Second Hand Shop Manager Retires

by David Croyle

Deborah Rosensteel has had the pleasure of working with the public at various jobs in her life. One particular job will hold a special place in her heart. She is retiring from the Second Hand Shop operated by H.A.V.I.N. (Helping Abused Victims in Need).

“I was the Store Manager at the Dollar Tree in Hilltop Plaza. I was with that company around 12 years. I started as cashier, then worked up to Assistant Manager, and then Manager.”

While those jobs had meaning, Rosensteel was looking for something more.
“I felt like I wanted to do something to help other people. And, I liked my job there, but I felt like I wasn’t really helping anyone, and so this made me feel like I could help somebody and just feel privileged to help the women that had to come to the shelter. ”

Rosensteel has managed the Second Hand Shop since it began 3 years ago in March 2013 in the 200-block of Market Street in Kittanning. The space became too small, and Rosensteel began urging HAVIN Executive Director JoEllen Bowman to consider larger quarters at 107 North Jefferson Street.

“You know Debbie pushed for us to move to a bigger location. It was during the state budget impasse and we were struggling with absorbing additional costs. It’s been one of the best moves we’ve made thanks to Deb’s push!” Bowman said.

Everything in the store is donated by local individuals. Rosensteel set the pricing for re-sale of the items, but not without doing her homework first.

“Before we opened the shop up on Market Street, I went around to a lot of 2nd hand shops and looked at prices and then priced up from there. After the shop opened, I listened to what the people were saying and I was hearing some of them saying that maybe our prices were a little high so I started to adjust just a little bit and they were happier with that. Also, we have sales every week and the customers really enjoy that. They look for the things that are on sale and shop that way as well.”

Pricing duties now will be passed on to the new store manager, Judy Rupp, who trained with Rosensteel for several weeks before her departure on May 28th.

Items available for purchase include clothing for men, women, and babies; houseware items, jewelry, used toys, books, and furniture. Rosensteel said the store accepts donations of items in a variety of categories.

“Just about everything sells. Some things we get more of, like women’s clothing, we get a lot of women’s clothing. But, then, furniture, we don’t get a lot of. Some things we get more of; some things we don’t. People buy anything. You never know what they are going to buy.”
Rosensteel and her husband live in Kittanning Borough. She said she felt now was the time to retire.

“It is sort of an age thing, but my husband had to retire for health reasons many years ago. And, since then, I went to work. I was a full-time mother and wife before that and then I went to work when he had to retire and so I’ve been working since then and just anxious to be retired with him and get to do some of the things he gets to do like go to the grandchildren’s ballgames and things like that that sometimes I couldn’t do because I was working.”

She said it will be difficult not seeing the customers every day.

“I’ve gotten to know a lot of people here and I’ll miss them, But I have a lot of things that I want to do. In the summer, it is going to be easier because we have a camp and we can go to camp. We love to ride bikes, bicycles. And, so. we can ride the trails. We like to ride all the different trails and we travel around and ride so we will be able to do that more. Just a lot of things I want to do, so I think it will be good.”

“I’ve loved the job. I’ve loved helping HAVIN. I’ve loved the customers and like I said have gotten to know a lot of the customers and have really enjoyed them. I’m more aware now of what HAVIN does and that it is very needed in this town. Many customers have come in and said things like ‘I want to support this shop because I had to go to HAVIN once and I had to be there’ and they will tell me their circumstances. I didn’t realize how bad things were in that area until I started to work for HAVIN until and now I know that there is very much a need for a shelter in town”

However, you could possibly see her face around the shop in the future.

“Yes, I do like to 2nd hand shop, so I will be shopping. And, maybe in the future, even coming to volunteer because we do accept volunteers here, so maybe in the future I will be volunteering as well.”