By TARA SULLIVAN CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT
As thrifty Montgomery County residents look to stretch dollars during the recession, they are reinventing "economical." Local shop-keeps report a growing demand for repairs, and a blurred line between new and used. To keep up, many business owners are finding new ways to keep those old clocks ticking, family heirlooms shining, and classic cars running.
Jack Robichau, owner of the family-owned Robichau's Jewelry in The Woodlands, reacted when sales began to drop off with the economy.
"Where in the past someone might have purchased a $6,000 wedding set, now they're looking to spend $1,000," he said. "But they still want that good quality."
Previously, customers could trade in their old jewelry, helping toward the purchase of something new. The practice was a popular way to curb the cost of a custom piece of jewelry. When even that wasn't enough to keep high-end sales soaring, Robichau began offering a sort of jewelry recycling service.
"A one-carat center stone plus 10 to 12 diamonds is $7,000-worth of new diamonds. Gold costs $900 an ounce," he said.
"But we can take the pieces already owned, and make custom jewelry out of those same materials. The only charge is for labor."
Robichau said the service is becoming increasingly popular, allowing many gift-givers to recycle sentiment as well as gemstones.
"You get to take those older, sentimental pieces, maybe from grandma, and keep that in something new that you love."
Husband and wife team Dana Pritchard and Sean Rizk, owners of Woodlands Performance and Suspension, said they're seeing similar excitement over "new" old cars.
"People are saying, I can't buy the most expensive sports car, but I can jazz this one up a little bit," Pritchard said. "There's actually a lot you can do with an older car that's in good condition."
Pritchard said the shop's customer base previously lied with classic car enthusiasts and hobbyists, but a growing number of customers have been simply ready for a "new" old car. And she said an upgrade can bring just as many smiles as a new purchase.
"People are really pleased," she said. "They get their car and the wife smiles because there's a little extra left for her to get what she wants."
At A Plus Computer Fix, Frank Vargas said many customers come through his doors who two years ago would've just purchased a new computer altogether.
"The economy is the reason," he said. "The people who bring them in just can't afford a new one."
For most computer owners, Vargas said hardware isn't usually the problem, making it smarter to fix rather than replace anyhow.
"One out of two computers that are brought here are just infected with a virus," he said.
With a few tools of the trade, Vargas and his team get those old computers running like new again, often saving customers from losing precious data. In addition to money, Vargas' computer repairs also saves customers the headache that comes along with learning a new system.
Around Montgomery County, business owners seem optimistic that the market will eventually return to normal. But for now, they're toying with the newfound niche markets.
"We've been through this before during the 80s, Robichau said. "There is a light at the end of the tunnel."
