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EDWARDSVILLE - Lucy Tallerico retired from being a speech therapist and wanted to do something to keep her busy and interacting with people.
In October 2017, she started Limoncello Resale Shop at 3624 Edwardsville Road on the outskirts of Edwardsville. At the beginning, she used the shop to help her declutter her life and minimize her household a bit. She had a good location for travelers between Wood River and Edwardsville, as the shop is located directly off Route 143. She had minimal signage and worked mostly through word of mouth. Eventually, she built quite the customer base. Those good times changed when work began on that roadway last April.
“We were catching momentum and doing great,” she said. “But when they closed the road from April through December, that crushed all the momentum we had going. Now is the time to rebuild. We're hoping to get some customers back.”
Unlike most resale shops in the area, Limoncello is neither a consignment shop nor an antique mall. Tallerico said she often cleans out the inventories of smaller shops and gift shops, meaning she has a shifting line of products. She said some constants include clothes, kids' toys and books. Items such as high-quality glassware and even office supplies come through at times, but furniture is a rarity. She did have some wrought iron outdoor furnishings recently, however.
Marketing for the shop has been difficult on a small budget as well. She said they rely on small signs by the roadside and customers recommending the shop. She said the price of large signage is out of their budget. She is sometimes assisted on social media by a neighboring shop.
“We are next door to the Red Barn Antique Shop,” she said. “They helped us promote the business on Facebook.”
In the future, Tallerico would like to expand her business so it can be a place for adults with special needs entering the workforce to learn how to maintain and manage a job.
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