Wauwatosa Business Spotlight: Tuesday's Child

Two sisters looking to spend a little more time together while decluttering their houses — sounds like a reason to start a resale shop.

"The store is our alter ego," explained Shelly Mattheis, who co-owns Tuesday's Child with her sister, Elizabeth "Liz" Brehm. "We've been able to purge our homes and we've been able to express ourselves."

All while exponentially increasing the amount of time they get to hang out, which, admittedly, mystifies even some of their most devoted customers.

"Liz is oldest. I'm the baby. We're connected at the hip. And it freaks people out, but we totally love hanging out. We always have," Mattheis said. "It's kind of a standing joke for us. We don't have to try; it's not a forced relationship. We chose to be in business together because we love to be together."

So, it was only natural that as their families grew — Liz has two sons, and Shelly has two sons, a daughter and a step-daughter — they worked together to create a bit more space in their homes.

They started small, just a few garage sales at 72nd Street and Milwaukee Avenue.

"It was a sisters' weekend together. The sales were always at my house."

Then, Mattheis said, word got around.

"We had years of very successful garage sales. We had a following. It was crazy. And people said you should have a store, and we laughed."

But the joke was on them as the stay-at-home moms started looking for work.

"We thought, 'If this is all we're going to make, we might as well be in business for ourselves.'"

They got the push they needed when space opened up in the Niemann's Candies building.

"After driving by for about three weeks, we said, 'If we're ever going to do something, this would be it.'"

The next day they leased the space, even though their plans weren't completely clear.

"We had a vague idea of what we'd be doing. We knew it would be retail. We knew it would be children's, and I knew I couldn't do it without Liz. Everything fell into place."

Today, the sisters offer a carefully curated collection of second-hand clothing, furniture and toys.

"Our tag line is: 'For children and the spaces they inhabit,'" Mattheis said.

They rely on customers for their inventory; Mattheis and Brehm buy gently used items, often after careful inspection.

"We are very particular about we what carry," Mattheis admitted. "Most items have to speak to us. If we love it, typically our customers love it. If we buy items that we think are OK, those items typically end up on the clearance rack."

It can be awkward to explain — many parents are understandably attached to their children's clothes and toys — but Mattheis said most understand, even appreciate, the tough love.

And for those wondering whether the store will lose part of its dynamic duo to another location, Mattheis said not to worry.

"This works because we're together. It was never about being separate. It was always about being together."

JUST THE FACTS

BUSINESS: Tuesday's Child 7471 Harwood Ave.

WEB: Facebook

PHONE: (414) 226-5250

OWNERS: Shelly Mattheis and Elizabeth Brehm

INCORPORATED: 2006

TYPE OF BUSINESS: resale shop, children's items

PEARLS OF WISDOM: "We like person-to-person, face-to-face contact. It's much more meaningful. It's a much nicer way to connect with people. If we wanted to spend time online, we'd have an online shop. It's about being great in person, not in cyberspace."