All Done

The work at the Thrift store went well. We removed all of the old stock and replaced it with new. ‘New’? In a thrift store? OK, new old stock. And we made two runs to the dump with discards and junk. Unfortunately, those who donate to thrift stores are not always discerning and a lot of it should have been left at the curb next to their own trash cans. Scratched and dented 1987 Chevy hubcaps are probably not going to sell quickly. And we also have to deal with the ‘midnight’ donators, those who drop off their junk behind our store and then speed off into the night. I’m sure they meant well, but their donation joined the hubcaps in the landfill.

Thrift stores are filled with all sorts of social commentary; what was once ‘hot’ is now boring and we have it for sale; just a buck. The volunteers that work there have seen it all. Of course there is always the chance of finding some treasure amidst the debris of people’s lives.

And a couple of our board members made the observation that with a worsening economy, we may see donations fall off. There could be some truth to that. Will we see an increase in garage sales? But I really think the opposite; I think our business will thrive. A large portion of the economic base that has always donated their leftovers will be unaffected by the poor economy and those that are affected will be shopping for bargains. Or so I hope. The Thrift store exists to fund programs for elders in Glenn County and the Glenn County Seniors, a non-profit organization, is the only one in the state that takes no government funds. A good thing.

And I was just thinking; we’ve never advertised for donations. The store has been filled simply by word of mouth. Maybe I will try some Craigslist ads and see what happens.