Flanders Thrift Shop: 100 Different Stores in One

Daniela Moschella, of Flanders, shared that going to the Flanders United Methodist Church thrift shop “[is like] going to 100 different stores at the same time.”  A volunteer at the shop at 4 Park Place in Flanders, Moschella shared that there’s a wide variety of quality items at very affordable prices for people with different needs.  For example, someone moving into a new home who needs household items or parents looking for items for their fast-growing children can find them there.  For the latter, Moschella noted that why buy something at regular store prices which the child will outgrow soon when you can buy the item for so much less at the thrift store. Not only does the shop help those who shop there by providing goods at affordable prices, but the proceeds from the shop go to supporting the ministries of the church. The shop is overseen by the church’s Church Council Committee.   Ray Winch, of Flanders, is one of the committee members.  

2. Rows of affordable merchandise line a room in the thrift shop.

 Winch shared that the Thrift Store has grown steadily in its 48-year existence.  It was started by the church’s women’s group in 1974 and was located in the church basement; it later moved to its current location. “In 2015, the 4 Park Place building was completely renovated and fitted with retail fixtures. The parking lot was paved in 2017. We added a Point-of-Sale system in 2021 and we now accept credit cards and other forms of payment including Apple Pay,” shared Winch. 

Winch expanded on what Moschella shared in regards to the variety of merchandise at the store. He shared, “clothing, handbags, shoes, stuffed animals, back packs, blankets, jewelry, as well as non-clothing items such as paintings, collectables, knickknacks, etc.” are examples of the items found at the store.  

Also, customers will find their brand names such as Calvin Klein, Aeropostale, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Nike, Under Armour, Tommy Hilfiger, Chicos, Ann Taylor, Coach, North Face, and more.  Winch noted that while the cost of such brand name items might be too much for shoppers to consider at a retail store, the prices at the thrift store are far lower; customers at the church thrift store have even remarked that their prices are lower than many of the high-profile thrift stores.  “Most items are $3 or less. Higher quality items and items that have original store tags on them cost a little more. In addition to our already low prices, we have tag sales every month. Each month we use a different color price tag for our merchandise. After several months, that color tag goes on sale. In addition to providing sale options, the tag color system allows us to track how long an item has been on the floor so we can continuously update and refresh our inventory,” Winch shared.

The shop is staffed by church member volunteers and volunteers from the community. Some of the latter started as customers.

3. Volunteer Raul Garcia, of the Borough of Hopatcong, shows the donation shed used for clothing.

 “I was coming every so often [as a customer] and one thing led to another”, explained Raul Garcia, of the Borough of Hopatcong, as to how he became a volunteer. A greeter and cashier at the shop, Garcia shared, “…I enjoy the folks who come here, the regulars who come.  I’m a people person.”  He noted that customers come from a variety of towns and Garcia enjoys seeing them looking around and finding little treasures.  He’s been a volunteer for two – three years.

“Seeing everything flow,” is something Anthony Toledo, of Flanders, enjoys about being a  volunteer.  A volunteer for 11 years, he noted that the thrift shop has many moving parts to keep it going and he enjoys seeing how everything comes together.  Like Garcia, Toledo was a shopper first before being a volunteer.   Now, Toledo is a cashier and takes care of organizing the outside, sorting through donations that are left and clearing away broken items.

The proceeds from the shop allow the church to continue its ministry and programs (as it has for 243 years). The church building was built in 1857. “Funds from the thrift ministry along with member pledges help us to make sure the church building is structurally sound, up-to-date in terms of functionality, while also retaining its historical features and aesthetics for the general public,” said Winch.   The funds also allow the church to offer its popular coffeehouse, the Sacred Bean, which showcases area musicians and song writers (www.sacredbeancoffeehouse.org). In addition, the church contributes to the Greater Methodist Church for global missions such as “No More Malaria”, a campaign to end malaria in Africa.

Winch also noted that the shop itself is a ministry which provides many benefits. “We provide a place where shoppers can purchase high quality, carefully sorted merchandise at a very affordable price. This is especially important today as people are feeling financial pressure due to inflation,” said Winch. The shop also helps supports independent entrepreneurs. “Some of our customers have small niche businesses selling used items. These entrepreneurs play an important role in helping us find the right home for the niche items. We help them find the merchandise for their clientele, and by shopping with us they contribute to, and support, the ministry of our church,” Winch shared.  Another benefit of the thrift shop is that it helps the environment. By making it easy to donate a sellable item to the shop, it is hoped that instead of being thrown out and added to a landfill, good quality usable items can continue to be utilized, just by new owners. “We are blessed to have a very generous community. All our items are donated by local residents,” said Winch.  

That leads to one more benefit. For those who are down-sizing their home or cleaning out their homes, the thrift shop offers a place where items can be donated during daylight hours and the donator knows they are going to a good cause.  The shop has a clothing donation shed in its main parking lot for clothing, blankets, handbags, shoes, and other fabric items that are weather sensitive. Also, there is a donation area behind a white fence for non-clothing items. Items that are weather sensitive can be placed in the tent in that area.  However, before donating, people should make sure to check the shop’s donation guidelines to see what can and can’t be accepted.  This is very important.

Winch stressed, “Items should be sellable. Not broken or damaged. Donating broken or damaged items and prohibited items such as large furniture and televisions increases the cost of our ministry and puts a tremendous burden on our volunteers who are already working as hard as possible.”   People can visit the shop website for more information on what can be donated:  www.flandersthrift.org   Again, furniture and televisions are among the items that can’t be accepted. 

The Thrift Shop is open Monday 9am-2pm, Wednesday 9am-12pm & 5pm-7pm, Friday 9am-12pm, and Saturday 9am-12pm.   People interested in volunteering can fill out an application at the shop.