A new secondhand store is set to open in Bridger on Friday.
The store will be called Second Hand Treasures and is owned by Shane and Lisa Loftus, who have been married for 35 years.
Shane said that his main motivation for the store at 105 E. Sunnyside Ave. was twofold. First, he was worried about becoming a hoarder.
"I have too much stuff," Shane said with a laugh Wednesday morning. "So I'm just trying to get rid of my stuff."
He added that the idea came to him multiple times, including the many times he visited his basement. His second reason: providing an affordable option that's close to his home.
"Something so we don't have to drive all the way to Billings," Shane said. "If you can just walk down the street and shop, it's nice."
Fortunately, his business partner and wife wholeheartedly agrees.
"I think it's important for people because if you want one little thing, you don't really want to run to Billings to grab it," Lisa said. "If you can get it secondhand, it'll be a lot cheaper."
The store is accepting donation items that can be sold, which Lisa said have already started flowing in.
"People I don't even know were asking me 'When are you opening?'" Lisa said. "'What's going on? Where's it at?'"
Both the Loftuses said it's exciting to see the community respond to their business idea.
"We're a throw-away culture anymore," Shane said. "So, if I can stop stuff from going into a landfill and somebody can use it, that's a better way of going."
And while setting up the shelves and sorting through their old belongings might seem stressful, for the Loftuses, it's a nice trip down memory lane.
"It's fun. I enjoy it," Shane said. "You find stuff you haven't seen in a long time, like little treasures."
