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Washington Evening Journal
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Washington, IA 52353
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Buyers line up early for DaaBIN grand opening
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
WILLIAMSBURG — It’s Black Friday every Saturday at DaaBIN Store. All of the regulars understand that, and they line up early for the deals inside.
The new store in the Williamsburg mall is the 17th DaaBIN Store and the fifth in Iowa. Nearly 240 people were in line when the doors opened at 10 a.m. Saturday.
But the party started well before that. The first customers, from Ladora, arrived before 5 a.m. and parked themselves by the door. A couple of women from Mason City were next in line, followed by others who arrived between 7 and 9 a.m.
Large speakers blared music, staff served little cupcakes and Big Andy Mullinex offered to trade unmarked boxes for items people had on them — a modern “Let’s Make a Deal.”
Andy Weichers and his family started DaaBIN Store in Cedar Falls in 2021, and that’s where the corporate office remains, though DaaBINS has stories in six states.
DaaBINS is filled with more than 10,000 overstock and return items, commonly from major online retailers. What doesn’t sell Saturday through Wednesday is removed and new items are stocked for the next Saturday.
That draws a crowd every Saturday when everything in the store is $8 — even large items that items that normally sell for significantly more than that. DaaBIN sees 65-80 people in line on a typical Saturday, according to Weichers.
The price of the items in the store drops each day until Wednesday, when everything is $1.
DaaBIN is named for the members of the Weichers family — Delaney, Amanda, Andy and Beau. The IN stands for inclusive — 17-year-old Beau is a special-needs child, said Weichers. The store started as a place he could work.
Weichers never expected the business to take off the way it has. “This was just something for my wife and children to do,” said Weichers.
Jeff Smith, of Belle Plaine, manages the Williamsburg store. He shopped frequently at the Cedar Rapids DaaBIN Store. “I was one of the first customers,” Smith said over the sound of the music.
“It’s a very family-inclusive store,” said Smith. “There’s so much in there.”
As soon as Smith heard that DaaBIN was opening a store in Williamsburg, he jumped at the opportunity to work there, he said. ‘Before this, I was actually in the restaurant business,“ said Smith. He got tired of being in the kitchen.
Smith is a fan of thrifting, he said. “You find a lot you weren’t expecting.”
Smith hopes DaaBIN will help revitalize the mall. “I used to come to the mall as a kid,” Smith said. “I really hope this place brings a lot of people here.”
Cyndi, of Mason City, and Angie, from Cedar Falls (both declined to give their last names) usually shop at their local DaaBIN Stores, but they waited in line in Williamsburg Saturday because of the grand opening.
“You’re always expecting to find good stuff,” Cyndi said.
Big Andy, Weichers’ business partner, offered to trade an unopened box for something offered by customers in line. Several items were offered in trade, but Big Andy traded for a $10 gift card offered by Brittany Wood, of Iowa City.
But Andy wasn’t finished. Would Brittany trade the unopened box for what Big Andy had in his back pocket?
“I’m a gambler,” Brittany said, accepting the deal and receiving — a Sharpie.
Brittany usually shops at the Cedar Rapids store, she said. “I have kids, so in this economy it’s the place to shop.”
“Atticus made a good trade,” said Big Andy further up the line.
Atticus Senior, a Wellman boy, traded a pack of gum for a color play box. His mother, Amber, has shopped at DaaBIN in Cedar Rapids, she said. “It’s nice to have something a little closer.”
Three Williamsburg women crocheted while sitting in line before the grand opening. It’s the best way to spend the extra time, said Katy Taylor.
Taylor and her friend, Brena Rairden, arrived about 7:20 a.m. Taylor saw that 1,900 people had liked the event on Facebook and thought it might be a good idea to arrive early. She worked on a blanket for her daughter during the wait.
Rairden was surprised how many people showed up for the Williamsburg grand opening. “This is a big opening,” for the mall, Rairden said as she crocheted a hungry caterpillar blanket. Store opening aren’t usually that big, she said.
Getting a bargain is the big draw, said Jen Angus, the third needleworker.
“And the digging,” said Taylor. “I love digging.”
Taylor met Angus at the Williamsburg Farmers Market the night before. Angus crochets plushies and sells them at the market.
“I have been to the DaaBIN in Cedar Rapids,” said Angus. “I always wished I could go more often.” She also saw the Facebook Live broadcast and decided she needed to arrive at the store early.
“We want yarn in DaaBIN,” said Taylor.
Reed Ward and Tearra Cochran, of Ladora, were first in line. They arrived about 4:45 a.m., said Ward, “’Cause she woke me up and said, Let’s go.”
Cochran has shopped at DaaBIN before. “We’ve got quite a few kitchen gadgets,” said Cochran.
Ward pays bargain prices for energy drinks, and they’ve found pet items and knew there would be games before the doors opened.
“It’s a good place to shop for clothes, said Cochran. “They mark cloths down to $1.
Amana Welsh, special leasing and marketing director for the mall, was doing some prospecting for new stores and visited DaaBIN in Cedar Rapids. The pricepoint made her think DaaBIN would be a good fit in Williamsburg.
“We don’t want anything that’s not going to fit in this area,” Welsh said.
Welsh convinced Weicher to visit the mall, and he liked what he saw. “I think this is a very good traffic driver,” said Welsh. She hopes that will draw other businesses to the mall.
The mall contacted Weichers at the right time, Weichers said. A few years ago, he may not have accepted a spot in a mall. But DaaBIN has opened in two other malls and done well, he said.
Mall spaces next to the DaaBIN Store were leased after DaaBIN moved in. Weichers hopes DaaBIN can have the same effect on the Williamsburg mall.
All of the stores are franchise, said Weicher. The Williamsburg store is available for franchise purchase.
The Weichers also own Weicks Media, 12 Hour Auctions and Wolfpack Racing and helps children with intellectual disabilities through their non-profit organization, Beau’s Beautiful Blessings.
