For some people, opening a business is simply a career move. For Vera Reed, opening Twice Upon a Time at Granny’s is something much more personal. 

The new children’s thrift and resale shop is set to open its doors in Coudersport this fall, bringing another affordable shopping option to local families. The idea behind the shop is simple: provide families with quality, gently loved clothing and other necessities at prices they can afford, while creating a place where children and families feel welcome. 

“I have to be giving all the time. I have to be helping people. I need to know that babies are warm, that families have clothes. I just love to give back, and our community needs it,” says Reed.

 The shop will carry clothing from baby sizes through children’s sizes, along with shoes, seasonal clothing, winter wear and other items for families. There will also be a small selection of adult clothing. 

Reed has been collecting inventory for months, purchasing many items herself and accepting donations from people throughout the community. Local schools have also contributed clothing and other items from their lost-and-found collections. 

Quality is important to Reed, and every donated item will be sorted and inspected before it makes its way onto the sales floor. “I’m making sure I have high-quality, name-brand things for my customers, for my families.” 

But clothing is only part of the plan. 

One of Reed’s biggest goals is to make the shop a place where families can receive a little extra help when they need it. Diapers and wipes will be available free of charge to families who need them. 

She hopes to expand the program over time to include additional baby and personal-care necessities. 

The shop will also have a children’s book program. Reed has already received hundreds of donated books and plans to allow children up to age 10 to come in once a month and choose a book to take home at no cost. “There’s no strings attached. You just come pick out a book,” she explained. 

There will also be a small area where children can play while their parents shop. 

For Reed, those little touches are important. 

She doesn’t want the store to feel like just another place to buy used clothing. She wants it to feel welcoming. 

She also hopes to use the business to help with community needs as they arise. Some items donated through local schools will be designated for a special community-outreach effort, with proceeds going back into the community. “If there is a family burnout, I want them to be able to come here. I want them to feel that they’re picking out things that they can actually use and wear.” 

Reed recently left her previous job after eight years to pursue the idea of opening the shop. It has been a lot of work, but she says it has also been exciting to watch the idea finally become real. 

The building itself holds special memories for her. She remembers visiting the location as a child, and now she is getting the opportunity to give the space a completely new purpose. 

With help from her husband and others, the building is being transformed into a children’s shopping space with organized clothing areas, shoes, seasonal items, a children’s area, and room for sorting and processing donations. 

There is still plenty to do before opening day. 

Boxes and bags of clothing are waiting to be sorted, displays are being put together and the store is steadily taking shape.  

Reed is hoping to open Twice Upon a Time at Granny’s on September 25, just in time for the Falling Leaves Festival. While the shelves and racks will eventually be filled with clothing and other necessities, Vera says the real goal is much bigger than what will be hanging on the walls. She wants to create a place where families can find affordable things they need, where children are welcomed, and where giving back is simply part of doing business. 

And that is the kind of place Reed hopes Twice Upon a Time at Granny’s will become. 

Above all, she hopes the shop will be a small reminder that kindness still matters. 

In conclusion, Reed said with meaning, “Be kind. Love on your community. You never know what someone else may be going through, and sometimes the smallest act of kindness can mean the most. If we all did a little more for one another, I think we could make our community a pretty special place.”