Dollhouse Merchant Spotlight: Mini Temptations, Overland Park, KS
Friday, April 30th, 2010Mini Temptations in Overland Park, Kansas was founded in 1977 by Ken and Virginia Spence. Originally it was a gift shop and eventually the shop evolved into a dollhouse miniature store. Mini Temptations is the only store in the Greater Kansas City Metro Area, and largest in a four state region, specializing in miniatures. You can imagine their customers’ disappointment when the Spences decided to retire and close the store in 2001. Many customers panicked when they found they would no longer have a place to buy the special items for their dollhouses or other miniature projects.
In 1994, Laura Way began her hobby in miniatures when her children gave her a dollhouse kit for Christmas. It was then she discovered Mini Temptations and quickly became a faithful customer. When she heard the Spences were going to retire, Laura thought it would be a great business opportunity to purchase the store. So after 17 years in the healthcare field, Laura decided it was time to change careers. With the support of her family, she made the drastic change from the stressful pace of healthcare to the enjoyable pleasure of making her hobby her career. Armed with the determination to be successful, Laura and her husband Dennis bought the business in January 2002. (more…)