Taryn’s Treasure open for business in downtown
Published 8:32 am Monday, November 26, 2018
- Star Photo/Andrew Wadovick Perry Ashley named the store after his four-year-old daughter. Taryn's Treasure originally opened in Johnson City last year, but he said he changed locations after seeing how the community rallied around downtown businesses.
A treasure chest has been revealed in downtown Elizabethton, and the owners hope the town comes by to find the gold they are willing to share.
Perry and Sarah Ashley opened their store for the first time Saturday, a store that was originally located in Johnson City.
“We love the area,” Perry Ashley said. “We love how the community supports downtown.”
The shop, Taryn’s Treasure, is a kind of retail store that purchases overstock from bigger retailers like Amazon and Walmart.
“A lot of it is shelf pull or holiday items, while some of it is returns from those stores,” he said.
Ashley has been in business for about a year since he opened in Johnson City. He said he named the store after his four-year-old daughter, Taryn.
“She thinks it is magical here,” Ashley said.
The family actually lives in Elizabethton. After opening the business in Johnson City, he said the location was not good for business.
“Commercial space in Johnson City is expensive,” Ashley said. “My store was off the beaten track, so the traffic was low. In addition, many of my customers came from Elizabethton anyway.”
Ashley said he purchases items by the palette, anywhere from 250 to 1,500 items at a time, acquiring items through a private broker that then lets him sell the items in his store for almost half the retail price.
“This is a store that cannot be easily replaced,” he said. “We are not competing with retailers.”
In addition to traditional items, Taryn’s Treasure also sells more expensive items, but not through the physical store.
“We sell more expensive items through eBay,” he said. “For example, I have a $1,000 chandelier,” Ashley said he was both nervous and hopeful as he joined the ranks of downtown businesses this weekend.
“I am hopeful the community will support us,’ he said. “Our prices are already pretty low.”
During the opening day, Taryn’s Treasure offered special sales on certain items and even gave away some items as a taste of what the store has to offer.
“Come on and check us out,” Ashley said. “You never know what treasures you will find.”
