It takes courage to open a store and commit to a monthly rent of $6,000 in this sluggish economy. But that’s just what the owners of The Estate Sale in Pacific Beach did in June — and they’re not a bit sorry. Already, according to owners Laura and Mike Pietrczak, the resale store has moved into the black — just barely. According to the couple, reasonably priced antiques, used furniture and “other curiosities” are just what today’s bargain hunters are searching for. And search they must. For it’s easy to miss this storefront tucked away on Garnet Avenue across the street from World Gym, just west of Interstate 5. The Pietrczaks started out by selling used furniture at a North Park consignment shop. Doing well with that, they opened a small place in Oceanside before taking the leap to their current 4,400-square-foot space in Pacific Beach. Now, they work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year — including Christmas and New Year’s. “We have a strong work ethic,” said 49-year-old Laura, a writer and former real estate agent. In fact, the couple put in even more time buying and transporting furniture before and after work. The bottom line is they said they don’t consider it work because they enjoy it so much. Mike, who at 39 has worked as a handyman and fisherman, said, “We make people happy. We can find a piece of furniture, repair it and sell it for five times what we paid, and it’s still cheap.” Laura agrees. “We laugh about earning 30 cents an hour — and we’re grateful,” she said. Technically, Mike is the shop owner and Laura is his “helper.” “Mike can fix anything,” Laura said. Mike has a workshop in the back of the store, where he refurbishes and repurposes many pieces. “He’s the one who ruined the curve on the IQ test,” Laura said. “He can get a 16-foot rental truck and figure out how to pack an entire estate into it.” Because Laura has a good eye for bargains, she’s the primary shopper. It’s tough having to shop for a living, she jokes. The couple has been so busy building the second-hand business “on a shoestring,” Laura said, that she hasn’t even had time for a manicure. “Every day with Mike is like three days. We’re living in doggie years.” Owning the business has its perks, though. “If I feel like sitting down, I can do it. If it’s nap time, I can have at it, and if I feel like eating, I eat,” Mike said. Not only are they running a “green” business by saving treasures from the landfill, Laura said, but the near-newlyweds get to spend most of their time together. “That’s good and it always will be,” Laura said, adding that the couple has been married just two years. The story of their romance is classic: they met when she was walking by the ocean in Pacific Beach. “Mike waved and threw a Frisbee at me,” Laura said. The couple married two weeks later. Their business works, they said, because they haven’t overextended themselves. Their initial investment was minimal, Mike said. “We found out we could get a lot of stuff cheap,” he said. They started by selling a single dining-room table on consignment, bought more furniture with the proceeds and sold that. After filling up someone else’s shop, they decided to open their own. “I knew it would work out just fine, as long as we keep doing the next right thing,” Mike said. The couple buys at swap meets, auctions and garage sales. They’ve also bought whole estates and cleaned out houses for owners who didn’t have the time. Lately, sellers have been walking into the shop with their discards. The space is packed to the rafters. Dining-room chairs hang from the ceiling. The Pietrczaks specialize in solid-wood and wrought-iron furniture, which stands the test of time, according to Mike. Furnishings sell for anywhere between $25 for dining-room chairs to $350 for a hand-carved bed from India and $1,700 for a 1907 Limbert sideboard. In addition to the big pieces, The Estate Sale offers books starting at $1, CDs for $2, fashion earrings for $2.50 and lots of knick-knacks. “We buy low and sell low to keep a good flow,” Mike said. The Estate Sale also takes trade-ins. When there’s a lull in business, the couple enjoys its own inventory. “We sit on for-sale chairs at a for-sale table, eat pizza on for-sale china and drink from for-sale crystal glasses,” Laura said. Customers come from all over the county, many with their kids and dogs in tow. Buyers include store owners and designers, as well as bargain hunters planning to furnish one room or a whole house. One inveterate shopper spent $1,600 on two truckloads of furnishings for her young daughter’s future home. The girl is just 3 years old. The Pietrczaks become friends with many of their customers, especially the regulars. Smiling as her husband chatted with a regular and carried a china cabinet to his truck, Laura said that although they live in a condo a few miles from the shop, “We’re here most of the time. This is our home.” For more information, call (760) 696-7982, or visit www.theestatesale.wordpress.com.