21-year-old thrift shop owner on how his hobby became a business after NS

Once was all it took for him to be hooked.

Hon Liang Lung's first foray into thrift shopping was in 2019, and he's not looked back since.

The 21-year-old has fallen in love with thrifting, so much so that he started Honsieponsie, a physical retail store selling curated secondhand items.

On Tuesday (May 2), Hon shared the story behind bringing his business idea to life on TikTok.

But it wasn't a straightforward journey to his current store in Queensway Shopping Centre for this young entrepreneur.

"I had exposure with thrifting overseas, and I thought to myself [that] it would be cool to sell secondhand stuff too!" Hon said.

So he began by selling his parent's old clothes on the popular consumer marketplace app Carousell back in 2019. 

Even then, it was just him "having fun with his hobby".

"Little did I know this would evolve into bigger things!" he added.

He continued selling secondhand clothes online, from Carousell to Instagram, and was starting to get better at it.

Whether it's a photoshoot or picking up a new skill like upcycling, Hon mentioned how he's always looking to find ways to improve.

"It's always good to let yourself wander and have fun along the way," Hon shared. 

And it looked like he'd stumbled upon his passion while doing so.

Back then, Hon was still going through National Service but dedicated all his free time to his thrift shop business when he booked out on the weekends.

Into the unknown

Taking things to the next level, opening a physical store was a big deal for Hon, and he admitted to having self-doubt as he "knew nothing" about running a business.

Eventually, he got around to it. After all, his National Service was over and he had eight months to burn before starting university. What did he really have to lose? 

And just like that, he decided to open Honsieponsie's first brick-and-mortar shop.

The response he received was beyond anything Hon could imagine. Through his efforts, he felt like he was building a small community of thrifting enthusiasts.

Even on days that aren't as rosy (be it slow days or lonely moments), the 21-year-old makes a conscious effort to remember why he started the business and the interactions he's had with people along the way to keep him motivated. 

In the TikTok post, he had some words of advice for those who may want to follow in his entrepreneurial footsteps.

"So if you want to do something, just go for it! Be realistic, of course. You will never know where things can take you," he said.

AsiaOne has reached out to Honsieponsie for more information.

@ttwl.69 $10 thrift shop 👕🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️🚶🧎‍♂️🧎‍♀️🧎🥲 #fyp #sgthrift #thriftshop #tiktoksg #queenwayshoppingcentre ♬ OMG - NewJeans

The future looks bright for the business owner, who recently announced that the store will be moving out to a bigger space with more details to be revealed in due time. 

This weekend, Honsieponsie will be having its moving-out sale at the current location, where all items will go for $10 each.

The sale runs on May 7 from 12.30pm to 7.30pm. Do bring your own bags as none will be provided.

ALSO READ: 'I no longer have Monday blues': 25-year-old quits her office job to sell tote bags

amierul@asiaone.com

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.