Merry Christmas! Your Salvation Army is closing!

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Well, fellow thrifters, I received a blow to the thrifty part of my heart yesterday. The local Salvation Army, where I've shopped for 16 years, is closing. If I had not stopped there yesterday, on a whim, to say hello to some volunteer friends, I wouldn't have known until, perhaps, it was closed permanently. That may be happening as soon as....tomorrow!

As it was explained to me, the word came down to the staff on Wednesday morning. Signs were put up saying 50% off and that was that.  The place had been pretty well picked over.  The employees and volunteers seemed shocked and surprised. Some of them can go back to the "big city" SalArms, but those who are local are stuck without jobs. Merry Christmas, indeed.

It is a blow for this community of poorer folk, many who are just making it. The location is on a busline and next to subsidized apartments, making it a handy shopping destination for those who cannot travel. It's the only thrift in the a rather large area that carries furniture at reasonable prices.  Many single moms shop here out of necessity as well as many seniors on limited incomes and the disabled, the homeless, the mentally ill. It was a little community unto itself, where one could go and not worry about being accepted or a nuisance.

We had heard rumors, of course,that this would be happening. And I do know that members here do not like the SalArm, and that's OK.  But please be aware of how this will affect the folk who need it the most and especially at this time of year.  I'm just shocked.  We were told that another SalArm will not be opening in this part of the county, and the nearest one is approximately 15-20 miles away.  I still have the first piece I purchased there, in 1991, on my first visit.

Apparently, it was a case of the landlord not wanting to do repairs on the building (as it was explained to me)

I will try to stop in this week to say goodbye to a few of the folk I have gotten to know over the years. They are not accepting donations and are not getting in any new merchandise via trucks.  We did find an Arthur Lyman album "Taboo" and a Ralph Lauren dress for me; paid 3.74 for both. But what a way to save a buck!




 

[ChrisMiss]

Hopefully they'll open another store where the landlord does repair the building.  I like SA.  I like much of the work that they do and how many people they've helped over the years.  It is sad to see many of the stores closing.

We go to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi frequently.  There used to be SA there for years but they were all gone before Katrina.  Most of all the other thrift stores have closed now too that were there, I think there's only 1 or 2 left.  I guess there's not as many donations since Katrina. 

[Good Buddy]

You knew this was coming...
Sorry. I always hate losing a good thrift. If we thrifters think it's good, it should always be in business.
I remember losing a few amazing thrifts in AZ and it was always hard.
It's just sad.
I can look at many items we have and tell you where and at what thrift we got them from.
Odd to be sentimental about thrift shops. I think there's a paper there somewhere..

Sorry D,

GB

[Tammy]

I feel your pain.  I love shopping at the 2 Salvation Army stores we go to.  There was another one in the town next to us that rented a spot in a really crummy building.  They moved to another crummy building and stayed about a year before they closed entirely.  I hope all those employees will be able to find something. 

[Big Daddy Audio]

I wonder if something is going on with Salvation Army stores.  Two (that I know of) have closed down in the Phoenix area within the last year.  Others have remained open.  I just don't know.

see you next time
bye for now

[SecondhandSophisticate]

That is interesting news, Big Daddy. 

I stopped in at mine yesterday to say hello. It's still open, but getting emptier. They are still at 50% off only.  There's a dress I want but it has a small hole in it...if it goes down to 75% off, it might be worth it.

One of the employees told me that the store might be open until the 28th. 

The folk at the GoodWill were saying that they had heard about the SalArm closing and they were surprised. They don't take volunteers at the GW, which is sad because a few of the volunteers---one of them is soon-to-be 97 years young! wanted to volunteer at another thrift. I don't know where they will go. The "big city" folk seem to be officially back in the big city.

I do know the place was extremely busy with families yesterday!

 

[dukek9]

Ah, that's a shame!

In my work, I come across people who are struggling so much to just make ends meet, often through no fault of their own. Yet, they want nice things and they need certain things and it is so hard for them to get them. 

One thing I used to point them to was layaway for needed big items.  Many people had no idea of the concept--and yes, for some, it was hard to convince that they should wait rather than going to the local rent to own place.  But for many, the layaway brough welcome relief and also allowed them to affordably get the items they needed.  My other thing I point people to is thrift stores.  When they say they need to get nice clothes and know they can't at thrift store, I ask them if they like my clothes and point out that they are thrifted.

Yet, it is getting harder and harder for thrift stores to stay going.  Higher utility bills, upkeep or rent on building and so forth can put a severe dent in keeping a thrift going. Yet, it's so sad that these places can't keep going, especially when as in this case, it is needed for those in the neighborhood.

I also loved the point about the thrift store being a place to be accepted.  It seems to me that happens a lot in thrifts--more than other places--that there are a great deal of people from all walks of life, just getting along and coexisting peacefully.

Dee

[foutchie]

I remember layaway!   My parents used it all the time when I was a kid.   Didn't know if it was still around, with all the credit card use nowadays.
I was thinking the same thing re: the cost of rent and utilities putting the thrifts out of business.  Hard to make money for charity if bills keep eating away all the profits!

[Mattie]

I know how you feel, SeSo.  My favorite thrift was just a couple blocks from my house, near a neighborhood of apartment complexes, on a major street, with a bus stop out front.  Perfect location.  But they were forced to leave so a Napa Auto Parts could move into their building.     They moved to a larger, cleaner location, but it's miles away, on a side street behind a major shopping center.  They seem to be doing well, but their old customers (like me) have to take an hour-long bus ride to get there.  It's frustrating.  I heard rumors before they opened the new store that the landlord was making them jump through hoops to get the place, because some of the mall retailers didn't like the idea of a thrift store in their neighborhood.     Every neighborhood needs at least one thrift store!

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Thank you all for your kind comments and for sharing your experiences. You guys are great!

Mattie, I just read your interview, and I am impressed, girl!  Love your hair!  I did not know you are an artist; I love your perspective on life, stuff, and life and stuff   

Ciao, Bellas!
SeSo

[Mattie]

Huh?  Oh, hey, I guess that means the new issue is up!  Thanks, SeSo!

[dukek9]

Yeah, the problem with layaway is that stores are doing away with them. Like you say, use of credit cards and I also think we've gotten to be an instant society--we want stuff now.  So people with low incomes with no credit or poor credit are forced to go to the rent to own places with their outrageous prices.

So I've been focusing more on steering people to thrift stores and gained some converts. But some people just want to have new, no matter if it costs them a lot more than an item is worth.

Re, the thrift moving to a mall location that happened in a mall near here.  It's rather a dead mall--has one department store in middle, Bon Ton, then Kmart at one end and Big Lots at the other. Other than that--a Radio Shack, a Dollar General and a Good will with a whole lot of empty stores in the mall.  Kind of like going to a ghost town!

Anyway, there was a Salvation Army in town and they moved out and the next thing Goodwill had put up a collection area at the mall.  No store, just collection.  But then some months later, they did open up the store. I would hope their rent is reasonable there due to the lack of tenants in the mall and they do at least bring some traffic into the mall.

Dee

[Other People s Junk]

SeSo- that is SAD that your Salvation Army is closing!     The last town I lived in had one close... the rumors were that it was going to reopen in a better building, but that never happened.  It was sad as it was on a road with 3 other thrifts and a couple other used/antique stores, and the shops just kept going away.  (The St. Vincent's also closed up.)  Bummer.

[midibidi]

I have some insight to offer about why I go to my thrift stores in my area. The money that these thrift stores earn, goes back into the community rehabilitation center. The money is used in various ways. The thrift stores and managed by the Area Rehabilitation centers. Some of the volunteers are people who would otherwise not be working. Some are retirees, some are students, some are people who are being rehabilitated. When I go to a thrift store, I go with my daughter. She likes to look at clothing, I like to look at other things. Usually when we go, there is a bag sale. The things that a thrift store sells, are donated by the community. These are items that someone who would need assistance, probably would not be buying anyways. The money that is raised from the sale of these items, is used to further rehabilitation programs. The whole point of the thrift store, is to recycle items that normally would just go into the dumpster and would then be searched through at the dump by someone who normally looks for things that "a person cannot believe that someone would throw this away" but they did mentality. What is the difference? Why should someone who drives a jag, or some other nice car, or fixes their hair nice.. why should they be judged because they frequent a thrift store, and by the way, all donations are tax deductible. (I do not drive a jag, I have wash and wear hair) I was told by my accountant that it is a good deduction. If I buy something and get to deduct it, I also get to donate it back to the thrift store. How great is that!  Enjoy the thrift store!  Buy everything they have with no guilt. Believe me, there is no need to worry, tomorrow there will be more there to buy! And, by the way: if anyone is looking for anything in particular, "I" will check my thrift stores for you. Someone was looking for some blue stemmed glassware. I saw some the other day at my thrift store... They wanted them for their sister. I have seen tea cups with the gold rims. I see a lot of dishes, mugs, cookbooks. Just email me.  charmilbrett at yahoo dot com

[valleythriftshopper]

Thrift Stores can do alot of good for the community, however they should realize that the stores are a representation of their organization & should put a little more effort into hiring quality managers & having logical store policies.  I am getting really frustrated with the Salvation Army around the corner form where I live.  I saw a cute vintage aluminum cake holder in the donation pile yesterday.  I inquired about it & the sales person said that it may be going out to Springfield (trucks come every day & take stuff to the big distribution center there).  I told the manager that I was interested in it & would buy it.  He said he can not price stuff in front of the customer, but it would make it out to the floor probably by today.  Well I went back & found out it had gone down to Springfield!  It is the repsonsibility of the staff to pull out good stuff for the store.  They just let Springfield take all the stuff & then they send back whatever they don't want.  It makes no sense!  No wonder their kettle donations are down.