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BusinessMirror

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HOME DéCOR

‘Segunda Manang’

A thrift shop owned by 78-year-old ‘Nanay’ Puring Dy in Tondo has become a destination of choice of bargain hunters and serious collectors

By Marianne A. Tocmo

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Photos by Roy Domingo

econd-hand appliances from refrigerators, air-conditioners and television sets, as well as pianos, paintings, furniture plus vintage glassware and chinas—that’s what Nanay Puring offers, and a whole lot more. No wonder for many avid home decorators she’s “Segunda Manang.” Filipinos are known to be resourceful and practical. And this was what inspired 78-year-old Purificacion “Nanay Puring” Dy to start out her business of selling secondhand items way back in 1973. Before the ukay-ukay phenomenon, she already knew segunda mano is going to be a big hit. But she said she never thought it would become this huge, such that she’d end up dubbed as “thrift queen.” The business started with a P500 capital and a kariton, which she pushed on the streets of Recto. At the start, she sold only used clothing, which she got from rich homeowners that her sister used to

work for. Then it became a routine; the homeowners, the wives, introduced her to their amigas, giving Nanay Puring more clothes to peddle. Then a relative of Atty. Dong Puno offered her to buy old furniture and home wares, as well, which expanded her simple buy-and-sell business. Her market, as well as her sources of segunda mano items, grew through word of mouth, through recommendation of friends and clients.

How it got big

Dy got a big boost when Merly Basco, then a writer for Good Housekeeping, featured her business and vintage home collections in the magazine, allowing Dy’s network to become bigger. Clients, as well as suppliers, kept on coming. In 1989 she set up her nowfamous segunda mano store at 1170 Asuncion Extension, Tondo, Manila. The venture helped fund the studies of her three children: Susan, the eldest, finished her BS Social Work degree from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM); Benjamin Jr. took up ECE also at PLM, while the youngest Marilou studied business management

at the University of the Philippines. Whereas before, Dy used to go from house to house to ask and buy secondhand products, now she gets calls from different patrons, selling their old toasters, washing machines and even office files, telephone directories and invoices. Born in Roxas, Capiz, and a Tondo resident since 1948, Dy says she’s the only one in her family with an eye for business. Having worked in a bazaar before setting up her own thrift shop, she claims that her business skills come from pure instinct and talent. Dy is very dedicated to her business and customers that she only accepts secondhand items from referred sources and whom she knows personally. She makes sure to meet up personally with new suppliers before entering into any deal. Although she says she would buy any item as long as it’s reusable, she says she prefers local items. “Tangkilikin ang sariling atin,” she stresses.

What’s in the store?

Name it, she has it. Electric fans, microwave ovens, any home appliance available, she buys and sells them. Dy also has a variety of glassware, plates, furniture and other home accessories, all vintage and usable. How does she price her products? She says it depends on the condition of the merchandise. But it’s really cheap. For instance, she sells her old vinyl albums for P20 only, compared with other vintage stores, where they sometimes fetch for P600 and above. Take note, however, that credit is not allowed. Dy selects the items from the houses of her sources and deals with the pricing herself, and a

delivery comes in every day. The segunda mano store is such a huge hit that it opens as early as 7 a.m., and deliveries are usually sold out by the afternoon. “Nu’ng bagyong Ondoy, andaming nagpunta dito, binenta ’yung mga basang gamit nila. Ayun, tuwang-tuwa sila at naging pera,” Nanay Puring recalls. Her customers are not limited to Tondo residents, as bargain hunters from as far as Las Piñas make the trip just to buy her goods. She takes pride that her store is one-of-a-kind in Tondo, which is why she has no plans of relocating or opening another one in Makati or other commercial centers. She says she’s perfectly happy with her business, and the secret to her success? Prayers and honesty, plus her love for her customers.

Collections

Dy’s store is not your usual thrift shop of old clothes and books. She is well-known for her vintage collections and antiques. Indeed her’s is a collector’s haven; she has a variety of local and foreign coins and bills, portraits of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, which she got from Corinthian Gardens; plates and figurines from Germany and France; and a record player and a counting machine that she still uses for her business computations. Nanay Puring takes pride in her collection, which she considers priceless. “’Pag madaling araw at mag-o-open na ako ng shop at nakikita ko ’yung mga koleksyon ko, natutuwa ako at nagpapasalamat sa Diyos.” She still collects vintage items, particularly rare and unique finds, and she makes sure they are cleaned regularly to ensure a longer life span. n