ARLINGTON — Aja Valm started “Alexander’s Attic” when she saw something missing for mothers in the community.
“There were tons of different consignment stores in Bothell, where we lived before,” said Valm, a mother of one child with another due this winter. “We moved to this area in January when my husband got a job with Boeing, but I couldn’t find any consignment stores, so I thought it might be a good idea to start one of my own.”
“Alexander’s Attic,” named after Valm’s son, opened in August after Valm came up with the idea in February. Its guiding philosophy is to cater to families in the same ways that Valm would want a consignment store to cater to her as a mother.
“When customers bring us gently-used, well-kept clothing that I as a mother would buy for my own child, it goes in the store for 60 days and is sold at a third of the retail price,” Valm said. “The customer gets 40 percent of that back in store credit.”
Given the current economy and the tendency of many children to grow out of clothes so quickly that “they can outgrow some clothes before they even wear them,” Valm touted consignment stores such as her own as a thrifty alternative.
Valm also cited the selection of her store, which includes clothing and shoes for children aged newborn to 16, prenatal and postpartum maternity clothes, picture frames and other decor items, and even some toys for younger kids.
“We have a kids’ play area in the store, so that they can have fun while their moms shop,” Valm said.
Valm reported that business has been picking up and going strong in recent weeks, as several Arlington customers have informed her that they used to drive as far as Everett or Stanwood to shop at children’s and maternity consignment stores.
“We’re really happy to be in Arlington,” Valm said. “We couldn’t have chosen a better location for our own family values, and we look forward to helping out the community.”
“Alexander’s Attic” is located at 125 N. Olympic Ave. in Arlington, and is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call them at 360-386-8041.
