Tom Knowles said he was inspired by his own family to open his children’s thrift shop, Little Monsters.
Photo: Kat Szmit
By Kat Szmit
The shop might be named “Little Monsters,” but owner Tom Knowles has big plans, not only for his shop, but also for another business venture to benefit the Sanford-Springvale community.
“The shop was kind of a means to an end, to be honest,” Knowles said. “What I wanted to do was open a play place for kids in Sanford. But it’s a lot more expensive than you think.”
Knowles needed funding and stumbled upon the idea for a thrift shop specializing in children’s items when he and his wife, Sabrina, were searching for affordable clothes and toys for their children, Laura and twin brothers Wayne and Kinkaid.
Their quest took them out of Sanford and all the way to Scarborough and Newington, NH. It was in Newington that they visited a children’s thrift shop and saw firsthand a business possibility. Knowles borrowed ideas from the Newington shop and drew up a plan. He found a spot for the new shop next door to Kids Kove Childcare and Learning Center in the rear of Main Street Marketplace (the former Midtown Mall) in Sanford.
The name of the shop comes from a nickname he’s had for his daughter Laura since she was a toddler.
“It’s a place where people can come and find stuff that’s not crazy, outrageously expensive, where people can do things on a budget,” Knowles said.
The goods Knowles sells include toys, clothing, jewelry, shoes, boots, Halloween costumes, and infant items such as swings, baths, nursing pillows, and much more. The only items he doesn’t accept are used mattresses and car seats, and any item that could be potentially harmful to children.
Knowles has been a retail manager for many years and said this is his opportunity to show that he’s got the skills necessary to run his own shop. But more than that, he wants to make it part of the community.
Knowles is hoping to partner with other businesses for events, especially those that support families with children. He’s also hoping that the shop will become successful enough to allow him to realize his play place dream.
“The ultimate goal is that this will pay for a kids’ play place somewhere in town,” Knowles said. “I want an indoor park where kids can play with big tube slides, the giant ball pit.”
Knowles also wants to ensure it has a sensory area, as well. He’s been talking with an organization specializing in such, and a collaboration is possible.
“It’s just going to take time,” he said.
Knowing that his shop is a help for local families brings him joy.
“We’re here for everybody,” Knowles said, adding that he tries to stick to the adage about leaving a place better than you found it. “That’s my whole goal, right there. If I can do that, it’ll be great.”
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