Lost & Found just turned 14. What started as a tiny booth space grew over 4 years into a multi-level painted furniture business with a six-figure online shop.

Then there was another shift, as I explored two years as a brick and mortar store, which ultimately ended because of Covid challenges.

Along the way, a coaching and teaching element quietly grew in the background, as I began sharing more of my life and business digitally.

When I retired from selling paint online in 2023, it gave me space to rethink everything.

What do I actually want to sell? How do I want this business to feel? What kind of experience do I want to create?

Then last year, as I built my How to Think Like a Business Owner course, something unexpected happened . . .

I found myself working through the lessons on camera, and applying them to my own business in real time.

It was time to simplify.
Refine.
Elevate.
Be intentional.

That’s when I knew my current business model no longer matched the vision.

So for the past 8 months, I've been quietly refining what I want Lost & Found to be. And it's finally time to share my plans with you.

I’m closing my booth space. And I want to be clear that it's not because I think a booth is a bad business model.

It's just no longer the right model for my vision and plan.

I've realized I miss the face-to-face connection with customers, and the ability to curate my own space in my own time.

So instead of keeping a rented booth space constantly filled, I’m moving to a limited release model inside my own commercial building.

Introducing The Found Collection.

I will once again be back in Downtown Springdale with a brick and mortar location of my own, but this time operating a bit differently.

This will be a curated series of antique and vintage releases. Items thoughtfully sourced, styled with care, and offered in seasonal drops.

Many of the details are still to be firmed up, but for now here is what this will look like:

💠 Two Weekend Sale Events, May & September 2026 (firm dates TBD)

💠 Located in Downtown Springdale, Northwest Arkansas

💠 By Appointment Hours in between Releases

💠 Limited Items Available Online

My recent trip to England was the first step in making The Found Collection happen, and I plan to have more sourcing trips in my future.

The pieces coming from this trip are incredible. Heirloom quality items that are a perfect fit for the modern, collected home.

What about the Online Shop?

The new online store is now folded into The Found Collection. There you will find First Arrivals, items from my England trip already here and ready to be enjoyed.

The shop has undergone a revamp this last week and will reopen Monday, March 2nd at noon central time.

Available then will be my first collection of English items.

One thing to note is that the flat rate shipping has now changed to a calculated shipping. This means your shipping fee will vary, based upon what you purchase.

This allows me to stock a wider variety of items in the online store and better reflects true pricing for my local pickup customers. It also allows me to begin offering international shipping to customers in Canada and Great Britain.

How can you follow along?

If you’ve been here for any part of this journey… thank you. You’ve helped shape what this has become, and I’m so excited for you to see what’s next.

If you're interested in knowing more about The Found Collection events and First Arrivals in the online shop, it's simple.

​>>> Click this link to the new webpage and get tagged as "interested"​

You do not need to enter your email again or sign up someplace new. If you click that link above, my system will make a note on your email and you will receive follow-up information.

What about my vintage, diy, and reselling content?

Don't worry, that's not going away. I will still be writing new blog articles, filming new YouTube videos, and offering new tips in my Vintage Reseller newsletter.

Those things are all still important to me and the coaching element of Lost & Found will remain.

Wow, if you're still reading here, thank you. That was a long email.

I hope though that my heart has come through and that you are as excited as I am about The Found Collection and my in-person events.

If you have questions, just hit reply and I'll be glad to clarify.

Again, I appreciate each and every single one of you. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

Melanie Alexander Owner Lost & Found LLC Creator of The Found Collection​ Let's Stay Connected! ​​​​ ​