Community Highlights: Meet Sue Parra of Sue & Jerry’s Trading Post

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sue Parra.

Hi Sue, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
In 1985 we were asked by a local businessman Marion Mifflin to look at a large building he had filled with miscellaneous “junk”. It was located in the center of Oracle on his property on American Ave. He had been purchasing abandoned storage units and storing the contents in this building. Mifflin wanted someone to come in and go through the boxes and sell them. We were up for that task and made a deal with him to do so. We opened the doors to the shop in December of 1985 and began selling these items for him on a consignment basis. It was “junk” and it was hard to sell. But eventually, we began purchasing our own “cool junk” for the shop. We purchased from friends, family, yard sales, auctions, and estate sales. Mifflin’s daughter Pat Johnson purchased the 3.5-acre property from her dad, then in 1995 we purchased it from her.

The shop has evolved over the last 38 years from a shop full of rejects from abandoned storage units to a shop full of western collectibles, antiques, metal art, and vintage finds. We were vintage before vintage was cool! We specialize in unique items that you can’t find anywhere else. Metal art and antique farm equipment cover the property like a sculpture garden. We also have over 20 consigners. We have some great “pickers” who know what we love and keep our store filled with great items. Some of our best-selling items in the last few years are used cowboy boots and Levi’s jeans.

In 2014 we began to host the Oracle Farmers Market here at Sue & Jerry’s. This is an outdoor seasonal market featuring local artisans, cooks, vendors, and musicians. It happens every Wednesday night, from April through October. It is an amazing gathering place for not only locals, but people who come from Catalina, Tucson, and Oro Valley to enjoy a special night under the stars. It’s a party every Wednesday night and you’re invited.

“Oracles Most Unique Shopping Experience!”

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oracle is a very, very hard place to run a business. In the late 80’s early 90’s Magma Copper mine was going strong in the tri-community. But the miners traveled every 2 weeks, on payday, to shop in Tucson. It was difficult to get them to shop locally. When the locals began to discover our “hidden treasure”, business was good. When the mine closed in 1999, it was a devastating blow to our community. We struggled to keep our doors open.

We opened our shop before “thrifting” and “resale shops” were cool. Secondhand was looked down upon back then. Now if you don’t thrift and shop second hand you are in the minority. It has been fun watching that happen over the years.

We did close our shop for 2 months during the “pandemic”. That was a hard time, but it actually turned out to be a pivotal and positive change in our business. We had a new grandson that we were watching, so it was easier to be home with him. But also when we discussed reopening our shop, we decided to only open 3 days a week, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The results of that decision were mind-blowing. We were doing much better financially only opening 3 days a week than when we were open 5 and 6 days a week.

As you know, we’re big fans of Sue & Jerry’s Trading Post. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a hidden treasure in Oracle AZ. A resale shop, consignment shop, antique shop, and gift shop. Our tagline is “Oracle’s Most Unique Shopping Experience”. We are the oldest retail business in Oracle, open since 1985. We specialize in treating people well. Making their time at our shop “an experience”! Our dream of over 20 years was to become a shopping destination, with many shops on the property. That dream began to be fulfilled a few years ago, as we met people who also had dreams to open shops and together we came up with ideas to make it happen.

We had a small retail space that was empty, and we rented that to John & Carolyn Blair from Life Under The Oaks Lavender Farm. Their Lavender Farm up the road from us was expanding and they needed a space for their retail shop. Our business began to flourish and sales doubled, thanks to the Lavender Shop. We cleaned out and remodeled an office I once used and turned it into a retail space for Zany’s, another resale/gift shop.

Then we agreed to have a couple build a small building on the property for a gift shop, Ravens Rooste. Another friend had an adorable vintage trailer that we found a space for and that became another gift shop, Country Sweet Designs. So now our customers have a great selection of shops to browse and buy from. It has made the “experience” even greater!

What sets us apart is our customer service. We love people and want to make them feel special and that we care about them. Customer service is lacking in our society today and people miss that. If people buy nothing from us, they will always remember that we were friendly and caring and we had a smile on our faces!!

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Treating people well, and being as nice to them as possible!

Contact Info:

• Website: jerryparra.com
• Instagram: @sueandjerrystradingpost
• Facebook: @sueandjerrys1985
• Twitter: @sueandjerrystradingpost