As some of you may already know, Erna Ellis Akers and Debbie Rivoire are the owners of Fortunate Finds. Both are West Virginia natives and they have shared a close friendship for over 19 years. Before opening the doors to Fortunate Finds, Erna and Debbie worked together in the consignment industry, sharing a booth for 5 ½ years, at a vendor mall, in White Sulphur Springs.
Since the vendor mall closed in WSS a few years ago, the ladies discussed plans of opening their own store, open to local sellers, here in Lewisburg. To rent vendor space, Erna and Debbie sponsored a vendor party by placing an advertisement in the newspaper and announcing the event online. The party was scheduled for a Friday night, Feb 18th. The party was a success as 75% of the vendor spaces were filled that night. Exactly one year ago, on March 1st, Fortunate Finds’ doors were open for business. Since the opening, nearly all the vendors have stayed and continue to sell. Worth mentioning, the vendors at Fortunate Finds are hobbyists and enjoy selling their goods at reasonable prices.
“We love bargains. When we travel, we Google thrift stores because we are passionate about reasonable prices.”
Some of you may be wondering where the name Fortunate Finds came from. Erna and Debbie were about to make a list of about 10 names, then look them over and decide. Before the ladies had the chance to write the list, Erna’s son, Tyler, visited from college. He mulled over potential names and came up with Fortunate Finds. The ladies loved it, and the rest was history.
Presently, Fortunate Finds has 24 vendors with a waiting list of 40. The vendors at the shop enjoy selling their “fortunate finds” at reasonable prices.
Items include antiques, collectibles, primitives, Americana, home décor, folk art paintings, artisan jewelry, gently worn and vintage clothes. Every vendor has a strong relationship with Erna and Debbie. These people choose to set up shop with the ladies because of their good nature and excellent customer service. Erna and Debbie are not only passionate about offering great products at affordable prices, but they are passionate about getting to know people.
“We love when travelers stop in. We’ve had the opportunity to meet so many great people.”
While March 1st marks the store’s 1 year anniversary, the ladies will hold a celebration in early summer. They welcome anyone and everyone to come celebrate with them.
425 N. Jefferson St
Lewisburg, WV. 24901
304.520.4943
facebook.com/Fortunate Finds
HASHTAGWV ART & ENTERTAINMENT Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Christina Entenmann-Edwards has been a WV resident since September 2008. She was born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and is no stranger to hard work and the entrepreneurial spirit. In 2006, she graduated from Quinnipiac University (Hamden, Connecticut), Cum Laude, with a B.A. in History. In 2010, she graduated with an M.B.A. from Liberty University (Lynchburg, Virginia). In February 2012, Christina launched HashtagWV as the area’s first full-color, free arts and entertainment tabloid + online platform. Christina completed the Leadership West Virginia class of 2021, which is an innovative program that grows, engages, and mobilizes leaders to ignite a life passion to move West Virginia forward.