Stock Exchange Trading Company open downtown

Two local businesswomen are hoping that renewed interest in Springfield's downtown will Nov. 15 bring customers into their used-clothing store.

Jennifer Price and Shavonne Downey Nov. 15 opened The Stock Exchange Trading Com-pany at 326 S. Campbell.

Price and Downey sell or trade clothing and accessories for men, women and children in all sizes. Everything in the store is on a buy-sell-trade basis.

If a customer wishes to trade an item of clothing for store credit, the customer receives 50 percent of the item's value, as determined by Price and Down-ey. If the customer brings in items for cash, the amount paid fluctuates between 10 percent and 35 percent of the item's de-termined value.

On exchanges for store credit, the customer is given a trade voucher to keep track of his or her trade dollars. The store owners also keep a record of each customer's trade value.

"When the clothes come in, we look at the label and see if it's in the season we're currently looking for," Downey said. "We want to have a variety of items, as well. The clothes can't have stains or holes in them. They must be cleaned before they're brought in."

Price said the clothing and accessories, including purses, shoes, scarves and belts, are "very affordable. We're selling used clothing. We don't want to gouge people on the prices."

The Stock Exchange's hours are 11 a.m-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The store sells a variety of brand names, "bohemian" clothes and classic and western styles.

The new store is located in a building owned by Sherry and Troy Hughes and Larry Hughes, who had originally planned to renovate the building to house their Top Hat Fruit & Nut Com-pany. Larry Hughes said they hadn't had time to renovate the building, and it was just sitting vacant. When they got the opportunity to lease the property, they decided to do so.

To get ready for opening day, Price and Downey, with the help of their families, painted the interior of the building. The fa-cade also is being painted.

Price and Downey went to second hand stores in Chicago and St. Louis to purchase the stock to get started.

The only employees at the new store are Price and her husband, Chris Cessn and Downey and her fianc, Miles Hamilton.

Working together is nothing new for Price and Downey. Price is one of the owners of the South Avenue Pizza Company and the Bar Next door, where Downey is a waitress.

Downey said she got the idea for a used clothing store from time she spent living in Oregon.

"I lived in a college town there that reminded me of Springfield," she said. "I saw stores like the one we have do well there. So, I thought one would go over well here."

(SBJ Reporter Maria Hoo-ver contributed to this story.)