The Old Habit in Marshall Closing

[Jennifer_Alcott]

Within the last couple of months, I took a very nice pair of boots to put on consignment at The Old Habit in Marshall–brown tops, zippers, excellent condition; I just don’t use them any more, since I’m not hunting hounds or whipping in.

The lady who wrote up my ticket (and I’m not sure who it was, but it might have been Gillian herself) commented something to the effect of, “Oh, good timing, we’re having a boot special, so there will be lots of people in the shop looking for boots.” I think maybe one of the custom boot companies was going to be there measuring people, and I thought that she mentioned that it was going to be over Memorial Day weekend while everyone was in northern Virginia for the hound show. Great!

So today (5/24/10) I received a letter in the mail stating that The Old Habit is closing, and I must pick up my consignment item by 5 p.m. on 5/26/10–i.e., within 48 hours of receiving the letter!

I checked the postmark, thinking that perhaps the mail was just slow and the shop owner truly did try to give more than 48 hours’ notice. But no…the postmark says 5/22/10.

The letter goes on to say that they’ll be having a Retirement Sale starting on 5/27/10. In other words, there will most likely be a TON of traffic coming through the store starting on 5/27/10, but the people who have consignment items there won’t be given the opportunity to have their items sold amidst all that traffic.

Nice.

Oh, and the store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those of us who have that whole, you know, WORK thing going on sometimes have a hard time making that work. So out of the next 48 hours, I really only have 14 hours to retrieve my boots (which cost nearly $800 new, and they’re barely used, so it’s not like this is a $50 used set of reins that I can justify saying, “Oh, never mind…it’s not worth the time to go get them”). And the store is an hour away from home, and I have to be at a vet appointment in Ashland on Wednesday–TOTALLY the opposite direction of Marshall from me.

Maybe there are mitigating/emergency circumstances, but the letter simply states that the proprietor is retiring. Most people know a LITTLE bit further ahead of time that they plan to retire.

Needless to say, I will NOT be spending any money at the Retirement Sale after I pick up my boots.

(Rant over…)

[LexInVA]

Balderdash!

[Snow_Princess]

That is not good… probably they could extend it a bit for a few days if you called them and explained the whole work thing and lack of time and supernatural powers to be in several places at once … i think Gillian is a Canuk. I liked shopping there… and at Cancade Farms.
It seems like there are lot’s of closings these days.

[Jennifer_Alcott]

Well, I may have to ask for “an extension” or ask them to ship the boots to me on my dime. I mean, seriously…what horse person who also has to work for a living doesn’t already have the next 48 hours of their life scheduled to the hilt!!!

I REALLY don’t like to whine in public, but I just think that this is a stinky business practice.

Of course, since the shop is closing, I guess it doesn’t really matter whether the consignors/customers are happy or not.

[Snow_Princess]

I’m glad you posted as i would not have known they were closing.

[Jennifer_Alcott]

[QUOTE=Snow Princess;4885439]
I’m glad you posted as i would not have known they were closing.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, and if you made that drive all the way from Canada to shop, and found the store closed, that would REALLY be annoying!

[chunky_munky]

The shop has been for sale for over 3 years. So like this is a big surprise?? i am sorry to see it go. Now we just have the Walmarts of tack shops left here.

[Jennifer_Alcott]

[QUOTE=chunky munky;4885484]
The shop has been for sale for over 3 years. So like this is a big surprise?? i am sorry to see it go. Now we just have the Walmarts of tack shops left here.[/QUOTE]

Well, it came as a surprise to me, but I’m not necessarily “in the know” on these things. And it certainly wasn’t mentioned when I brought my boots in recently to put on consignment!

I, too, am sorry to see it go, in spite of the fact that I’m a bit peeved about the way they’re treating the consignors. Up until now, I have had nothing but pleasant experiences with that shop!

[Beverley]

Nooooooo!

I am sorry for your unpleasant experience, but even sorrier for myself as they have been great to work with via long distance.

Curiously their web site gives no clue of their impending demise…

[Jennifer_Alcott]

UPDATE

I just called The Old Habit, and contrary to what the letter that was sent states, apparently consignors don’t HAVE to pick up their items by 5 p.m. on 5/26/10. In addition, they WILL have a room set aside for the remaining consignment items during the sale period; and that the store will most likely remain open until the end of June.

While I certainly appreciate this, it would have been nice if the letter that was sent reflected this reality, rather than the urgent situation that was stated in the letter.

Not that I don’t enjoy a good meltdown every now and then, but I have had plenty of valid causes for those in the past year…I didn’t need to have one that was totally unnecessary!!!

[JSwan]

Jennifer -

If you run out of time let me know and I’ll go pick them up and just mail 'em to you.

No sense in making a trip up here if you can avoid it, and I do go up to Marshall on occasion.

Sorry that the store is closing. Sort of the ending of an era, isn’t it. :no:

[Rockfish]

I guess I know where I’m going this weekend :yes:

[sar2008]

[QUOTE=Jennifer Alcott;4885374]

So today (5/24/10) I received a letter in the mail stating that The Old Habit is closing, and I must pick up my consignment item by 5 p.m. on 5/26/10–i.e., within 48 hours of receiving the letter!

I checked the postmark, thinking that perhaps the mail was just slow and the shop owner truly did try to give more than 48 hours’ notice. But no…the postmark says 5/22/10.

The letter goes on to say that they’ll be having a Retirement Sale starting on 5/27/10. In other words, there will most likely be a TON of traffic coming through the store starting on 5/27/10, but the people who have consignment items there won’t be given the opportunity to have their items sold amidst all that traffic.

Nice.

Oh, and the store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those of us who have that whole, you know, WORK thing going on sometimes have a hard time making that work. So out of the next 48 hours, I really only have 14 hours to retrieve my boots (which cost nearly $800 new, and they’re barely used, so it’s not like this is a $50 used set of reins that I can justify saying, “Oh, never mind…it’s not worth the time to go get them”). And the store is an hour away from home, and I have to be at a vet appointment in Ashland on Wednesday–TOTALLY the opposite direction of Marshall from me.

Maybe there are mitigating/emergency circumstances, but the letter simply states that the proprietor is retiring. Most people know a LITTLE bit further ahead of time that they plan to retire.

Needless to say, I will NOT be spending any money at the Retirement Sale after I pick up my boots.

(Rant over…)[/QUOTE]

I thought the same thing…I have loads of consignment stuff there, have a full time J-O-B, and live an hour away from there as well. I had a mini panic attack when I thought they were giving us only 2 DAYS :eek: to pick up our stuff…

[QUOTE=Jennifer Alcott;4887193]I just called The Old Habit, and contrary to what the letter that was sent states, apparently consignors don’t HAVE to pick up their items by 5 p.m. on 5/26/10. In addition, they WILL have a room set aside for the remaining consignment items during the sale period; and that the store will most likely remain open until the end of June.

While I certainly appreciate this, it would have been nice if the letter that was sent reflected this reality, rather than the urgent situation that was stated in the letter.

Not that I don’t enjoy a good meltdown every now and then, but I have had plenty of valid causes for those in the past year…I didn’t need to have one that was totally unnecessary!!![/QUOTE]

I did as well…I wonder how many calls they are getting with regards to this! :yes:

More then a few months or so back, I sold a few bridles and some girths and just recently got the check for it…then when Gillian told my mom they weren’t taking any more consignment stuff a couple weeks ago, I figured something was up…

[TBlitz]

The fox hunting shop in AR’s owners are retiring now too! Where are the cheap people supposed to shop after they close?!?!?

[Jaegermonster]

Jennifer what size are your boots?

[Jennifer_Alcott]

[QUOTE=Jaegermonster;4887572]
Jennifer what size are your boots?[/QUOTE]

Jaegermonster, I will PM you.

[headsupheelsdown]

Sounds like there is an opportunity for someone to open a shop!

[Painted_Wings]

Family business

We closed our family Tack Store business three years ago after being in business over 45 years. It just became too hard to make a living when competing with the internet and ebay.

We also found people shoplifted from us and then put the merchandise on ebay. Shoplifting was skyrocketing since people have an easy way to sell the items they shoplift. Shoplifting wasn’t for just personal use anymore.

Other costs of doing business keep skyrocketing and you just can’t make any money. The small business just doesn’t have a chance. The current administration is even less small business friendly.

We were facing a highway shut down for a year as well as aging owners. Someone came along with an offer for the property which fortunately they owned. The timing was good.

We were lucky to get out when we did. It was right before real estate to a big drop and we have been frought with health problems and both original owners have passed on during the last three years. We would not have been able to stay open and we would have gotten much less for the property.

[Painted_Wings]

Deals aren’t that great yet

don’t know when they will actually close but they aren’t making great deals yet. I called on a mens green tailcoat that I know has been in the store over 4 years. It’s priced at $799. The lowest they would go is $599. I can’t bring myself to pay $599 for a coat for my husband that he might wear once or twice a year. Rather invest it in a frock coat for him or green hunt coat. He got his basset colors this year and I havent’ dressed him yet at all.

[2720r]

Dehner’s just did a measuring session there last month. I guess they’ll have to ship the boots directly from Omaha.

I frequented the Old Habit. I rather liked the store, but I always had a feeling that the place was on its last legs. Every time I went there, I was the only one in the shop. I’ll check out the closing sale though. They were one of the few places besides Horse Country that had any meanswear to speak of. I have two saddles from there.