Look for the signs for the thrift store at St. Edward Catholic Church, whose downtown campus lies at 805 Sherman St.
You'll be directed to a building that once housed the church's offices and, before that, a convent. You'll get to peruse a wealth of merchandise on three levels: One room holds women's and girls clothes, with some jewelry. Another holds men's and boys' clothes. Then there's the book room, the dishes room, the seasonal room (holiday decorations, fabric for making items), the kitchen room, the sports-equipment room and the checkout room, where there's more women's jewelry, along with a plethora of nonperishable snacks for sale.
Chance are, you won't stop oo-ing and ahh-ing at these items and their super-affordable prices.
"We have heard different comments when they come in, walk in the door -- 'Oh wow, I didn't know y'all had all this,' and [they] are amazed when they start going through," says LeAnn Wellinghoff, who, along with her brother-in-law, Donald Goodwin, puts in probably 20 hours a week at the store.
Because of covid regulations, they hadn't advertised the store much, Wellinghoff says. "But we have a steady following of local people, and word is spreading."
On Sundays, many people come over after Mass in the nearby sanctuary and shop. There may even be a visitor or two from out of town during the two days a week the store is open.
Goodwin cites some shoppers from Atkins. "They've got a little store there, and they come here and shop for stuff for their store. ... They just look through and see what they think they can sell in their store."
What you'll see isn't nearly all the church has to sell.
COVID-DELAYED OPENING
The thrift store has existed for less than a year. St. Edward parish manager Scott Sparks mentions how, in previous years, people would donate their discarded items to the church "and we would stick them in one of the buildings [on campus] or in the third-grade classroom ... until we had our rummage sale. We were constantly getting donations -- furniture, clothing, dishes, books."
They used to just save those items and do one big garage sale in the summer, Sparks continues. But the church's school closed a few years ago; hence the moving of its offices.
"Well, we thought, 'We've got a big empty building, so instead of doing just a big rummage sale every year, let's take the nicer items out of the donations, and open a thrift store and see how it works. ... It went off almost immediately."
The rest of the items are saved, and there's still a big rummage sale. But, again, the store gets the better items ... the dishes, the furniture, unopened items, clothing that's new with tags or name-brand.
Store preparation took some work. Items had to be gathered from all the different places in which they were stored on campus, and donations had to be picked up.
Then, covid-19 delayed the store's planned March 2020 opening. But the doors did open several months later, after the state's social-distancing rules relaxed some.
Wellinghoff prices the clothes and serves as cashier. Goodwin does the sorting of the items when they come in. He also inspects each item to "make sure it's good to be put out, not torn up or stained."
It's a job that can be interesting, to say the least.
"I've found a lot of things that I didn't know what it was," he says. "Some of the clothing that's donated, that's expensive clothing [that's] still got the tags on it." He'd wonder about "not only just one item; it'd be several items, maybe.
"But then the next bag [of donated clothing] is the other way. It's got stains all over it."
Wellinghoff is often surprised by "the stuff that we get that you would think, 'Throw this in the trash; nobody would want this.' And that'd be the very next thing that sells. You never know what people will buy."
PRICING BY CATEGORY
Items are priced by category. For instance, women's shirts and blouses are $3; better men's shirts are $5. Jewelry pieces -- pins, pendants and necklaces -- are $4-$5.
Costume jewelry and clothing represent the most donations. And what are the big sellers? Tools. "We can normally sell them as fast as we get them," Wellinghoff says.
Then, she adds, "our floor lamps seem to be a really hot seller when we get them in. They go pretty fast." Goodwin notes that they sell "quite a few big pictures."
Then there's the religious artwork, which also sells well. "We have a big, within the church, Hispanic population, and they seem to really like ... religious pictures," Wellinghoff says. "The crosses, too, sell good." They are technically not able to sell blessed items, but they do take donations on those, she explains.
There are some items customers seek but haven't been donated, she notes.
"We have one gentleman [who's] been looking for a ball bat for I don't know how long. He comes in about every week, but we hadn't got a ball bat in yet." If that dream Louisville Slugger (or whatever brand) of baseball bat is donated, "we'll put it back and hold it for him, knowing that's what he's wanting."
The store is open Sundays and Mondays. But Wellinghoff and Goodwin are also on duty on Thursdays, which they spend sorting and pricing. They'll go pick up items just about any time.
They do pull in other volunteers. Wellinghoff's daughters alternate on Sundays, helping with checkout. Four to five people come in throughout the week to help organize the store and sort items.
ALL FOR THE CHURCH
Proceeds from the store help to pay for church operations. Wellinghoff says she's very pleased with sales. "I know basically what we take in right now ... a Sunday and a Monday, we're averaging probably close to $1,000." She's heard that due to covid, some other thrift stores have shut down. "People tell us all the time, 'We're so happy you're here.'"
Wellinghoff has been a St. Edward member for more than 40 years. Her children and her grandchild have all gone to school there and were able to graduate before the school closed. "So I have always been involved in volunteering at St. Edward -- basketball games and you name it."
Goodwin is her brother-in-law by marriage, "and he's just always with the kids and granddaughter and everything ... here helping out." Everybody knows him as "Uncle Donald" -- which they heard his great-niece call him when he took her to school.
The two say they would like to see the store grow and keep supporting the church. One thing's for sure: Its donations will keep volunteers, and customers, guessing.
"You never know what you're getting," Goodwin says.
"But it's fun to find out," Wellinghoff adds.
St. Edward Thrift Store, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and Monday. For more information, call (501) 374-5767.
