As Good As New Thrift Store

     The first time I visited this thrift shop, I had just planned on doing a quick walk-through and walking out... one hour later, I left with three hefty bags. I left with that "thrifter's high" that one experiences when you find a real treasure for a ridiculously good price. Neatly wrapped in thick, yellow premium tissue paper, my bags contained an antique hat for $3, a leather Nine West purse that looked brand new for $3, an Early American Pressed Glass (EAPG) candy dish, two mid century art glass vases, a bracelet, and a few pair of shoes. I spent about $18 for all of it, and there were a few things I had to go back for the next day (a great vintage cake stand and a milk glass tray that had already sold by the time I returned.)

Pastor Ricardo, Wife Cynthia, and Grandaughter Bella

     The shop is located on the corner of 12th and Kemper Street in downtown Lynchburg, so I pass it every day as I head home from work.  It's a little non-profit store attached to a church called "Come as You Are Ministries."  However one feels about churches, it  is simply life-affirming to see such an inclusive and inviting name on any building in Lynchburg.    

      The real draw to this shop is not the inventory.  The real fun was the owner, Rick (Ricardo) Marshall, a veteran and pillar of the community who pastors the church on the other half of the building.  I had taught his lovely niece who stayed with Rick and his wife a few years ago, so after a little back-and-forth about how we knew each other, it was as if I were talking to an old friend.  His warm spirit and positive outlook are positively infectious, and his smile is just as big as his heart.  He's just one of those people who everyone feels happy to see because just being around him makes you feel happy.  I was in a hurry, but whatever it was that I was supposed to be doing got put on the back burner as I spent a good hour talking with him.  After all, we are in this thrifting/junking culture for the history and the community more than we are for the "stuff."  It's just refreshing to talk to someone so unassuming, inquisitive, and genuinely interested in what you have to say.  

     The shop is amazing.  I have never been to a thrift store that looked so organized or had such nice inventory.  It had the look of a high-end consignment shop or boutique, but the prices were comparable to Goodwill or The Salvation Army.  Everything in the store was spotless, and there was not even a faint hint of the odor of moth balls (which is a major accomplishment for any thrift, antique, or second-hand store).  The walls are an inviting, vibrant yellow, the clothing is organized according to sections which are clearly marked on the walls, the children's items are in a small room in the back, and the accessories, jewelry, and shoes are neatly arranged just inside the door.  While there were great items in the decor and children's section, you would be hard-pressed to find a higher-quality selection of clothes or accessories at any major retail store in Lynchburg.  The racks were filled with designer brands, many new and still with the tags.  The meticulous arrangement made it so easy to browse the store, and I never came across a single item which was dirty, stained, faded, worn-out, or otherwise raggedy.
    

     As immaculate as the store was, it does not seem at all exclusive or uninviting for anyone.  Shopping with small children can be next-to-impossible, but this place has clearly been set up and arranged with children in mind.  There is a whole section for children in the back, like a child's playroom, that is brightly painted and filled with toys and books.  It's a place where children can play while parents peruse the shelves.  I really appreciated the fact that all of the battery-operated toys had been inspected and work.  Collectors, be advised: there are lots and lots of vintage Little Golden Books in great condition here for only $1 each.

     I asked Cynthia, co-owner and pastor's wife, if they had any goals for the future of the store or the church.  She immediately lit up, and I could tell by the look in her eyes that she had such clear vision and direction that she could actually see it unfolding as she spoke. 

  "Our heart is with the young people.  We want to open a community center in this neighborhood, a safe place for young people to come out and play basketball, surf the internet, do homework, play games, and have fun with friends in a positive environment in the presence of caring role models.  While we are a church and would ultimately love to see people find hope and peace in God the way we have, we just want to help equip these children with the real-life skills and the confidence in themselves that they need to be successful."
 

     She also shared that the purpose for the thrift store was not to make a profit or pay anyone's salary, but just to pay the bills to keep the lights on and the doors open in the church.  She also sees it as a place where people from all income levels can buy nice things to wear at the quality of fine retailers.  They want to help people have a sense of pride and confidence in their clothes, and providing quality items at thrift store prices is the way to do that.  While they don't do consignment, they will gladly take any donated items you wish to give to the thrift store.  While it's a true pleasure to interact with the good pastor, it's pretty clear once you meet Cynthia that the real mastermind behind the style, quality, and organization of this operation is her.  From head to toe, she oozes with class and fashion-savvy.  I'm guessing that a lot of those fabulous heels and purses were donations from her personal collection.

     This is definitely going to be a shop I frequent on the regular.  In fact, we like Pastor Rick so much that, when we eloped, we tried to get him to come officiate our wedding.  Unfortunately, we didn't give him much notice (about 10 minutes on New Year's Eve,) and he was already obligated hosting an evening service outside of Lynchburg.

T & D Variety and Ye Olde Antique Shoppe

   

 One day last week, I dropped by Ye Olde Antique Shoppe across from the Sonic on Route 29 in
Madison Heights. I had been eyeing the place for some time, but just hadn't yet managed to get out that way before it closed at 5:00. When I walked in, I didn't see anyone for a little while. After a minute or two, the most bright-eyed older gentleman with the warmest smile came around a corner and greeted me. I asked him if this was his shop, and he told me to talk to the ladies in another room. He then encouraged me to go upstairs and check out the rest of the store.

I went from room to room, taking in the rich variety of the items in the store from glassware and pottery, textiles, novelties, decor, and just about anything you can imagine.  I believe I was most excited by the media room upstairs, which I fully intend on revisiting in the near future when I have more time.  There were shelves and shelves of books, magazines, and vinyl records-- all priced quite reasonably.  The rest of the store was a little closer to retail prices than a thrift shop, but nothing I saw was priced unreasonably.  Because I had arrived with only twenty minutes left until closing time, I had to leave before I really had a chance to appreciate everything there.  As I was leaving, I ran into the gentleman who I met when I first came in as he was leaving around the same time.  I asked him if he knew anything about the shop next door (in the same yard), and he said:

"Yeah, it's open, but the guy that runs it isn't there."

So... I decided to try it again the next week.  The following Monday, I had to make a bank run and decided that Madison Heights would be preferable to rush-hour Wards Rd, so I found myself driving past the shop again.  I happened to notice that this time it was, in fact, open, so I dropped in on my way back.  No one was there when I first walked in, but eventually a gentleman came in and sat down at the front desk.  The shop, T & D Variety, wasn't very big; in fact, it was simply one big room.  The walls were just bare studs and plywood, and a variety of lanterns and baskets hung from the ceiling.

 

Compared to the shop next door, it was much more "rustic" and much less "boutique," --and I loved it.  The inventory wasn't as polished or refined as that which was in the bigger store next door.  There were what-nots, vases, new items, collectables, textiles, and dishes on every open inch of surface area in the shop; the miscellany notwithstanding, the biggest marvel in the shop was the owner, Tody Carrico.  Remember the older gentleman with the vibrant smile from the first building?  Well, that was Tody.  He just didn't want to be bothered with running his store the first day I came to shop, so he told me that the guy who runs it wasn't there.  Ha!  He just laughed heartily when I called him on his evasive maneuver.  It didn't take long to find myself wrapped up in Tody's storytelling.  We went from discussing WW2 trench parascopes to make-shift depression-era toys to "...that's what's different about kids today."  I braced myself for the inevitable rant about how adolescents are the scourge of society, but instead of coming down on the current generation, he reflected about how the pressures are so much more different in today's world and how children (and adults) no longer get to experience the luxury of spare time.  It was sad, he said, that we just aren't afforded spare time because of the rapid-fire pace of obligations and the need to work all day every day just to tread water. 

If this is gone, I bought it!

"You live right next to someone, but you don't even get the time to say hello to a neighbor and ask them how they're doing." 

    

Tody has owned and operated T & D Variety for 35 years, while his wife Ruby and her sister Dolly run Ye Olde Antique Shoppe next door. I literally sat and listened to Tody's stories for over an hour, and was quite impressed with his wisdom and touched by how much he loves his family.  His favorite young lady, who may as well be his granddaughter because that's how he sees her, reminds me very much of the relationship I had with my grandfather.  Her pictures surround his desk, and he can't help but to smile when he thinks about her.  She calls him every night, and he is bursting with pride when he talks about her accomplishments.

Almost an hour after closing time, I finally left T & D Variety.  I thoroughly enjoyed the store, which has some treasures inside, but the conversation was the real priceless gem.  You would be missing out if you didn't stop by and pay a visit to this exuberant trio and browse their collection.   

"Why worry about anything?  When I start to worry, I just fall asleep."

The Show is Over

Wow, we are exhausted!  Thank you for supporting our dream, Lynchburg!  What a great time!

Getting Ready for the Show

In getting ready for our show at the Lynchburg Academy of Arts, I realized that I am going to have to actually put something on our website because our business cards are directly linked to it. So... the best way to start has to be to show a little snapshot of the ADHD chaos that goes into my personal contribution to creating.

Special thanks to Rocky, who helped to organize and inspire many of the pieces. He is a true artist...

Etsy Shop