Recycling Worldly Goods for a Worthy Cause

Those of us who travel America know that the local AIDS thrift store is probably the one that has the most interesting stuff.  Housing Works in New York City lives up to this expectation as does Out of the Closet in LA.  

When I moved to Philadelphia in 1994, one of the amenities I most enjoyed was Thrift for AIDS at 7th and South.  That emporium, alas, is no more.  My dining table, an antique golden oak pedestal, came from that store along with many other items still in my home and closets. 

Unfortunately, that store went under leaving a void in Philadelphia’s thrift ecosystem  However, in 2005, Philly AIDS Thrift (PAT, like Julia Sweeney’s androgenous character) opened up at 514 Bainbridge St. and balance has been somewhat restored.  I say “somewhat’  because this store is far smaller than the prior shop, even with the later addition of Pat’s Pair O’Dice Garage across the street as a bargain and furniture annex. 

Another difference between the old and new stores is that the old one was raising money to provide transportation for patients while the new one has a more complex mission.  Since 2005, PAT says that it has donated $132,000 to local HIV/AIDS organizations.  In addition, PAT partners with those organizations by providing their clients with vouchers for clothing and household items. 

So, what can PAT use?  Shoppers, obviously; donors, too; and volunteer staff. 

And, while the store is much smaller, it does have the funkiest decor around, an excellent selection of interesting books, and a few treasures.  I came away from a recent visit with a BCBG sweater dress that makes me look forward to colder weather (if that is possible.)

Also, don’t forget to visit PAT’s website, www.phillyaidsthrift.com, where they have a link to let you volunteer your computer’s spare power to research aimed at putting an end to the scourge of this disease. 

 

A thrift store outlet in South Philly

Outlet malls are big business for certain retailers but who would think that thrift shops might need outlets too?  Strange as it may seem, I know of one.

At 22nd and Passyunk, Goodwill has a clothing outlet store.  All of the clothing on offer has the usual Goodwill tags, but the actual price you pay at the register is one half of what the tag is marked at, no matter what color the tag is.  Even better, some of this stuff is brand new!  Goodwill gets salvage from Target, so I have found Isaac Mizrahi designs in addition to the usual vintage offerings.  Plus, they have racks and racks of new scrubs!  They are also very big on Halloween, and virtually all of that merchandise is new.   It’s not all for women, guys and kids have their own departments.

My most significant find in this store was a brand new Lafayette 148 leather skirt with the tags still attached.  I don’t know how it got there but for $4, I couldn’t leave it there.  I have also gotten several pairs of new Target shoes and some fun vintage stuff.

Of course, this place also carries all of the usual furniture, electrics, books and bric-a-brac that turns up at any Goodwill.  Check the sign for the colors of the week to see what’s half off.  I picked up a Crate and Barrel display cabinet (hanging around in thrifts I’ve got a million knickknacks!) for just $10 last week.

Focus on Re$ale: Buffalo Exchange

I love Buffalo Exhange!  I was unfamiliar with the chain when it first popped up in Philly on Walnut St. near Jefferson Hospital.  Now located on Chestnut at 17th, the shop is doing more business than ever and you can get in on the fun.

The way it works is:

• You can buy from their selection of new and previously owned merchandise which include clothes, shoes and accessories for women and men.
• You can sell them current and vintage, clean clothing in good condition.   They will pay you 30 percent of what the buyer intends to set as the ultimate sale price in cash, or give you a voucher good for 50 percent of the sale price so that you can shop the store. 

Prices can be slightly higher than in a charitable thrift shop, but not always.  Plus, the quality tends to be consistently better.

I’ve both bought and sold over the years and have had much better experiences with Buffalo Exchange than with many consignment shops.   Since they look at everything with you, it is a completely transparent process.   The one mistake people often make when selling is arguing with the buyer.  The buyers know what works in their store, and that they can’t sell many sweaters in August, no matter how good the label.  If you don’t like the price, you are free to shop your goods elsewhere. 

The most common labels in the store come from Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, J. Crew, Gap and Old Navy.  Rocawear and other “urban” lines don’t do well.

They like, and get, some really funky stuff!  For instance, I helped a friend clear out his mother’s apartment after her death.  Her closet was a treasure trove of 70′s items, many of which she had bought in Paris, that were all coming back into style.  The only things BE didn’t take were the one or two that were too late in the season, or on which we had failed to notice spots. 

Particularly check out the jewelry and winter coats!

For more information, visit the website:

http://www.buffaloexchange.com/locations.php?Region_ID=22

Advice for donors

Career Wardrobe Opens Store and Closes Monthly Sales

One of Philadelphia’s lesser known resale resources has just gone very public indeed. For some time now, if you didn’t work in 1211 Chestnut St. in Center City, you probably didn’t know about Career Wardrobe’s monthly sales. Now, just as I was going to post about the sales, it turns out that they have been replaced by a shop at 18th and Spring Garden that is open to the public on a regular schedule. Having found many excellent items in the sales, I look forward to visiting the shop in the very near future.

Read all about the shop, and Career Wardrobes’ worthy mission, at:

http://www.careerwardrobe.org/2009boutiqueann.php

Thrift shop in the news:

Thrift shop in the news

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/29/arts/design/29dali.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=dali&st=cse

Circle Thrift — 1125 S Broad St.

“Where is that place?” is the first thing people usually say when I mention Circle Thrift at 1125 South Broad St.   Well, as you can see from the exterior shot, this basement-level shop lacks much of a street presence although it is still well worth a visit.  

Overshadowed, literally, by the Jackson Hewlitt sign!

Circle Thrift carries the usual general assortment of goods (clothing, jewelry, furniture, housewares, decorative items, media, etc.)  High points of the selection are usually brand new and sample goods donated by Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.   The selection of books is slightly more literate than average.  Another plus is the free box by the door which usually contains things like Fortran textbooks and unidentifiable parts that may have come from light fixtures.  I have found some good holiday ornaments in that box though, so dig around.

The shop also has weekly specials based on a color system.  Weekdays, everything marked with the color of the week is 5o percent off.  On Sundays, color of the week items go to just 50 cents. 

Store employees and volunteers tend to be kind of friendly, young and hip so it is not surprising that the store has a webpage (www.circlethrift.com) as well as a presence on Facebook.  They also sometimes post links to the web presence of regular customers, such as the nine-year-old boy who collects electric fans and demonstrates them on YouTube and crafters with sites on Etsy.  My only real complaint about the website is that it lacks a contact link even though you can e-mail them at

A few other things of interest:

• Parking is usually available on the street
• They pick-up furniture donations!
• They deliver for a nominal fee
• Volunteers get a 20 percent discount
• They sell gift certificates good in their stores and other MCC stores in the US and Canada

Circle Thrift is a project of the Circle Mission/Circle of Hope and is affiliated with the Mennonite Central Committee (www.mcc.org).   To call the store dial 215-468-0645.