There’s More to the Store

There’s so much more to Gift & Thrift than what you see in the store. A new hire recently remarked, “I had no idea how much goes on behind the scenes around here”. His comment came after spending a week sorting donations, testing battery toys, putting together tents, testing the paper of books, and clearing shelves of books to make room for, well, more shelves and more books. We have to admit, his statement was on point.

You see, our incredible staff and volunteers spent the last week working in earnest to catch up from the last two months of overwhelmingly generous donations. Don’t get us wrong, we appreciate the donations greatly, after all, donations are what makes our store possible. There does come a point however where space to put things and the hours to sort through things just aren’t there. Because of that, we closed the donation dock and gave everyone the opportunity to work through the mountains in their departments.

What’s that you ask? What do we mean by mountains in their departments? Well, you see, there’s a lot more to what we do than just what you see in the store.

Clothing – Did you come in looking for some shirts to wear to work? Or maybe some shoes or a belt or a handbag or scarf? Well, while you were looking through the variety of choices in the store, chances are that Dee and her phenomenal clothing team were in the back sorting, cleaning and making ready more items to supply the store.

Furniture – Or perhaps you came in looking for a dresser for your bedroom, or a couch for your den, or perhaps a shelf for your bathroom or some planters for your flowers? If so, then it’s likely that Bryan and his fabulous furniture folks were in the back testing, sanitizing and making ready more items like those for which you were looking.

Books & Media – Did you come in looking for books or CDs or Movies? If so, then chances are, Joey and the fantastic BookSavers band along with Jason and the marvelous Media team were in the back sorting, organizing and getting ready to put out thousands of new titles for you to shop.

Linens/Office/Seasonal – Maybe you came in looking for some linens for your guest room? Did you need some supplies for your office, or perhaps something for an upcoming Holiday? If so, then you can thank Jenny and her awesome team for their hard work in getting those items clean, organized and ready for you.

Housewares – Perhaps you’re tired of your current dishes and you want to replace them? Maybe you need some new art for your walls or some picture frames to display those new family photos? If that is the case, then you can give a shout out to Susan and her sensational Housewares team for all their washing, cleaning and preparation work to give you a top-notch selection.

Electronics – Are you shopping for a new lamp for your living room? Or maybe you need a DVD player, some charging cables, or even a musical instrument? If so, you’re in the right place, because Jordan and the excellent Electronics team are likely in the back, testing and getting all sorts of fun items ready for you.

Toys / Crafts / Upcycle – Looking for toys to occupy the kids? Or perhaps crafting items to occupy yourself? Do you like to repurpose items and make new creations? If so, then Emily and her creative Toy / Craft / Upcycle crew are in the back getting all kinds of items ready for you.

Thriftique / Silent Auction – Looking for something on the fancy and unique side? Well, the lovely ladies in the Thriftique department are always finding items to help you dress up your decor, while the superb Silent Auction team is researching to give you rare bidding opportunities.

Of course, we cannot leave out the hardworking crew on the donation dock. They spend each day lifting, identifying, sorting and moving all the items that come in! And then there’s Bill and his marvelous maintenance crew who keep our store and facilities running and looking great!

The truth is, we could go on and on about all of the wonderful, dedicated and talented people working behind the scenes of Gift & Thrift. They work so hard to make ready the wide variety of items you see when you shop at our store. For now though, we wanted to let you know just a little bit about these folks so you too can appreciate all that they do to keep our store going.

So, when you shop with us next, be sure to thank our wonderful in-store staff, but also send up a word of thanks for all of the behind-the-scenes staff was well.  Around here we like to say, “Where every purchase is a gift to the world” … but we want to add, “Where every person is a gift to our store!”

Yes, We’re Kidding You!

It’s been said that we’ve reached a ‘certain age’ when we have a favorite burner on the stove or we keep a box, simply because, “it’s a really good box”. Be honest, you have saved a box for that very reason, haven’t you? Perhaps you saved the little box that held your cell phone? Or perhaps that surprisingly hefty box that held your new shoes? Whatever box it might be, the bottom line is, there are just things we do in life that say, “I’m all grown up”.  Well good grief, who wants to be all grown up??? Who doesn’t want to go back to the days of just playing house for the fun of it instead of dealing with the real thing? Yes, let’s face it, adulting is difficult, and frankly, while it has some perks and benefits, there is a lot to it that we could do without!

Fortunately, our store has some fun solutions to help lighten the load of everyday adulting. While we can’t turn back the years, we can offer you items that will take you down memory lane. You might find a vintage item in our Toys and Games department that was your favorite as a child. Or you might see an antique tool in our Silent Auction that your grandfather used on the family farm. Whatever it is, something in our store has the potential to evoke the joys of your childhood days. Do you have fond memories of Sunday dinners at you grandparents’ house when you got to eat off the fancy plates? Well, it’s possible we might have a set of those plates in our Housewares department! Or maybe you enjoyed summer days making fun projects with your babysitter? Well, come by our Crafts department and check out the supplies to help you recreate those carefree days!

Of course we do have a plethora of items to help with everyday adulting, but for those moments when you just need to escape for a little while, we have you covered. Come stroll down our aisles where memories and smiles await you. Look for a book from your childhood, or a game from your youth and journey back to simpler days. Seek the excitement of a kid at Christmas as you discover the treasures wrapped up around our store. You never know what joys you’ll find to take home with you … or what kind of boxes they might be in! 😉

What on Earth …

One of the questions we are often asked by customers, family and friends is, “What is the most interesting thing you’ve found at Gift & Thrift”? If we differed that question to people in different departments, we would likely get a myriad of different responses. What’s interesting to one person might not be overly noteworthy to another. Still, everyone would agree that we are certainly blessed with interesting items to stock the store. In fact, it is rather fascinating to see the items and collections that come through our doors. While our company slogan is, “Where every purchase is a gift to the world”, we could add, “where every donation has a story to tell.”

If you were a fly on the wall in our donation receiving area, you would occasionally witness a brief pause in donation sorting as someone on the team stops and asks, “What do you think this is”? Usually someone knows and the sorting quickly resumes, but every now and then an item comes in that requires further investigation. Fortunately, there is a deep well of knowledge within the walls of our building and somewhere, someone knows what the item does or its intended purpose … which is good, because donations are a lot easier to sort into categories when we know what they are!

While donations like clothing, shoes, office supplies, books and such are what makes our store a go-to place for every day items, those “What on Earth…” items are what make our store a go-to place for curiosity. You really never know what extra treasures you might find when you come to shop at Gift & Thrift. Our community is filled with interesting people who donate interesting things and we are blessed to make the interesting available to you!

So when you shop with us next, we hope you’ll look around the store and come up with your own answer to, “What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever found at Gift & Thrift”? By all means, let our wonderful cashiers know your answer when you check out! Chances are your answer will change with every visit you make to our store! See you soon!