While visiting my sister, Margie Mills, in Portland recently, I thought it might be fun to check out consignment and thrift shops during a Route 1 road trip.
Because I volunteer at a thrift shop in Blue Hill, I wanted to assess the competition, and what with the economy having taken a dive, this seemed eminently sensible. We went to the yellow pages, wrote down names and addresses, and then headed for South Portland, planning to work our way down the coast.
Just off Congress Street in Portland, I spotted a thrift shop and asked Margie to pull over. Good Cause Thrift Shop (16 Forest Ave.), is just the sort of place I’d hoped to find. Owned and operated by the Sisters of Mercy, it benefits Catherine McAuley High School’s financial aid program.
Sister Mary Quinn showed us housewares, furniture, appliances, clothes for the family, books, artwork, videos, audios, CDs, and costume jewelry. “We have wonderful donors,” she said. “We get a wide variety of items: some gently used and some brand new.” As Margie looked at books, she turned and said, “I was just telling a friend about this book, and here it is, hardbound, for $2.50. I think I’ll buy it for her.” I questioned whether a coat was real fur, but Margie pointed out the monogramming and elegant lining.
My only problem was some of the pricing. Although run of the mill stuff costs only $3 to $4, they priced a new Talbots cotton knit shirt at Talbots’ sale price. A new 80 percent wool, 20 percent cashmere black coat originally $240 was $100 and an Indian sweetgrass basket cost $40. When questioned, Sister Mary Quinn said an evaluator prices their antiques lower than antique shops and that they donate clothes to the Preble Street Resource Center.
Driving over the Casco Bay Bridge to South Portland, my intrepid sister found her way to Cherished Possessions (185 Cottage Rd.), a consignment shop where we found furniture, rugs, pictures, jewelry, lamps, sterling flatware, and china. No clothes or appliances. I liked an Art Nouveau enameled gilt-over-sterling pin that started at $45, but after three months dropped to $27.45; and Margie found an Indian sweetgrass basket for only $18.
Around the corner, we found The Drapery Trading Co. (179 Cottage Rd.), a marvelous consignment shop that deals in fabulous fabrics and custom-made draperies in excellent condition. Although some of owner Nancy Seiler’s fabrics and draperies are expensive, they are a pittance of their original cost. Her goods come to her, she said, because, “People moved, they changed their mind, or they’re empty nesters, downsizing.” Drapery panels start at $6. At the top end, she had four panels of hand embroidered Doupioni silk at $400 each. Originally, the four cost $5,000. She sells silk tassels for 25 cents. Pillows range from $3 to $38. Fabrics that cost $100 per yard, including Scalamandré, sell for $20 per yard. And she negotiates. Seiler’s attitude is, “Move it.”
If you have time, you can stop at the Goodwill store at the Mill Creek Shopping Center, or Stella’s Seller Consignment, at 91 Ocean, a consignment boutique with limited hours.
Back over the bridge in Portland, we thought Material Objects (500 Congress St.), trendy. Margie said she could see a nephew’s cute girlfriend in the Retro-designed dresses. Then she said, “I’ve been thinking of wearing dresses more often.” We did note surprisingly high prices some might find off-putting for new clothes in front; farther back were consigned, and in the back, vintage.
Encore (521 Congress St.) is Portland’s top-end designer, select, and vintage resale emporium. This place is for a woman with a special occasion or a real collector. You could spend all day and leave perfectly dressed from head to foot. Behind racks of clothes we found floor-to-ceiling locked glass-fronted shelves loaded with everything you could imagine (furs, reptile bags and shoes). Jewelry runs from 99-cent Avon and a clearance rack to showy TJ Maxx-type to $999 estate. Hats start at $30; clothes and accessories tend to be stylish, elegant. Menswear, according to owner Rita Prout-Farley, is high end or vintage. “I have to brag,” she said; ‘Travel & Leisure voted us among the top 15 vintage shops in the world, and Boston Magazine voted us Best in New England three years in a row.” It might take time and an eye to find a real bargain, but what fun!
Then we headed up Route 1 to Falmouth and two consignment shops. Our first stop was Forget-Me-Nots (190 Route 1), a consignment shop that carries upscale women’s clothes and accessories. A coat was $1,200, jewelry $10-$300, no furs. A cashmere sweater at the usual $20 had a frayed neck, but that was unusual. Although prices were higher than thrift shops, we spotted good handbags and clearance items for $5. The Village Consignment Shop (805 Route 1), in Yarmouth, had beautiful, high-end clothes from $2 to $200 and jewelry from $6.
Margie knew I could find my way Eastward, so she headed me toward Camden’s Heavenly Threads (57 Elm St), a church thrift shop serving Knox County. Here I found nice, everyday family clothes and accessories downstairs, and dressy and vintage upstairs. Prices range from $2 to $10 for ordinary stuff, an elegant gown might go as high as $50, and they priced a Warmink Dutch figural wall clock appraised at $495 at $110.
Frugal Suzy’s (44 Elm St), a consignment shop down the hill, features women’s clothing, accessories, and jewelry-after a month prices drop by half then go on a bargain rack for $1 to $8.
My last stop: Blue Hill’s Turn-Style (23 South St), the family thrift shop where I volunteer that supports our Tree of Life food pantry serving the East Penobscot Bay peninsula. We sell clothes, accessories, and jewelry and keep prices low so we can serve everyone. Everything we sell must be in pristine condition. Children’s sizes newborn to 7 cost $1. Everything else runs $2 to $5 though the occasional coat, suit, or gown might reach $10, $25 or more.
After our fun-filled day, Margie and I went to sleep with visions of sugarplum bargains dancing in our heads.
We undoubtedly missed some shops: there’s a fine Salvation Army thrift shop on Pleasant Street in Brunswick, and we didn’t include Goodwill stores in our trip.
Don’t forget, all charity-based thrift shops depend on and appreciate donations without which they couldn’t exist.