Until Christmas you will find a pop-up Christmas shop full of second-hand Christmas decorations on the Tongelresestraat in Eindhoven. This shop finances the hobby club Tisnogsund of Toon and Hans Cools.
Toon Cools used to be a volunteer at a hobby organisation. But due to budget cuts, the club had to close. Toon therefore decided to start a craft club at home with her husband Hans that could be affordable for everyone. For example, the couple said that they are creative in their search for craft materials. “We recently made something out of wood, but that is also very expensive if you have to buy it for many people,” said Toon. “So we’re looking at how we can get that via-via. For example, from the waste of a factory.”
Donations
In the context of the same affordability, the club also reuses a lot of stuff and gratefully accepts donations. One of those donations became the foundation of the Christmas shop. “Once, someone came to donate a lot of Christmas stuff,” explained Hans Cools. “But it was actually too much to use. Besides, you can’t make much from it. That is why we decided to start selling the stuff.”
Store
The couple started outside in a tent. The couple noticed that second-hand Christmas items were in demand. When a store became vacant, the decision to move was quickly made. The shop, which serves as a storage space for the craft supplies for the rest of the year, is packed. Products are not wasted, the couple said. The broken Christmas items that come in are repaired if possible.
Old Christmas balls
The most popular item in the store is the old Christmas baubles from the 1970s, said Toon. “They are all gone already. But there are still bags full of new Christmas balls in the shop window.” You can find a bargain here for a euro or two: “Christmas stuff is so expensive these days. It is no longer affordable,” said Toon.
The shop can be found on the Tongelresestraat and is open Monday to Saturday from 13:00 to 17:00.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Shanthi Ramani
