Wednesday, February 28, 2018

TLC Vintage Collection to Close Its Doors



TLC Vintage Collection will begin a store closing sale Thursday, March 1 after six-and-a-half years of business. It has been a wonderful journey but it is time for me, the owner Janet Roewe Piller, to move on to new adventures. We anticipate that our final day will be no later than end of business, Saturday, April 28. The store will close earlier if inventory is depleted. However, we will maintain our workshop schedule through Satuday, April 14.

With a few exceptions, everything in the store will be at 40 pct discount from listed price, unless marked sale price. The exception will be the Annie Sloan product line, including Chalk Paint, which will remain at our current prices, which are near the distributors required minimum price. If we run low on product, we will place another Chalk Paint and supplies order around April 1 for pre-paid customer needs.

Our customers who require product to be shipped may continue to shop on line until April 1, when we will close down our website at www.tlcvintagecollection.com. Shipping purchases after that date may be made by calling the store at 515-276-1577.

Store fixtures will also be for sale at very practical prices. Certain items may be paid for and reserved for collection when the store closes or special arrangement in order to assure shelving and lighting during the closing sale and until our door is locked the final time.

I cannot thank enough our 6,000 plus customers over the past many years for their patronage, friendship and loyalty. Thank you for sharing your projects with us and for turning to us for instruction, advice and a shared interest in beautifying furniture and your homes. I have learned so much from you and enjoyed the may friends I have made over the years.

TLC Vintage was fortunate to be the very first retailer of Annie Sloan products in Iowa. We rode the wave of the repurposing and upcycling and shabby chic markets and the enthusiasm for simpler do-it-yourself products that are eco-friendly. Now I can see that this was the perfect meeting of several movements and products. We are seeing a change now on a number of fronts: the very sharp rise in on-line purchasing and home delivery, a decline in the painted furniture movement, increased competition in sectors that we are prohibited from marketing in and a saturation of products in various areas that affect our store.

Those factors being what they are, it comes down to a business and personal decision. I have many interests and a wonderful family and home. All of those are beckoning to spend more time and energy enjoying and exploring them. Retail is hard -- don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Long weeks, long hours, lots of paperwork, seasonal changes in buying patterns. It is an experience that I thrived on and enjoyed -- like putting together the pieces of an ever-changing jigsaw puzzle.

We hope to see all of you at the store during the coming weeks to shop for your favorite products or to purchase that perfect vintage piece you have been eyeing for some time. My knowledge, desire to help my customers and passion for the hunt for vintage pieces does NOT get locked away when we turn off the lights and lock the doors the last time. I will be happy to assist you with product questions, where to shop in Iowa and beyond her borders for your favorite product lines or even to paint a custom piece for you. We will be happy to provide you with names of other retailers or share how we have found our one-of-a-kind over the years. Pick up another one of my business cards because my cell phone is readily available for a call from you.

Thank you, and once again we continue to appreciate your business and friendship.

All my best,    Janet Roewe Piller, owner
                        TLC Vintage Collection
                        515-276-1577 (store
                        tlcvintage@tlcvintagecollection.com