By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor
Consignment shopping has been a longtime hobby for friends Susan Rafalco and Nancy Coggin.
And with Susan living in Tampa and Nancy in Lakeland, the pair would often meet in Plant City.
“We love Plant City, and we kind of romanticize Plant City a little bit,” Rafalco said. “I always tease and say that there’s something in the water here, because everyone is so wonderful.”
Rafalco and Coggin shopped at a lot of the shops in Plant City, including Stacy’s Consignment on West Reynolds Street in the Historic District. They became friends with owner Valerie De Armond and mentioned that they were thinking about opening their own store.
“We asked her how she would feel about that, because obviously we don’t want to hurt anybody, and she said go open a store across the street,” Rafalco said.
So, that’s exactly what they did.
Oh My! Consignments and Boutique opened in August and held its grand opening with the Plant City Chamber of Commerce last week.
“We decided to wait a little bit to have our grand opening to get our feet wet a little bit,” Rafalco said.
With the De Armond’s help, Oh My! has amassed a healthy assortment of items, including low-cost to high-end fashion, artwork, jewelry and even a set of golf clubs.
“We’re carrying perhaps a little more clothing than some stores, but we have a variety of accessories and home décor items,” Rafalco said.
Rafalco also noted that with consignment shopping, variety can be a positive thing.
“You can have three of us, and it actually can help drive business, because people will come and want to shop at more than one,” she said.
For Coggin, the store is a chance for her to connect with people and give customers an inviting consignment shopping experience.
“I’m not in this to make a fortune,” she said. “We want to provide a place where customers can go to and feel comfortable. It’s not really about the money as much as it is about getting out and talking to people.”
BASICS
Oh My! Consignments and Boutique
Address: 116 W. Reynolds St.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday
Phone: (813) 704-4899
Email: OhMyConsignment@gmail.com