Thrift King Thrift Store
Oct. 30 2022 Maya Miller
From dangling items that adorn the ceiling to the furnished storefront lawn — Thrift King Thrift Store effortlessly captivates the attention of those walking down 13th Ave in Eugene, OR. Complimentary to the treasures harbored in the store is the owner Kehan Syed. Equally as unique, he’s been selling things his entire life. His playful business approach that curious customers come back for.
Originally from Portland, Syed was raised by a single mother who also enjoyed sales. He began practicing his salesmanship in elementary school, selling candy to students in the bathrooms. He believes watching his mother’s sales interactions heavily influenced his own. “Through Craigslist she sold cars and things like that — and she was always extremely generous,” Syed said. “Someone would offer a lowball offer and she would take it. I feel like I got that aspect from her.” In America, bargaining tends to be a practice that many people shame. The lack of experience Americans have with bargaining may be the source of this discomfort, but this didn’t shy Syed away from adopting the practice.
Leaving the bustle of Portland behind, Syed relocated to Eugene in June of 2021 in search of cheaper rent. He began his business selling items out of a garage and online. Finding great success in this approach, he was able to upgrade to his current location.
At Thrift King Thrift Store, some of the items for sale don’t have price tags. Customers are welcome to negotiate prices or offer items to trade at the counter. “I enjoy the bartering type interaction,” Syed said. When asked, loyal customer Ryan Doolittle added “I bring in a lot of stuff to trade and Kehan’s always fair.” Syed admitted that most of his customers don’t want to negotiate on a lower price. He attributes this to his deals already being cheap. “I don’t want someone to leave unhappy,” Syed said. “Even if they agreed to the price.”
Syed still has two years of his current lease remaining and is working on adding a new addition to the store. “I’m gonna open a coffee cart and call it the Coffee Queen,” said Syed. He plans for the cart to be in the store’s parking lot. Though his knowledge of coffee is limited Syed says, “I’ve always been doing this. I’m good at selling stuff, and I’m really good at it.”