After 11 years of buying, selling and trading second-hand sports gear and fitness equipment, Juneau’s first and only Play It Again Sports is going out of business — unless the owner can find a buyer willing to take it over.
Rusty Scudder placed a “Going Out of Business” banner on the store’s window on Tuesday morning.
“It’s a great business, but I’ve been trying to sell it and no one’s buying,” he explained.
Scudder said he’s been commuting back and forth from Juneau to Cape Cod, Massachusetts this past year to care for his ailing mother. He listed the business up for sale in the spring.
“I thought it would sell fairly fast — it’s a good business, always has been,” he said. “It’s just gotten to the point where I can’t wait anymore.”
Scudder declined to say how much he was selling it for. Several people expressed interest, but no one has bit so far, he said.
“I’m bummed for a lot of reasons,” he said. “I’m bummed for the town. Lots and lots and lots of people come in all the time and say, ‘We’re so happy you’re here.’”
He said he can’t help but be “pessimistically hopeful” for a last-minute buy. It’s a turn-key operation, he said.
“Someone could walk in here tomorrow, and get the keys tomorrow,” he said, adding, “The owner is ready to make a screaming deal.”
Scudder opened the store in 2004 because as a father with two young kids, it was tough to afford outfitting them with the gear they needed for each sport they played, especially as they outgrew it every year. A state worker at the time, he had never heard of the used sporting good franchise until a trip to Anchorage.
“I ran into this store, and I was like, ‘Oh man, this is exactly what we need in Juneau,’” he recalled.
Unless Scudder can find a buyer, Play It Again Sports’ last day is slated for Dec. 31.
There’s only one other used sporting good store in Juneau — Second Wind Sports, which opened up a few years ago.
In the meantime, Scudder is hosting the going out of business sale. Some of the items are marked down 50 to 75 percent, he said.
“We’re trying to sell everything, and we’re making some great deals,” he said.
The store is located at 1731 Ralphs Way near Costco in the Lemon Creek area.
