Chamber of Commerce chief buys Riversdale second-hand shop

Sunday, 28 July 2019

With her Invercargill house full of her husband's collectables, Sheree Carey put the hard word on.

'I said it was going to be a divorce or buy a shop and sell some of the stuff.'

They chose the latter - purchasing the Riversdale second-hand shop, complete with stock, in an auction about six months ago.

They renamed it Harry's of Riversdale, after husband Dwayne's pet gnome Harry.

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Sheree, the Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive, said she was terrible at working in retail so was learning new skills.

'I have never worked in retail in my life [but] I know how to be nice to people.'

Dwayne, an artist, history buff and collector for more than 25 years, had a 'real eye' for the second-hand game and loved it, his wife said.

He was in his element when yarning to people who entered the shop.

However, Sheree said he had been slow to move his collectables, which includes 'Kiwiana and retro stuff' into the shop from their Invercargill home.

He's been given a deadline of December but she reckons it will be more like December 2020 till its done.

'Now we have a second-hand shop he keeps going out and buying more stuff … It's probably backfired on me.'

The couple, who bought the shop as a hobby, lifestyle choice and for somewhere to put Dwayne's stuff, will continue to live and work in Invercargill.

Sheree would stay in her role with the Chamber and Dwayne has a video production company. 

But they still have big plans for their Riversdale venture, with the shop open to the public every second weekend.

Down the track, Dwayne wants to set up a museum on land out the back of the shop, using the collectibles he doesn't want to sell.

'It's more about keeping Southland's history,' Sheree said.

Sheree said Maurice Smith, a former owner of the shop when it was an antique shop for many years, visited regularly.

Riversdale was an amazing little community, she added.

'We have been made to feel very welcome … Dwayne has already been asked to join the local fire brigade.'