By Ginny Raue
BLOOMINGDALE — They were both City of Passaic firefighters. Gloria Silva, the only woman on the department, left after five years due to an injury. Her husband of 10 years, Domingo, retired after 23 years of service. Now the couple have a new venture and while not as dangerous as entering burning buildings, their new business produces some adrenaline-fueled moments.
“The Nifty Attic,” a unique thrift and gift shop, opened in December on Main St. in Bloomingdale. The Silvas were warmly welcomed by the town and business has been good.
Gloria, 41, has one daughter and three years ago she and Domingo became the guardians of two young boys. Taking on the financial responsibility of two more children brought home the need for bargain hunting, something Gloria took to heart.
Now with a business of their own, the Silvas are doing what they can, helping others find those great deals and donating goods on a regular basis.
The Silvas started of as “treasure hunters.” They were on an auctioneer’s e-mail list and occasionally bought the contents of an abandoned storage unit. Soon they had more items than they could keep, give away or sell at garage sales. A shop was the next logical step.
Staying close to their Wayne home, the couple settled on the Bloomingdale location and Domingo, a contractor, got the store into shape.
“I wanted to create a store with character, where everybody can find something. I wanted a comfortable environment,” Gloria said.
Keeping it all in the family, Olga Maldonado, Gloria’s mother, is a great asset to the business, covering the store while the Silvas are on shopping expeditions or joining her daughter on treasure-seeking junkets. “Thank God for mothers,” Gloria said.
Now regulars at storage room auctions, the Silvas must follow the rules; a quick look into the room and no touching. Bidding on the unit is always a crap shoot. The Silvas travel around the tri-state area and have wound up with both treasures and junk. They have found that the physical location of the unit isn’t always indicative of the value of the room’s contents.
The popularity of the TV show “Storage Wars” has driven auction prices upwards.
“Rooms are going higher now. You have to be careful with your money,” and for Gloria, a self-professed penny pincher, it can be nerve wracking. One of the first rooms they purchased cost seventy-five dollars.
“It seemed like a thousand. What if it were junk? I was nervous, but then, wow, we made five-hundred dollars on that unit. We put a little aside and then we did it again,” she said.
Now with the store to stock the Silvas go to three to six auctions a week. The merchandise turn-over in the store has prompted customers to stop by often and buyers are coming from all around the area.
“It’s been by word of mouth. They tell me that they were sent to the store, told that it would be well worth it,” she said.
At “The Nifty Attic” you can find furniture, knick-knacks, electronics, clothing, jewelry, one-of-a-kind items and more. Ninety-eight percent of it comes from storage units and the prices are right. How do they put a value on an item? Besides some internet searching, it’s personal.
“It’s crazy, but it’s what I would pay for it. Because I do that the prices are extremely reasonable. The customers say the prices are amazing. The whole idea was to have a thrift store for frugal buyers who are looking for a good deal,” Gloria said.
The shop has a certain character and the Silvas don’t like to “stack” inventory. As items sell new ones are brought in. While this is not a consignment shop, they occasionally buy or trade unique, odd or rare items. Sometimes they buy outright, sometimes they may issue a store credit.
“Almost all shoppers to 'The Nifty Attic' leave with something,” Gloria said. And that makes everyone happy.