So let me tell you a story of how Arizona Trading Co. started twenty-five years ago.
I was twenty-two years old and majoring in art history at KU. To make a long, sordid story short, my college funds were tied up in my parents' divorce, and I suddenly found myself with no money with which to continue my schooling. I had moved to Lawrence via Kansas City from Tucson, Arizona a couple of years before, and had worked at used-clothing stores there. I loved and became addicted to the idea of trading clothing and having a constantly-changing wardrobe while spending no money.
With my mom as my major investor--she offered her savings of $10,000, an absolute fortune to both of us at the time--I rented the space downtown at 734 Massachusetts, owned by the Malott family (who had run a hardware store in that space for the previous two generations). Terry Malott, who managed the space, was openly skeptical of my idea and kept telling me I needed to sell furniture instead.
Since I was still finishing up my semester at KU and couldn't open the store immediately, plus we didn't have any inventory, I decided to open the store just on weekends, specifically just to buy clothing. I made hand-drawn fliers and posted them around town, and the response was unbelievable. As the only buyer and generally the only person working, I bought all day long and was THRILLED that people bothered to respond to my flier. Because we were trying to build inventory, we couldn't sell anything yet, so I just told people we didn't have a sales tax number yet and couldn't sell merchandise. Which was true. But it also gave people an idea of how much great stuff we would have to sell the second the store opened, so there was lots of incentive for them to come back.
In terms of the store itself, I didn't really decorate much--I didn't have the time or money enough, and it kind of seemed beside the point--I wanted to spend my resources on clothes, not décor. My mom made the window sign at her office, and the buying counter came from the basement of King of Jeans (now Wa)--I don't remember at all how we made that deal, I only remember me and this poor King of Jeans employee carrying the counter, which weighed roughly 2,000 pounds, down the alley and up the stairs to the back door of the store, where we put it down and he promptly lit a cigarette.
And I get asked about our name all the time. The answer is, after a 12-hour day of buying clothes, I was sitting with my mom at Free State, and we were trying to come up with a name. She suggested Arizona Trading Co., since I had just moved from Arizona and we were going to be in the business of trading, and my exhausted brain just said, "Sure. Great. Love it." There have been many, many times I've wanted to change it, but apparently it works so I've grown to accept it and love it because it sprang out of just wanting to get the store open, and I still remember exactly how that felt.
So December 7 marks the first day I started buying clothes. I made it through that month--I will never forget walking down the sidewalk on campus, heading to my last final, thinking, "Don't pass out. Just one more final. Don't pass out." After finals were over, I spent the break arranging and tagging clothing, hiring employees (their names were Kathy Maxwell and Tristan Lester, and they were awesome and I have no idea where they are now, I wish I did). I celebrated New Year's Eve that year watching Sin City Disciples play the Bottleneck, then we officially opened January 2, 1992. The first day we opened, there was a line out the door, and we made enough money to pay the first month's rent.
As for my mom, I paid off my loan to her within three months. She continued to act as my accountant for a while, and continues to give me excellent business advice. Without her support, opening the store would have been much more difficult, or wouldn't have happened at all.
Basically, the story of Arizona Trading Co. is a selfish one. I desperately wanted a store in Lawrence like mine--not just for everyone else, but for myself! I was thinking about me, just like any other twenty-two year old. I wasn't even thinking six months down the road, let alone twenty-five years. Having now had those years to explore the world, acquire a son, partner with the incomparable Venus Nichols, and having the challenges of business allow me to show myself how strong and savvy and resourceful I actually am, I am grateful beyond words to still have the business thriving and in my possession. It is truly a calling--not just the porn-like allure of clothing I feel, but the true positive impact ATC has on the community and the relationships I've formed with twenty-five years' worth of employees and customers. It's overwhelming to think of it.
Thank you for reading this, and thanks for helping bring us into our twenty-fifth year!
Love,
Jennifer
ps. please comment if you were in Lawrence around the time we opened --I would love to hear your memories/thoughts/impressions of us at that time! I'm sure there are some real gems out there...
I think this is a standout amongst the most critical data for me. What"s more, i"m happy perusing your article. Be that as it may, ought to comment on some broad things
Website: https://111.90.140.159/
https://fearlessandfree.joelosteen.com/lk21/
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-mecca
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/home
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-jedaah-elhamdniah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-yanbu
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-najran
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-Jizan
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/jazan
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/taif
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/moversjeddah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-abha
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elahsa
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elkhobar
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elkharj
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elmadina-elmnowara
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-eljubail
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elqassim
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-hafrelbatin
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elbaha
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-jeddah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-dammam
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-taif
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-burydah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-tabuk
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-hail
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-khamis-mushait
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-rabigh
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/madina
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/mecca
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/dammam
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/jeddah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/ahsa
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/cleaning-mecca
http://fullservicelavoro.com/ شركة ريلاكس لنقل العفش والاثاث
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-taif-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالطائف
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/08/transfer-movers-riyadh-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالرياض
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/08/transfer-movers-jeddah-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بجدة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/01/transfer-and-movers-furniture-mecca/ شركة نقل عفش بمكة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-madina-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالمدينة المنورة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-khamis-mushait-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بخميس مشيط
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/09/transfer-movers-abha-furniture/ شركة نقل اثاث بابها
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-najran-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بنجران
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/16/transfer-movers-hail-furniture/ ِشركة نقل عفش بحائل
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/16/transfer-movers-qassim-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالقصيم
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/02/02/transfer-movers-furniture-in-bahaa/ شركة نقل عفش بالباحة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/13/transfer-movers-yanbu-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بينبع
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/18/%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a7-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%87%d8%a7/ دينا نقل عفش بابها
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/13/%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A7%D8%AB-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA/ نقل الاثاث بالمدينة المنورة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/12/%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AE%D8%B5-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%83%D8%A9/ ارخص شركة نقل عفش بمكة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-elkharj-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالخرج
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-baqaa-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالبقعاء
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/02/05/transfer-furniture-in-jazan/ شركة نقل عفش بجازان
شركة كيان لنقل العفش بالرياض والمدينة المنورة وجدة ومكة والطائف والدمام تقديم لكم دليل كامل لشركات نقل العفش بالمملكة العربية السعودية
https://mycanadafitness.com/ شركة كيان لنقل العفش
https://mycanadafitness.com/forum.html منتدي نقل العفش
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureriyadh.html شركة نقل اثاث بالرياض
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturejaddah.html شركة نقل اثاث بجدة
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituremecca.html شركة نقل اثاث بمكة
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituretaif.html شركة نقل اثاث بالطائف
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituremadina.html شركة نقل اثاث بالمدينة المنورة
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituredammam.html شركة نقل اثاث بالدمام
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturekhobar.html شركة نقل اثاث بالخبر
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituredhahran.html شركة نقل اثاث بالظهران
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturejubail.html شركة نقل اثاث بالجبيل
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureqatif.html شركة نقل اثاث بالقطيف
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureahsa.html شركة نقل اثاث بالاحساء
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturekharj.html شركة نقل اثاث بالخرج
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturekhamismushit.html شركة نقل اثاث بخميس مشيط
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureabha.html شركة نقل اثاث بابها
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturenajran.html شركة نقل اثاث بنجران
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturejazan.html شركة نقل اثاث بجازان
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureasir.html شركة نقل اثاث بعسير
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturehail.html شركة نقل اثاث بحائل
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureqassim.html شركة نقل عفش بالقصيم
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureyanbu.html شركة نقل اثاث بينبع
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureburaidah.html شركة نقل عفش ببريدة
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturehafralbatin.html شركة نقل عفش بحفر الباطن
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturerabigh.html شركة نقل عفش برابغ
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituretabuk.html شركة نقل عفش بتبوك
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureasfan.html شركة نقل عفش بعسفان
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituresharora.html شركة نقل عفش بشرورة
https://mycanadafitness.com/companis-moving-riyadh.html شركات نقل العفش بالرياض
https://mycanadafitness.com/cars-moving-riyadh.html سيارات نقل العفش بالرياض
https://mycanadafitness.com/company-number-moving-riyadh.html ارقام شركات نقل العفش بالرياض
https://mycanadafitness.com/company-moving-jeddah.html شركات نقل العفش بجدة
https://mycanadafitness.com/price-moving-jeddah.html اسعار نقل العفش بجدة
https://mycanadafitness.com/company-moving-mecca.html شركات نقل العفش بمكة
http://www.domyate.com/2019/08/27/transfer-furniture-north-riyadh/ نقل عفش شمال الرياض
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/05/movers-company-khamis-mushait/ شركات نقل عفش بخميس مشيط
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/05/10-company-transfer-furniture-khamis-mushait/ شركة نقل العفش بخميس مشيط
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/05/all-transfer-furniture-khamis-mushait/ شركات نقل اثاث بخميس مشيط
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/05/best-company-transfer-furniture-khamis-mushit/ افضل شركات نقل اثاث بخميس مشيط
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/05/company-transfer-furniture-khamis-mushit/ شركات نقل اثاث بخميس مشيط
http://www.domyate.com/category/%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%A9/ نقل عفش جدة
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/25/movers-furniture-from-jeddah-to-jordan/ نقل عفش من جدة الي الاردن
http://www.domyate.com/2019/10/03/price-cleaning-tanks-in-jeddah/ اسعار شركات تنظيف خزانات بجدة
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/25/movers-furniture-from-jeddah-to-egypt/ نقل عفش من جدة الي مصر
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/24/movers-furniture-from-jeddah-to-lebanon/ نقل عفش من جدة الي لبنان
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/22/%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%ac%d8%ad-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%a7%d8%ab%d8%a7%d8%ab-%d8%a8%d8%ac%d8%af%d8%a9/ شركات نقل اثاث بجدة
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/22/best-company-movers-jeddah/ افضل شركات نقل اثاث جدة
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/22/company-transfer-furniture-yanbu/ شركات نقل العفش بينبع
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/21/taif-transfer-furniture-company/ شركة نقل عفش في الطائف
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/21/%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4/ شركات نقل العفش
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/21/%d8%b7%d8%b1%d9%82-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4/ طرق نقل العفش
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/20/%d8%ae%d8%b7%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%ab%d8%a7%d8%ab/ خطوات نقل العفش والاثاث
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/20/best-10-company-transfer-furniture/ افضل 10 شركات نقل عفش
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/20/%d9%83%d9%8a%d9%81-%d9%8a%d8%aa%d9%85-%d8%a7%d8%ae%d8%aa%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%ab%d8%a7%d8%ab/ اختيار شركات نقل العفش والاثاث
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/20/cleaning-company-house-taif/ شركة تنظيف منازل بالطائف
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/20/company-cleaning-home-in-taif/ شركة تنظيف شقق بالطائف
http://www.domyate.com/2019/09/20/taif-cleaning-company-villas/ شركة تنظيف فلل بالطائف
http://www.domyate.com/ شركة نقل عفش
http://www.domyate.com/2017/09/21/%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%86/ نقل العفش والتخزين
http://www.domyate.com/2016/07/02/transfer-furniture-dammam شركة نقل عفش بالدمام
http://www.domyate.com/2015/11/12/%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9/ شركة نقل عفش بالمدينة المنورة
http://www.domyate.com/2016/06/05/transfer-furniture-jeddah/ شركة نقل عفش بجدة
http://www.domyate.com/2017/08/10/movers-company-mecca-naql/ شركات نقل العفش بمكة
http://www.domyate.com/2016/06/05/transfer-furniture-mecca/ شركة نقل عفش بمكة
http://www.domyate.com/2016/06/05/transfer-furniture-taif/ شركة نقل عفش بالطائف
http://www.domyate.com/2016/06/05/transfer-furniture-riyadh/ شركة نقل عفش بالرياض
http://www.domyate.com/2016/06/05/transfer-furniture-yanbu/ شركة نقل عفش بينبع
http://www.domyate.com/category/%D8%AE%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%86/ نقل العفش والتخزين
http://www.domyate.com/2015/08/30/furniture-transport-company-in-almadinah/ شركة نقل عفش بالمدينة المنورة
http://www.domyate.com/2016/06/05/transfer-furniture-medina-almonawara/ شركة نقل عفش بالمدينة المنورة
http://www.domyate.com/2018/10/13/%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B2%D8%A9/ نقل عفش بجدة
http://www.domyate.com/2016/07/22/%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%ae%d8%b5-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%86%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%a9/ ارخص شركة نقل عفش بالمدينة المنورة
http://www.domyate.com/2016/07/25/%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%8A%D9%85/ شركة نقل عفش بالقصيم
http://www.domyate.com/2016/07/25/%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%A8%D8%AE%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D9%85%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%B7/ شركة نقل عفش بخميس مشيط
http://www.domyate.com/2016/07/25/%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A7/ شركة نقل عفش بابها
http://www.domyate.com/2016/07/23/%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%A8%D8%AA%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%83/ شركة نقل عفش بتبوك