MARYSVILLE — When husband and wife team Robert and Susan Scott decided they wanted to open a business of their own, they looked for a business model that would be as solid in tough economic times as it would be in good times.
Last month, they opened a Play It Again Sports franchise in
Marysville. The franchise offers a mix of new and used sporting goods and fitness equipment. The store is particularly helpful for parents, said the Scotts, who have three children.
“Kids are going to continue to play sports and continue to grow,” Robert Scott said. “Families are pinched and they’re looking for alternative ways to get their kids involved.”
Robert Scott, a sales professional, had been looking for a good business opportunity. The idea to open a Play It Again Sports came when the Scotts were at the hockey rink with their children. Susan Scott noted how often other parents commented on the need for a sporting goods store in the area. They discovered Play It Again Sports, part of Winmark Corp., which specializes in franchise opportunities in the areas of resale and value-oriented retail.
The Scotts said the only challenge to opening their store was collecting enough used inventory in advance of opening so initial shoppers would have a large selection. In the months leading up to the opening, the couple took to hunting garage sales in every spare moment. When they finally felt they had a good selection of used equipment in stock, they opened the store a few weeks before the official opening in order to buy even more used gear.
“We’re shooting for a mix of 60 percent new and 40 percent used,” Susan Scott said. “When customers come to bring in their gear, if they want to trade it in they get a better percentage. They do have the option of taking it in just cash.”
While items like children’s skates, hockey sticks, cleats and other sports gear generate the most interest, these and other items come in larger sizes for teens and adults as well.
“I never thought there would be a market for used golf shoes,” Robert Scott said. But he has discovered that quality used golf shoes as well as other golf-related gear are definitely of interest.
As the seasons change, so do the sports. The Scotts anticipate a strong interest in their selection of lacrosse gear once the hockey season has ended. Football gear, they imagine, will get traded in on soccer or baseball equipment.
With many New Year’s resolutions still intact and an abundance of holiday gifts to be recycled, the Scotts believe they will see a lot of activity in the fitness equipment department this month. In fact, it has already begun.
“I have someone coming in with a used treadmill that would like to try an elliptical,” Robert Scott said.
Although the franchise has only been open for a month, the Scott family is pleased with the warmth and reception they have received and look forward to their first year as business owners.
Play It Again Sports
8628 36th Ave. NE, Marysville
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