Activity is at a peak as volunteers at the Wimberley Village Thrift Store prepare for their annual Christmas in July sale. The well-loved and utilized non-profit, just two minutes from the Wimberley Square, is the achievement of 80 dedicated volunteers who work in a highly-coordinated effort to receive, sort, price and sell donated items for the purpose of supporting the Wimberley community.
The thrift store has three objectives: to raise money for five area non-profits, to help budget-minded residents to get what they need at a reasonable price, and to assist donors find a new home for items they no longer need.
In the last 11 months, the Wimberley Village Thrift Store distributed an astonishing $350,000 to five area non-profits: the Wimberley Players, Keep Wimberley Beautiful, the EmilyAnn Theatre and Gardens, Wimberley Habitat for Humanity and PAWS of Central Texas.
Begun in 2001 by four community-minded individuals, the store moved to its current location at 450 River Rd. in 2016. Over the years, it evolved into a complex of three principal buildings: a main store, a boutique and a builder’s barn.
The main store, which serves as the intake for furniture, clothing, gifts, household items and books, is where donations are graded, priced and displayed. Clothing, sized and hung on racks, is the primary seller in the main store. Furniture is grouped in a coordinated display near the checkout counter.
Higher end objects are sent to a building called the boutique. The boutique is the former Lillie Dobie house, built in 1923, and a designated Texas Historic Landmark. It is the domain of current Board President, Aurora Lebrun, who steps down in July as president but will remain on the board. Involved since 2009, Lebrun researches luxury items for their value and makes them available to new owners at a fraction of the cost.
“Our donors are very, very generous in this town and our customers are very experienced shoppers. It’s wonderful to see buyers take home something beautiful for a very reasonable price,” she said.
The Builders Barn, like a hardware store, is the place to find large appliances, building materials, tools, electronics and similar items. Cornell Stoian, the store manager and the store’s only paid employee, makes sure that every item that comes into this area is tested to make sure it works. For electronics, he turns to Burns Cleland, whom he calls his electronic “guru.”
“We test everything,” said Stoian. “We don’t want to pass on something that doesn’t work. It might be the last chance for a struggling family to get something they really need. If an item works well, we sell it for about 30% of its original value.”
For donors with large items, thrift store volunteers will come out on Thursdays, provided arrangements are made ahead of time, to pick them up. Close to the Builder’s Barn, shoppers will find sports and exercise equipment, kids bikes, handicapped and medical equipment. Part of what makes the Village Thrift Store popular among regular customers and first time shoppers is how well the operation functions. “Managers” oversee their areas to ensure buyers find quality items to take home.
Jean Frazier, a longtime customer who is moving out of the area said, “I’m really truly going to miss this place. This store is very unique. Everyone is so friendly, it is very clean, the pricing is excellent and the volunteers are very selective about the items they offer. People from out of town really love it.”
Even casual observers will notice the sense of camaraderie that exists among volunteers. Not only do they appear to enjoy and support each other, the volunteers readily engage with customers to make sure they get a square deal on a quality item.
Mary Rose, a loyal customer for years, said, “Before I go out to purchase something, I stop by the Village store first, to see if I can get what I’m looking for there. It’s often a daily stop for me and I always find something I need or can use. Everyone is friendly, and it seems everyone knows everyone else.” The Wimberley Village Thrift store is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 to 2 p.m. Donations are accepted Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
