LAKEVIEW — Thrift store owner Jack Mages is blunt, but he breaks the news lightly.
"We're closing because business stinks," he said Thursday. While Something Old, Something New doesn't have a set closing date, its long history at 1056 W. Belmont Ave. will soon come to an end.
About four years ago, Mages began selling off his stretch of Belmont Avenue retail storefronts. L&L Academy and Preschool occupies the western half of the space, and Beef Shack staked its claim this summer on the building's east end.
Mages, 74, is working on leasing the remaining 7,000 square feet, and said he's willing to split it up to suit new businesses.
The thrift store has been around for decades, predating the Macklemore tune and the flood of hipsters prowling for vintage finds and '90s cartoon T-shirts. Customers either praise its selection of boots and overstock American Apparel or criticize its lack of true vintage.
"I grew up in a small town and this is exactly what thrift stores are! Sorry, you flannel-clad gang, but Ragstock is not a thrift store, Something Old, Something New is," a reviewer said on Yelp.
The consensus? Junky, but with gems.
"The store never really did that well," and business began to decline 14 years ago, Mages said. Once most of the stock is sold, Something Old, Something New will close for good.
Mages said things will be better for him financially with new renters in the space, but "it's sad I couldn't stay open.
"I would have liked to stay open as long as I live, but it's business. It's a matter of necessity."
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