“What the heck is Craig Stifter up to at P2R picking2repurpose?” That seems to be the question circulating the Crystal Valley in Colorado lately. To get a better handle on this conundrum we’ll need to set the Wayback Machine to the 1970’s…
So how did it all start? Where did Craig’s passion for picking old stuff come from? “I ‘blame’ it all on my parents!” Stifter says. Growing up in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago in the 1970’s like most little boys Craig was playing pond hockey, motor biking and building forts. But he was also tagging along with his dad, Bob Stifter, on picks ranging from the infamous Maxwell Street Market to the enormous M&R Double Drive-In Flea Market and in between all the usual junk jaunts - estate sales, garage sales, alley dumpster diving and doing what his dad referred to as "checking the traps" aka hitting his favorite junk stops. “Criss-crossing Chicago in my Dad’s old pick up truck full of junk, people would comically yell out ‘Hey Sanford and Son!’ What fun for a young child,” Stifter said.
His dad was known in Chicago as one of the premier pickers of all things vintage, or as Bob would say “I buy junk and sell antiques.” According to Craig - “Now my mother never did like the sound of that, but this is the basis of today’s Repurposer. My father - a man always ahead of his time!”
So what brought Craig’s parents to Colorado? Both Bob and Patricia Stifter were avid skiers. After Bob played in his first Rose Bowl at the University of Iowa in 1957, he drove out to Aspen in the middle of winter in his convertible MG. Having heard about the Aspen mystic and the wonderful powder snow, he had to experience it for himself. Soon after, Craig’s parents decided to buy property in the area, thus tying his family to Colorado. In 1999 his parents moved from Chicago to the quaint mountain town of Redstone, bringing their love for all things vintage to the Crystal Valley.
After 20+ years leveraging a graduate degree in electrical engineering and an MBA from the University of Chicago, Craig moved to Redstone in 2012 to help run the family antique business - Tiffany of Redstone. A happy return to his true purpose in life.
As a typical entrepreneur, Craig has always liked to change things up. “Tiffany of Redstone will no longer be called an antique store. Going forward we will be known for finding the most unique vintage and salvaged items and giving them a new life.” Craig decided.
“So what’s all this about Craig ‘repurposing’ the vintage & salvaged items he’s picking?”
Repurposing is all about connecting with your home surroundings. Mass produced furnishings have no soul, substance or story. On the other end of the spectrum the antiques and art world has a reputation for being lofty and pretentious, an image that has run aground with today’s consumers.
As more people yearn to do new, unexpected and creative things with vintage items - choosing possessions that have a backstory and making them their own, P2R - picking2repurpose was born. “People love a story," says Craig Stifter ~ P2R Founder. "They like to know the story of an item, it's soul, it’s substance.”
“What makes repurposing so exciting is you are always discovering old items that can be reimagined into a new usage. You're Picking 2 Repurpose and also Repurposing 2 Pick - it’s a never ending journey," Stifter said.
Thus the mission of P2R became clear -
"The most effective form of creativity happens when you reimagine old items in a new context."
The word is now out - P2R is your repurposing paradise - THE destination for a junk jaunt. As Craig aptly puts it: “Not only do we have finished repurposed items, we also have a vast offering of relics and salvaged material just waiting for your spark of repurposing creativity.”
It’s been a dream of Craig’s to share his purpose via a TV show. A year long perseverance of proving out the show’s concept has paid off. Rocky Mountain PBS has accepted P2R picking2repurpose with the 1st episode scheduled to air Saturday November 2nd at 4 PM Mountain Time! Not missing a beat Craig says - “This is a very exciting venture for me! P2R engages you in the exciting journey of the Pick, Purpose & Placement of vintage items."
But how can Craig run the store and do all this? Simple, teamwork! Last year a good friend of Craig’s dad, Deborah Taylor, was in need of a new home for her vintage business. Deborah brought her wealth of knowledge as a successful vintage dealer, designer and creative retail merchandiser to the P2R Team and she’s a natural fit as the show’s cohost! Bringing a Yin to Craig’s Yang. Tune in to see how Craig and Deborah’s free spirited ways make for a truly entertaining show.
The P2R Team invites you to stop by the shop for an unexpected experience of all types of repurposed relics and unique vintage items. Located on the beautiful Crystal River at 225 Redstone Blvd in the picturesque town of Redstone. Open Daily 10-5 | 970.963.1769