Village Store looking forward to next 20 years

The Village Store is getting ready to celebrate a milestone.

The popular thrift shop at 450 River Road has been around for almost 20 years and in that time has raised more than $2 million for local charities.

The store and its enthusiastic staff of about 70 volunteers, however, is looking ahead, not back.

There are plans to pave the parking lot next month. The lot is dusty when it gets hot, and muddy when it rains. Sales — and donations — continue to grow.

The store relocated a couple blocks down River Road about three years ago. The current location, on more than an acre, contains the 6,000-square-foot Main Store, a Builder’s Barn with home-improvement items, the Dobie House Boutique with antiques, and smaller sheds for sporting goods and medical supplies.

“For the most part our sales are on the rise,” says Cookie Hagemeier, the president of the board of directors. “This new location has really benefitted us.”

The structure of the Village Store is unique. There are five local charities that benefit: Emily Ann Theatre & Gardens, Keep Wimberley Beautiful, PAWS Shelter of Central Texas, Wimberley Valley Habitat for Humanity and The Wimberley Players. Volunteers designate which charity they want their hours to benefit. The volunteer hours are totaled and money is distributed to the charity. Currently, a volunteer makes about $10 an hour for charity, although that number fluctuates depending on sales at the store.

Ever changing

The store has evolved over the years. It was started by Habitat for Humanity. “But it didn’t take them long to realize they didn’t have enough people to run it,” says Cookie.

The concept was expanded in 2002 to include a wider range of local organizations.

There’s only one paid employee who keeps the place in shape.

“We consider the donations to be the lifeblood of our store and the volunteers are the backbone,” says Cookie. Some of the volunteers have been around since the beginning.

The volunteers are matched to their interests. Some are busy sorting and pricing clothes. Some are stocking and tidying the shelves. Some are ringing up sales at the front counter. The store is closed on Mondays, but there’s a crew that goes in that day and cleans and stocks.

Clothing is the biggest seller, accounting for about 50 percent of sales.

“People outfit their whole families here,” says Cookie. “You can’t beat it for children’s clothes. They grow so fast, you know.”

Dishes and kitchen gadgets and home-improvement items are also big sellers.

In the thrift-store business you have to be a little selective about the donations you accept. Well-intentioned people will sometimes load up a truck with, well, junk and try it to drop it off. The store won’t take anything that’s broken and no electronics ”because it would be out of date by the time we get it,” says Cookie.

They’ll take furniture in good condition, but nothing made of particle board.

Donors lined up

Sometimes there’s a diamond in the rough. Cookie recalls a Buddhist prayer wheel made of jade that was donated and fetched $500. “So many people in Wimberley have traveled all over the world and have collected some really nice things,” says Cookie.

The busiest day for donations is Tuesday after people have spent the weekend cleaning out their garages or closets. On a good day there can be as many as 40 people donating.

Fancy items are sold in the Dobie House Boutique, which has quite a history itself.

John and Lillie Dobie purchased the property in the early 1900s for a dairy farm. Lillie delivered milk around town in her Model A Ford. The cottage was built in 1920. John died in 1949 and Lillie passed away in 1971. The house became a bed and breakfast and then a tea room before becoming part of the thrift shop. It’s a registered Texas Historic Landmark and folks at the Village Store are dedicated to preserving its historic nature.

Says Cookie with a smile: “For an all volunteer organization I think it’s really amazing. It really runs smoothly — but that’s not to say there’s not a bump in the road here and there.”

The store is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Thursday, the store is open until 7 p.m.

On River Road, at the store’s exit, is a blue pantry. It’s called a “Blessing Box.” It’s not part of the Village Store. Basically, people — often store volunteers — will stock the box with non-perishable food and those in need can come by and take what they want.

For information on donations or volunteering call 512-847-5400.