“I sat around the house for a while and got tired of throwing things at the TV every time the news came on,” Sanders said.
So when he stopped by The Ship Shop in Trophy Club one day, the former owner proposed a cash deal to buy the store—an offer Sanders said he could not refuse. He said he officially took over the store in January 2019.
The Ship Shop offers a large variety of shipping materials, such as envelopes and bubble wrap, in addition to office supplies, books, cards, gift bags and even snacks.
When it comes to shipping and drop-off services, The Ship Shop offers Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn—or DHL—international shipping as well as shipping through FedEx, the U.S. Postal Service and UPS, according to the shop’s website. Sanders said the store is an Amazon hub, which allows customers to complete returns or ship their Amazon packages to the store.
Sanders said his store offers professional packaging, passport photos, notary services, document shredding, fax services, key duplication, business card printing and document finishing. His store also rents mailboxes, he said.
Sanders said he decided to add many of these services to turn The Ship Shop into a “one-stop shop,” which is what makes the store unique.
“We can do basically everything here,” Sanders said.
His favorite part about owning The Ship Shop is that he gets to be his own boss, he said.
“[After] 34 years working for other people, I always said if I ever get the chance to be my own boss, I wasn’t going to treat people the way I got treated sometimes,” Sanders said. “And so when I got my own store, I started treating people like human beings.”
Sanders said the shop has run into issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation. Right now, for example, Sanders said he has no employees other than himself.
“It’s hard to keep the doors open,” Sanders said. “But, you know, I do everything I can to make my customers happy to make ‘em come back.”
Sanders said he renewed the store’s lease in October 2021 for another three years. Aside from his love of owning The Ship Shop, another reason why Sanders wants to stick around is because he said he loves Trophy Club.
Sanders lives right on the edge where Keller meets Trophy Club and said he feels like part of the community.
“I appreciate what the community has done for me,” Sanders said. “I do everything I can to promote Trophy Club. I send [customers] to the nearby restaurants and businesses. ... That’s what it’s all about.”
The Ship Shop, 2003 E. Hwy. 114, Ste. 340, Trophy Club. 817-300-4636. www.theshipshopmailcenter.com. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Sun. closed.
