave us two beautiful home-made bird houses. The young Italian girl who ran back from the car before heading out onto the highway and wordlessly handed me a garland of dried lilacs. The couple from Arco who gave us a display board that (unfortunately) was too big for our space but who we are eternally grateful that they cared enough to try and help our business.
The lady who I good naturedly make fun of whenever she stops by, because she brings a different man with her every single visit. The two rough and rugged well diggers who stop by regularly just to see what's new, and who always seem to have a smile and good conversation at the ready. The little kids who left the store decked out in their cool new bike helmets and goggles, their new winter coats, and their new hiking boots. The young girl on her way to college down in Utah who could not believe that the exact hiking boots she had coveted while reading a blog about a woman hiking a trail in Oregon could be found at OAR in her size. Size 5. What were the odds? The man who in the past had a gig field testing outdoor gear and who sold a bunch of that gear to us when he was done for a REALLY great price. He could have easily sold that gear for more but he didn't. Because he knew that I had a new business and (I think) just wanted to do something nice for someone. All the people who laughed (and there were many) when they walked into the store, because they couldn't believe that such a store in such a town would have such a great selection of gear.
We have a lighted building but not a heated building. Last winter I looked at the layer of ice covering the roof and inside walls of my frozen store and thought "NOBODY is gonna come here when its this cold!!". But this is Idaho and Idahoans don't hide from the cold. And so they DID come in the winter (frozen walls and all) to buy snow mobile helmets, snow mobile suits, winter boots, gloves, goggles, snow shoes and more.
It's been a crazy year of non-stop buying and selling. Of searching and driving. Of gear cleaning and testing and repairing. Of having gear in various stages of readiness to go out to the store, laying all over the house. Of kitchen tables filled with unsorted gear. Of living room floors disappearing as I set up tents to make sure they were in good shape and all pieces were accounted for. Of gear drying on the concrete out front of the house and out front of the store. Of picture taking and price researching and gear describing. Of Face Booking and blog writing. Of book keeping and receipt collecting and mileage recording.
So.........how has business REALLY been over this past year? It can only be described as Hit and Miss. Sometimes busy. Sometimes not busy. Sometimes so quiet that I question why the heck I keep doing this because as I write this blog I realize just how much work it's been to keep pushing this store forward. And then something happens - a young woman finds a pair of boots that leaves her ecstatic as she begins a whole new chapter in her life, a couple of guys drop a whole wad of cash on a whole bunch of stuff, we get to help a Boy Scout group deck out kids with little money to spare for gear for upcoming camping trips, and it suddenly seems all worthwhile again.
I had hoped to displace my husband by now. Take over his two car garage (with the insulation and the wood stove and the concrete floor and the additional space) and move him into the smaller space currently used by OAR. I would LOVE the extra space because I need it. I would LOVE the wood stove, and the counter tops for a coffee pot and the additional gear I could fit into it, and the stools for visiting I could set up and..............wow.............maybe even a dressing room to try on clothing! But I can't justify displacing him at this stage. Business is just not steady enough. But boy.........I sure wish I could kick the man of his space and take it over. Maybe next year.
To celebrate one year of business OAR is having a 20% off sale this coming Saturday and Sunday (Oct 8-9). We'll have 20% off everything in the store. We'll have cake and bottles of water for our visitors on those days, so come on out and check us out. There will be stickers for the kidlets and sidewalk chalk for the little adventurers to keep them busy while you visit and shop.
To everyone who has supported OAR over this past year we say THANK YOU. Thank you to those who bought gear, who consigned gear, who swapped gear, and to every single person who took the time to stop and check us out. Thank you to everyone who Liked our page, who took the time to read about the gear we were finding, and who took the time to read our blog. Thank you for every great conversation, every smile, and every kind word of encouragement. It has been a privilege to meet so many of you, and we look forward to our second year of business.
(The picture above was taken about a week ago up on Pass Creek Pass. We are blessed to live in such a beautiful place).