Ritzy Goldfish closes

Business at the Ritzy Goldfish just didn't justify a separate fish bowl for the upscale second-hand goods shop.

On May 31, after nine months of operation, the Ritzy merchandise moved back in with the regular goods at Friends In Service Helping Thrift Store on North Carson Street and Long Street.

"It was a creative idea," said Monte Fast, executive director of the human-service organization, "but it didn't have enough traffic. We decided it would be better to sell the upscale stuff in the regular thrift store."

The charity has operated the Carson Street thrift shop since 1988 and also has a store on Short Street in Gardnerville.

Room was made at the thrift stores for the staff from Ritzy Goldfish.

At the time the Ritzy Goldfish opened on Fairview Drive, business had declined in the regular thrift stores. The upscale second-hand shop seemed like a viable way to maintain the flow of funds the organization used to help families in need.

Maybe it was the timing or the location, but Ritzy just didn't work out, the organizaton decided.

"If it had been in Telegraph Square, it probably would have been huge," Fast said of the redevelopment area.

Sales at the Thrift Store have since improved, decreasing the need for an alternate source of funds.

Plans to close Ritzy Goldfish actually began about 1-1/2 months earlier with talks with the building owner.

"We negotiated a mutually satisfactory end to the lease," Fast said.

As soon as Ritzy moved out, Not Just Nails was ready to move into the street-front location.