To a small business, community should be everything.  Community should support any Ma/Pa small business due to the fact we are here for you, not the Big Box stores with all the long lines, no customer service, high prices, etc....There is nothing more discouraging than reading a comment on the business Facebook page or Google review that states...this business has such high prices!  You could buy new at that price...LOL  You have to laugh but it is discouraging.  Do customers not understand that we are not a thrift store?  We are a consignment, we sell items for consignors and they get 40% of the price an item sells for....take an item sells for $10 they get $4 the store gets $6.  Our prices haven't changed in a few years, but are overhead has.  But as you know prices for groceries, gas and even employee wages have gone up.  TQ cannot compete with Walmart/Dollar General items at their low costs.  But we don't carry their items in our store.  We try not to, but something might just slip by our receiving department.  We are not perfect, some stains might slip by us, but if you see it, then it should  go for $1 just to pay for the processing tag.  But "top quality" items price  higher than $10, maybe $12-$20 depending on the item.  Let's think Under Armour, Maurices, Talbots, Chico's and Miss Me just to name a few.  They price new anywhere from $30 or higher.  If they go on sale for 50% OFF, then the lowest price is $15 or higher.  So if you buy a Talbot shirt NEW for $50, then it goes 1/2 at their store $25, but at our store it's only $14 in great shape, that's a bargain!  And then the consignor gets $5.60 , the store $8.40.  TQ has to sell many items in order to pay the overhead, with the largest expense payroll.  I believe our employees deserve a livable wage, don't you?  TQ expenses have gone up just like everything else, but the prices have stayed the same.    
The encouragement I receive is from the employees.  I do everything I can to push sales, and we have many of those!  Daily with 10% off for paying cash, our senior discount and our Veteran's!  There is 30% off right there everyday if you qualify for all 3 discounts.  Anything I do to increase the sales, is pushing toward a goal of paying them a better wage.  Even with the wage they receive, they earn every penny of it, and they work hard for you!,
whether it's in receiving going through your drop off items or at the register.  We laugh, play and work hard all day long.  I enjoy my job the most at the moments when I can give back not just to my community, but also to TQ employees.  LOVE each and everyone of them!  God bless and remember, SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES

Yes, it is that time again.  Our little ones are off to another year of school, sometimes the first OR off to college!   This is not just hard for them, but for parents too.  The anxiety of our little ones growing up so fast!  Where does the time fly, especially leaving the nest off to college OR moving out on their own.  It is a new beginning for everyone even parents.  
BUT not just for home life, but for a work family also.  Here at TQ, we have many long term employees. I am trainer, teacher, therapist (LOL), coworker, boss, and FAMILY!  I have employees that have become family and even best friends for life.  I get frustrated, mad and even love all of them!  I care about what they are going through and I will help anyway that I can.  When they decide to resign for reasons I cannot compete with, such has benefits, higher wage, or passionate about moving on...I cannot stop them.  I love them and wish them well.  They are leaving the nest of my employment and off to another for future growth in themselves and society.  I am saddened by these changes.  If I could, I would keep all of them under my wing.  But life goes on beyond home or work.  They must sprout new wings into their new life without me.  All I can do is let them go, pray for them and have God protect them in their future endeavors.  I wish them all SUCCESS, the past and present employees.

Well I have to admit...and I am willing to do so....TQ has great employees!  How many businesses can actually say they love their crew?  Small mom and pop stores are hard to come by, but here at TQ we support our local small business and their crews!  I appreciate every single one....they are my work family and not just co-workers. I care about them and am willing to go the extra mile if they need something I can help with.  We are all human and have life going on around us whether good or bad, and sometimes we just need a HUG and for someone to show they care.  It's not all about the business.  Without your crew, there would be no business.  Without our loyal customers there would be no business.
​I have been working for TQ now since 2002....left a couple of years to take care of my mother, and then back to pay for her Assisted Living expenses.  20 years is a long time....I believe the longest at any job that I have held.
I have been in Office Management, Banking, and then Retail.  I do believe that Retail is the best job ever.  I have a wonderful boss!  I am his employee and he can trust me to do the right thing for his small business, TQ.  I appreciate him also.  Small business  may not pay the most, but they do care the most.  And sometimes if the job is flexible due to elderly parents, children, health reasons, etc....it out weighs the paycheck.  A boss willing to listen and help and the TQ team willing to pull together is what it's all about.  If everyone would revert back to the better days of being neighborly, friendly, helpful with no expectations of anything in return....just being a GOOD person is worth all the gold in the world. 
And if the small business can reciprocate by a pay increase, then they should do so if the budget allows.  Because all employees should be compensated for all their hard work.  
A shout out to all small business employees!  As our senior employee Mellony would say, "YOU ROCK"!

Well, as Rhonda, TQ's manager says, it's another Birthday, another YEAR!  This September and mine in October, we both have Birthdays.  I will be the big 60.....in the past it never mattered much it was just a number.....but this year seems to be a little different. I'm the youngest of 7, and we are all aging at the same pace.  My oldest brother will be 76 and that seems scary to me. I'm sure it's even scarier to him.  And it goes by so fast....what happened to when you were in grade school or even high school...and the time just dragged and you couldn't wait to get graduate and become and adult?  Well, tell your kids to stay young forever...no matter what age.  Don't be in any hurry to grow up...it's not all that grand being an adult.  Even at 60 it wouldn't be so bad if your body would stay healthy!  There's no control! Emotions, body noises, weight gain,. etc...So another year....be grateful for another day, or waking up in the morning OR even having all your limbs, eyesight, or hearing.  I could go on and on, but let's cover hearing....my husband is so deaf.  He won't admit it, but at 68 he is finally ready to go see the Audiologist for a hearing aid.  He is the oldest of 3, and his younger brother beat him to getting hearing aids.
Talk about stubborn...but we getting it done this month.  If he wouldn't have waited so long, those hearing aids might have been cheaper.  LOL...So every morning tell yourself to be grateful, that you are blessed, and you are a child of GOD! and that life goes on. Take it day by day. It might eventually sink in.  If not, God is in control of this day, this month and even the next year!  There it goes....another year! 

Well that could be more than one thing.
  Almost done with COVID! we hope anyways.
  Almost on that diet plan for the new year!  Maybe
Almost....spring! maybe 1 more blast of winter.
Almost Almost Almost...we can challenge ourselves everyday with these thoughts. 
Thoughts become actions.  Almost doesn't count.  Do or die? or Do or at least try!?
You can never fail if you just try.  My parents expressed  to us kids, (7 in total) to at least try.  You never know what may be in store for you.  Courage is hard to come by.  You have to muster up from your gut, sweat a little, feel faint, heart pounding, than just TRY! The feeling of an accomplishment is a miracle to you. To your self worth, your self esteem, just a better YOU!  A better you is what you strive for, an improvement of yourself each and every day.  Grow a little, expand your horizons, experience life each and every day as a new you.  Try your best in everything you do and you shall succeed. Your almost there!  and there is always tomorrow. 

Well here we go again, in so many ways.  Change is good for the soul, although we as humans don't like change, it helps us grow and give others a chance to do the same.  Let's start off with the season change.  Well, it hasn't! LOL  It's still hot, still sticky and sweaty and not very pleasant.  Most of us enjoy the fall season and are WAITING for it to show up, the sooner the better for retail.  When the weather changes, sales go up and everyone is usually in a better mood.  Second, the allergies and illnesses going around.  From sinus infections to plain allergies to strep throat are affecting most of us and for sure 50% of my employees.  Take those vitamins girls, and from the lips of Margaret (my favorite for this) a tablespoon of raw honey a day sure did make my sore throat go away!  HA it rhymed. Third, school has started once again and there are a lot of changes for those kiddos out there. If you have moved it could be a whole new school.  It could be new friends, new classes, new sports, etc...So much for the kiddos and teenagers to adjust to.  Remember, they are resilient.  I moved every 2 years if not more as a youngster at least 7 different schools and I survived.  I believe it makes us stronger and helps us learn to adapt and grow in this society today.  Phil 4:13 "I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me"  that is what we need to teach our children.  And then there is safety for our schools.  I will not go into details how I feel about this matter, but I do believe prayer is the answer.  Pray America! The last change is difficult for me.  My Store Manager, Amanda.... has given me her 2 weeks notice.  Ugh, here we go again.  I have been thru many store managers, most have moved on to bigger things which I understand.  This doesn't make it any easier for me.  Yes, I admit I closed my office door and had a good cry of frustration.  Again, here we go again.  It's that change as humans we do not like.  But I pulled up my big girl panties, dried my eyes, and reached for my devotional "Jesus calling" on my desk.  And as expected it was what I needed.    I will not quote the whole thing but here is a short version, "Bring Me all your needs, your hopes and fears.  Commit everything into My care, turn your path of planning to the path of Peace."   Peace is what I need, and I know I will receive it if I give everything to Him.  Let it go, let it go....that frozen song imbedded into our minds came into play.  I say this to my employees all the time, I need to hear  my own words.  Well, change I am ready for you! Bring it on, God's got this.  I wish Amanda well in the future, and she will be sorely missed here at TQ.  And for all you out there dealing with change....let it go, let it go....(gotcha).

Good Day everyone!  Kids are out of school and summer begins.  Vacations will soon be here and gone.  Long nights of catching lightning bugs, campfires with smores, and swimming in the lake or laying in the sun relaxing will soon be memories.  As a kid many moons ago, my family would take off to Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri just about every weekend.  Boating, skiing, floating in a tire tube (a real one not store bought) in the lake to cool off was the highlight of many weekends.  School back then would be out just before Memorial day and not go back in session until after Labor Day.  As a kid that was how you knew summer was over.  That last weekend in the Ozarks Labor Day Weekend was the final days of summer for us.  A long summer of fun, friends and family you treasure. If we were not there on weekends, we would be at home riding bikes, playing baseball frisbee in the streets, and of course or chores of cuttings grass and weed eating for money.  I remember when my brother Kevin would cut the grass and I would weed eat the yards with a handheld trimmer, for $2 the yard and $1 for trimming.  What a deal that was!!! We had  several customers in the mobile home subdivision we lived in at the time.  I would hold on to the lawn mover behind the bike and the trimmer while Kevin pedaled every yard we had scheduled that day.  Nowadays, you can't find a kid in your subdivision who even wants to cut your grass or snow shovel your driveway.  They are missing out on so much spare money plus the teachings of good work ethics.  I am so blessed to have grown up in those days and not now in the technology era.  Kids don't know what they are missing out on.  Parents, please show your kids the value of the $ and working for it.  It will help them in their future more than you know.  Value the dollar by buying second hand and recycling items instead of tossing or throwing away into our refuse.  Help each other, be KIND to one another and have  good old fashion clean FUN this summer with your family and friends.  Cherish those memories and never forget.  ENJOY!!!

Parenting....what a lifetime commitment.  As I reflect on this season, my thoughts go to the children.  Recently, TQ's 3rd key manager, Linda had a baby girl.  She was born on my own daughter's birthday...so that will make it easy for me to remember.  As you know getting older you forget a few things here and there.  I was talking to Linda the other night on the way home from work, asking her how the baby was doing and herself.  You see, the little girl was born early and was in NICU at Baptist Health.  Linda was waiting patiently for the OK to take her home, but until that time comes, the nurses take care of her, Linda visits her and we prayer for her continued health.  Well on one visit, Linda explained to me that she tries not to be there when they need to take blood from the baby.  As most parents know this will break your heart.  The cries, the pain, the waiting for it to be over.  I had to experience this with my own daughter as I know most of the parents out there have also.  It's heart wrenching!  Knowing that your child has to suffer thru this for her own good, but there is nothing you can do, it's out of your control.  What a horrible feeling.  As I reflected on my experience and listened to Linda's....it brought back memories.    When I was 6 yrs old, I had my tonsils taken out in the hospital.  Back then it was an overnight or 2 day stay in the hospital.  For me a little longer.  You see, the anesthesia made me vomit.  This happens to a lot of people to my understanding. This was my first surgery I believe.  I remember going back into the operating room 3 times due to my stitches breaking loose from the upchucking.  UGH!  That last time, I remember screaming to my mom "Mom help me!"  and she just sat there in the chair so still.  After that, I never saw my mother go with me to the hospital, it was always my Dad and sister, Linda.  No I know why...it dawned on me that she too felt helpless, and had no control.  She was watching her child in pain and could do nothing.   And then as I was talking to my 3rd Key, Linda...a light bulb went off in my head.  This had to be the same pain that God felt watching Jesus suffer and die on the cross.  Heart wrenching, and HE knowing that HE would not do anything, because HE loved all of us that HE sent his only son, Jesus to do just that.  Die for us so that we may LIVE!  So remember this season and what it's all about...take time to reflect and be thankful.  Celebrate His Life!  For a child is born unto us.....Jesus!
I'm forever thankful!   Merry Christmas!!!

As I sit here in the evening on Thanksgiving night, full from the too much family meal, I reflect on the day and the days to come.  Thankful for the family of today, for the husband in Louisville I miss, and content sitting at the home with Pepper, my rescue dog and 2 senior cats Astro and Bunny, current family members.  Tomorrow starts off with the shopping madness either here at Top Quality or at other retail businesses.  I hope and pray that you spend wisely, not to overextend your budget, and remember to be courteous and kind during this shopping season.
Remember the less fortunate, be thankful for what you do have and remember it's not the material things of this world that matter the most.  It's the love you show to one another, the acts of kindness to each other, and the art of giving freely not just this season but throughout the year.  I hope you were blessed today.  Take every day and see something good in it no matter how small.  If you are shopping or working this coming weekend, have fun! Hug someone! say I love you to friends.  I will continue to write on my adventures this Christmas season.  Stay tune
God Bless You!

Fall has begun....that starts with my Birthday early October 6 and from there it's all fast pace.  We here at TQ have our Fall Open House on Saturday, October 13....every year is usually the 2nd Saturday of October.  Hopefully the weather has changed by then, this year maybe not.  Summer just won't let go, and fall is lagging behind.  This year we plan to once again to help out a local animal shelter, Marshal County Animal Care and Control in Benton, KY.
They will be here  with some dogs that are seniors, a little pit bull mix, and some other furry friends looking for a new home.  As most customers or consignors know, we give  back to a local charity each month thru our Thrift store located inside TQ.  We have decided with hoping that the weather will be good and cool, that our furry friends will be out front of Top Quality looking for that special family who will take them home.  Marshall Co. Animal's adoption fee is $50 and TQ has agreed to sponsor up to 6 dogs and pay 1/2 which is $25 to help these animals who have lost all hope.  We also have a donation bin in the store that will accept any items for the Shelter thru Saturday October 13 or cash to help and sponsor more dogs in getting a new home.

That just starts out the fall and into more giving.  Halloween will be a fun filled day and TQ will be giving out candy and maybe more?  be watching our FB page for those specials.  Any then comes our Christmas Open House, with more giveaways..Christmas is around the corner with our families and then off to the New Year.
Whew...the running has begun....but just remember to slow down, take time for your loved ones...give back to the community and BREATHE!!!   Have a Blessed Day