Saturday Business Spotlight: Take 2 Consignment and Thrift
[January 31, 2026] When
Kathy Buck unlocked the doors to Take 2 Consignment and Thrift for the
first time in November 2023, she did not plan to become a business owner
overnight. In fact, she had never run a business before. But when a long
time Lincoln storefront became available, one decision quickly led to
another — and Take 2 was born.
The shop occupies the former home of Pink Shutter, a donation-based
thrift store that operated in Lincoln for nearly 65 years. Pink Shutter
was funded through Memorial Health via the local hospital, Buck said,
but when that funding was terminated, the store was forced to close.
Buck said thrifting has been part of her life for decades.
“I was a customer in here, Pink Shutter, and I heard they were closing
down,” Buck said. “I had retired from the state of Illinois a few years
ago, and I’d always wanted to have my own thrift consignment store, so I
just checked into it, and the building was open. And that’s how it went.
It was just like, one day I was a store owner.”
Even though she had work experience in retail settings earlier in life,
Buck said owning and operating a store was new to her.
“No, I had never
run a business before,” she said, adding that when she was younger, she
had worked in places such as retail, grocery stores, and gas stations.
Buck said the first year of the store was made easier because of support
from Lincoln residents and from her family.
“The community was very supportive,” Buck said. “People wanting to
donate their time and help me in here.”
She said her family also supported the effort by helping with work
around the store, including “cleaning, painting, arranging.”
Buck, who has
lived in Lincoln all her life, said opening Take 2 was tied to something
personal.
“This was kind of just a hobby, a passion of mine,” she said. “So, I’m
trying to, you know, give back to the community.”
“I have people
that come in daily and they thank me for running this store, for having
this store,” she said. “And they always say, you know, Lincoln needs
more of this.”
Buck said affordability is one of the reasons those customers keep
coming back. She said many people are struggling with the cost of
everyday items and Take 2 is meant to be a place where families can shop
without feeling priced out.
“People can’t afford, you know, high prices,” she said. “So, yeah, I
think it really has impacted the town.”
“You take your kids to the store, and kids want these toys that are $60
and parents can’t afford it,” Buck said.
When gently used items come into Take 2, Buck said she works to keep
prices low — sometimes extremely low — so parents are not overwhelmed.
“When the nice, nicely used stuff comes in here, you know, I try and
keep it cheap,” she said. “I buy stuff for a quarter, [so] that parents,
when they come in, aren’t overwhelmed because their kid wants a $5 toy.
They can buy something for a quarter, you know, and everybody’s
satisfied that way.”
Take 2 operates through a consignment model, and Buck said many people
in the community participate. She said the store currently has about 750
consigners.
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“They bring in
great stuff,” Buck said.
Buck said she set her consignment split with a goal of helping others,
not maximizing profit. Consignors receive 50% of the revenue from items
that sell. Buck tied that approach to the legacy of Pink Shutter and to
her goal of keeping the store accessible for shoppers.
“I’m trying to keep Pink Shutter in mind too, how they, you know, had
lower prices for people who couldn’t afford a lot,” she said. “And
that’s kind of what I want to do. So, I gave the 50% so my consigners
would get a little more money.”
When asked about how she decides what to accept, Buck said she “pretty
much accepts everyone,” as long as the items meet basic standards. She
said products need to be in “very good condition” and “clean,” and she
looks for items that are free of smoke smell and pet hair.
As for what sells best, Buck stated, “Clothes are, you know, going to be
the top number one,” she said. “And I sell so much of so much clothes,
and I sell so much children’s clothes…I just sell a lot of…toys, home
decor. It just all moves so good.”
Buck also said she tries to support other small local businesses in
Lincoln, not just her own store.
“I try and go … to the other stores too, because I want to support them
too, small local businesses,” she said. “So, a couple times a year, you
know, I’ll go out and shop at their stores, you know, to help them too.”
She said that support is mutual.
Buck said Take 2 has also participated in local holiday efforts,
including an event described as Retail Therapy around Christmas time.
She also described a holiday promotion involving a stamp card program
where shoppers visited participating businesses, collected stamps, and
local businesses contributed gift cards for a drawing.
“At Christmas time, it was a card you went into so many and got a stamp,
and then the local businesses each put in, like a $25 gift card, and
there was a drawing, and the person would win … a gift card from
everyone,” Buck said.
Buck said she has a few women who volunteer and help her, and she also
credits her husband as a strong supporter.
“My husband helps me,” she said. “He’s a great supporter. He comes in
here. I’ve taught him how to run the cash register and hang clothes. He
does it all too well.”
For Buck, the best part of owning Take 2 is not a single category of
merchandise. It is the relationships.
“The best part
running this … for me is getting to know the people in the community
that you know maybe I wasn’t involved with before,” she said. “I love it
when they walk in the door and they know my name and I know their name.”
She said she also enjoys seeing people find affordable items they need,
including “nice stuff” and “brand name stuff at a reasonable price.”
“I just want people to know that…if they’re ever struggling or they’re
having a hard time, and they need some stuff, you know, to reach out to
me,” Buck said.
“The feeling it gives me when I can help someone,” Buck said, “I really
appreciate it.”
Take 2 Consignment and Thrift is located at 114 N. McLean Street, just
off Lincoln’s downtown square. Their listed hours are Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.
– 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can
find more information about Take 2 on their
Facebook page.
[Sophia Larimore] |
