PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)– After almost 42 years in the community, a well-known costume shop in Peoria is going up on the market.
Steve Spain, the owner of The Costume Trunk, said he’s approaching his 71st birthday and feels his time as owner of the shop is coming to an end, calling it a “final curtain.”
He emphasized the shop is not closing right away and said he’s rather looking to pass it on to someone with a passion for the business.
“Later this month, I’ll be 71-years-old and my family has no interest in continuing this business and I’ve always been sad when longtime businesses in the area close up,” Spain said. “I thought I would like to at least present the opportunity for someone who enjoys theater to buy this business, buy the building, buy the inventory and that’s kind of starting the process. We’re not closing immediately I want to make that clear.”
Spain said the entire sale would include the two story building at 706-710 West Main Street along with it’s two storefronts and the four studio apartments on the upper level.
He said over the past four decades he’s enjoyed working with so many creative minds and having the Costume Trunk be a key player in numerous parties and productions.
“It’s kind of an iconic business now, I guess if you hang around long enough you become iconic,” Spain said. “But I’d like to see it passed on. I’d like for it to survive and if it does that’ll be great and if it doesn’t that’s okay too, we’ll move on.”
Spain said he began the business back in 1981 and it’s been one of his greatest joys.
He said he’s welcoming interested buyers to contact him and he’s looking to go through with the selling process later this year.
“This next year, we’ll be listing the realtor and things like that, but if that doesn’t work out maybe I could do a ‘by appointment’ kind of thing until it’s sold,” Spain said. “And eventually the last thing would be selling the inventory and selling the building separately.”
