Big decision: Buy new or refurbish the old?

ALYSIA SHIVERS/FLORDIA WEEKLY Bob Beckett sevices a customers car at Economy Body Shop. In times like these, when more attention is being paid to where every dollar is going, items around the house and in the closet become more precious.

No longer does that $200 pair of loafers whose sole is wearing thin seem worthy of the trash. And when that much-loved recliner starts showing its age, shopping for a new one is out of the question.

Instead, these items take on new value and meaning, and in order to keep them around longer the idea of refurbishing them seems to make perfect sense — to some people.

"The thought is that people are tightening their belts a bit, so now they will fix the item instead of throwing it away," said Silvio Palomba, owner of Silvio's Shoe Repair on Tamiami Trail South. "Some yes, but not everybody."

Mr. Palomba has been repairing old soles in Naples since 1980 and says it all comes down to how much the customer originally spent on the shoes. Those who spend hundreds of dollars don't mind spending money to restore them, he noted.

ALYSIA SHIVERS/FLORDIA WEEKLY Silvio Palomba at Silvio's Shoe Repair. He admits that it is mostly the older generation who tend to fix their valuables, and yet as of late, he adds, younger folks have discovered him and appreciate his services, which include repairs to luggage and purses.

In his line of work, Mr. Palomba understands that there will always be the segment of the population who refuse to buy expensive shoes and instead purchase brand new pairs for well under $50. "They use them for a couple of years and throw them away," he said.

Although she's been guilty of the throwaway mentality, M.J. Caro has taken luggage and shoes to Mr. Palomba's repair shop for the past four years and says most of the customers she sees seems to have an understanding of quality and choose to repair their better things.

Recover or replace?

Wayne Oetting, owner of Naples Custom Designs & Upholstery on Yahl Street, experiences some of the same in his business. "The older generation know about upholstery and are more than happy to spend half of what a piece costs to redo it," he said.

ALYSIA SHIVERS/FLORDIA WEEKLY Carlos Angel, Economy Body Shop With furniture stores today offering not only low prices but long periods of interest-free financing, Mr. Oetting knows it takes a particular type of customer to spend thousands of dollars on a quality sofa and recover it. "The middle class is not really thinking about keeping it," he explained. "They don't want to put a lot of money into something that will wear and tear with the family."

Yet pieces that hold sentimental value or have been handed down through the generations are always worth refurbishing, he noted. "Maybe those in the younger generation just haven't experienced a piece of furniture in that way or had a piece they really wanted to keep," he said.

Subscribing to the notion that honesty is the best policy, Mr. Oetting will level with his customers about whether or not a piece is worth recovering or if they should just buy new. If restoring is the best option, then the 500 fabric sample books in his retail showroom certainly come in handy. "There's so much versatility with fabrics and colors now," he said. Body work takes a back seat

ALYSIA SHIVERS/FLORDIA WEEKLY Wayne Oetting Naples Custom Designs and Upholstery While the choice between buying new and refurbishing the old might not come with a huge financial commitment in regards to shoes or furniture, it can be an issue when talking about cars. That's why many drivers these days are doing only what is absolutely necessary in order to keep their vehicles on the road.

At Economy Body Shop on Davis Boulevard, manager Kim Ralston is seeing more customers come in with less expensive cars or smaller, more fuelefficient cars that will simply get them from point A to point B. Beyond that, the repair work done to the vehicles is as little as possible in order to make them look decent and run.

"Even those that are usually meticulous about their cars are finding it difficult money-wise," she said.

Specializing in collision repair, Economy Body Shop's newest phenomenon is car owners forgoing most of the repairs in order to pay other bills with the check from the insurance company. Some will even wait months before bringing in the car for repairs either because of cost or because they can't afford to take time off from work.

"The car is their pride and joy because in most cases it is the second most expensive thing they buy after buying a house," Ms. Ralston said. "Everybody's doing what they can do, and we try to help them."