ADRIAN — Jeri Graf knew what she wanted to do when she was growing up. After “a couple of jobs,” she decided to do it.
She opened Stitched Consignment Shop in Adrian in mid-December. Graf, who was born and raised in Adrian, started consignment shopping when she was young, and it became a lifelong passion.
“I’ve always gone to consignment shops since I was a kid,” she said. “I never really had a lot of money to go shop new, so used was always better.”
“There was one in town with two ladies, and they were amazing,” she continued. “Every time I’d go there and look around, I always loved it. I always wanted to work there.”
Stitched Consignment Shop carries a wide range of merchandise for juniors and women, including purses, jeans, jackets, shirts, shoes, and workout attire. Sizes range from 2x small in juniors to womens sizes 4x to 5x.
Graf said the consignment store is a “win-win” situation for everyone. It’s recycling, and the customer can bring in used items and get money for them.
“It’s better than buying new,” she added.
Graf said she likes to make it affordable for everybody, instead of carrying only “super expensive stuff.” She gave the example of purses, which can range from $5 to $300.
“If you’re low income, you could come here and still find something,” she said. “There’s something for everybody and all sizes.”
Graf uses social media to promote her merchandise, and changes the posts regularly. She likes to post items in “different sizes, bigger sizes, smaller sizes, dressier stuff, more stuff for teens.”
“I try to do something every day so people might say ‘Oh that’s cute, my daughter might like that,’ or ‘Oh that’s cute, I might like that,’ so it’s something that they can do together,” she said.
She also has regular giveaways, in which customers can enter into a drawing for merchandise.
Stitched Consignment Shop is a three-generation family business. The store also carries handmade items from Celestial_Crafts101, which is an online store her daughter operates. Graf’s mother, Jill, works with her at the store.
Graf called working in downtown Adrian “a blessing.”
“I wanted to work downtown because the people are so nice,” she said. “They’ve all been so welcoming.”
Graf accepts new or used items to be considered for consignment on Tuesday and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Items must be clean, in good condition, and brought in a laundry basket.
Stitched Consignment Shop is at 209 N. Main St., Adrian. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For information, call 517-920-4695 or search for Stitched Consignment Shop on Facebook or Instagram.