The walls are freshly painted, the racks and shelves are stocked with gently-used finds, and the Nearly New Shop is ready for customers again.
After closing for the summer in July, the Nearly New Shop reopened this morning under new ownership. The store, run by Princeton Day School since World War II, is now owned by longtime manager Moira Mittnacht, who decided to buy the business after the school decided to close it.
An orange monarch butterfly now graces the logo of the second floor shop above Redding Plumbing on Nassau Street. The store also has extended hours, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. The store is closed Sundays.
“Every day several people have been knocking on our door to see if we are open,” Mittnacht said as a woman peeked in Friday while Mittnacht was putting some finishing touches on the shop for the grand reopenin. “We’re excited to open up again.”
Mittnacht has managed the store for a dozen years. She first served as a volunteer when her two boys attended Princeton Day School. School officials decided this spring to close the store that has been open since 1944, citing finances. There was an outcry from loyal patrons, who depend on the store for gently-used clothing and small household items at bargain basement prices. Many families and students depend on the store to make ends meet.
Princeton Day School families have continued to be generous in donating to the store, Mittnacht said. Donations are accepted during store hours, and the store also sells items on consignment. The store accepts clothing, household items, and books. The shop also has a large display of Princeton items.