Greetings and thank you for joining us on I nspire.

Thrifting has become a multi-generational interest that speaks to people's need to shop both economically and sustainably.

Don't miss out as we talk thrifting tips the growing popularity the creative inspirations brought on by the power of thrifting.

Coming up, stay there.

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The popularity of thrifting is on the rise.

And 2023 alone, the secondhand market generated around 53 billion, not million, but billion dollars in revenue.

More people are turning to thrifting as a way to meet their budget needs, reduce the negative environmental impacts of the fashion industry, or just have fun searching for something special.

For some, thrifting is second nature.

For others, it can be difficult to know where to start or how to navigate stores that may be messy or crowded.

Here to talk about the art of thrifting is Deb Cole from Ethel's Emporium Vintage in Overland Park, Kansas, and Tony Penisi owner of Troost 39, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Thank you both for joining us.

And you're both very different stores.

Yeah.

Size wise, many small towns, large cities have thrift stores.

So, Deb, let's start with you.

You kind of started this as a hobby.

Oh, yeah.

I've been thrifting, all throughout my marriage.

I, I've been married almost 38 years now, and we we love to go out on the weekends and go to state sales and garage sales and thrift stores.

And it's always been a part of our life.

In fact, our little our baby daughter at the time, used to count Mickey Mouse everywhere we'd go.

That would make it fun for her.

And now she's a thrifter also.

So we got her hooked.

And Toni, yours is much larger is much larger.

How did you get involved?

Yeah.

My husband and I and some partners knew that, the Saint Vincent de Paul Thrift Thrift Store, which has been operating in Kansas City for a long while.

It was going out of business.

We knew how important the store was.

So we did a little bit of research and put our hands up and took it over from them.

Mostly because we wanted to keep the resource in the neighborhood that was just so important to that neighborhood.

And the rest is history.

Well, can you explain why it was important to that neighborhood?

Sure.

The thrift store is located at the corner of Troost Avenue and 39th Street in Kansas City, which is historically, a racial dividing line in Kansas City.

And as a result, surrounding community sometimes is short on resources and also not always able to get to the big retailers so that other people can get to.

So we really serve as, a resource for people who might not have the money or the transportation to go to a target or a Walmart, but they do come to us for some of their everyday shopping needs.

So let's talk about the definition of thrifting.

What would you say thrifting is, and how is it different from what some people could perceive it to be?

Because some people back in the day called it junking.

But junking and thrifting are two totally different things.

It's a higher level of shopping that's on a budget.

Would you say?

So?

Give me your definition and then I'll get yours.

I think thrifting is from what I've observed from all of our customers.

It's very purposeful, seeking out of good treasures, maybe, but with an eye towards sustainability, towards, again, budgetary concerns.

Usually most of stores will offer merchandise lower than a regular retailer would, would offer, or even at lower prices than you might find online.

So there's a pretty, strategic approach.

Most people have to thrifting, they know what they're going for, and they know what their budget is, and they know that they can get good value if they do their homework the right way.

Okay, what I did for me, thrifting is giving items a second, third, fourth, fifth life.

Right where you live in such a society that everything is disposable.

I mean, you think about little things you buy at stores that are certain price tag on it.

They're thrown in the trash.

Meanwhile, with thrifting, you can take a beautiful piece that's maybe been around for 50 or 60 years and give it a new life and and honor what it is and not ruin the earth in the process.

So for me, thrifting is new life.

Yeah.

So then you used a term I hadn't heard before, right?

But I'm wondering, is thrifting the same as antiquing or is that different too?

There's some similarities and that they have that additional life.

Antiquing implies a much, older product that has higher value.

Right.

But I like the word vintage because that's the timeframe I love, which is what, 20, 25 years or more.

So I love things from the 60s.

In the 70s.

So that isn't antiquing for me.

That's vintage shopping and thrifting.

It's vintage.

Oh yes, yes yes yes.

It's really scary to realize the 90s is vintage now.

Yeah.

My gosh, I feel that.

Yeah, I definitely feel that.

I love going in and finding things.

And what's fun to find out about you too, is that you both thrift elsewhere.

Like, we have so many shops around in Topeka and in our 39, county viewing area.

And what's the fun of it for thrifting elsewhere for you to.

Well, I don't so much do thrifting elsewhere because we we operate on donations.

So we get donations from literally all over the city, families, people who have moved, people who are downsizing, people whose grandparents maybe have passed away.

And they're, they don't want the old China or they don't want the, you know, the crystal that should, you know, in the olden days would be handed down to generations.

We were talking about this before, and suddenly there we are looking at grandma's China.

Yeah.

And, it's beautiful stuff.

And so we are, you know, we're happy to have it.

And there's always somebody interested in it.

So it's not so much for me.

I'm kind of spoiled because it does come to us.

I don't have to go out on the hunt quite so much in depth.

I'm a hunter.

I'm absolutely a hunter.

I love the thrill of the chase.

I love, going to stores that, like Tony's, that help the community because the dollars I spend there go back to the people that need it.

And I'm also looking at these Topeka has fabulous places, for example, to to thrift it.

They do really good work at the stores in Topeka to make sure that the underserved populations or people in need are getting what they need.

And those are the South.

They're thrifting and hunting.

Our job is not to take from those people, but to invest on those objects like decor.

Maybe that they aren't going to maybe pick up that those dollars can go back and help other people.

So we're really conscious.

Most crafters are very conscious not to take out of the hands of people who really need it, but to look for those extra pieces that we're going to sit on the shelf.

I don't do clothes, for instance, because I know that people need to find really good deals on clothes.

I try not to do kitchen, utensils and appliances and things like that.

Someone could set up an apartment with.

I want to make sure that I'm not infringing in that.

But boy, if I see a piece of crystal that calls my name that I'm in, I'm absolutely.

And that's a great way to think about it and to do it.

So talk to me.

We've learned a little piece about what it is that you're looking for when you're thrifting.

What's in your thrift store like when we go there?

What variety of items would we find?

Yeah we are it's we're pretty much a small general merchandise store.

We have almost every category of merchandise that you would see in a, in a target or a Walmart or update or even a Dillard's.

So if do have kitchen items, we do have kitchens, we have Tupperware is a big seller.

People need tuperware, we have clothing, of course.

Linens, household and so if you need a new dish towel or you need bathroom towels or a bathmat, that's the type of thing that people come shopping to us for as well.

I'll say what, they're really great.

Thrift stores are fabulous for things like frames and baskets.

Yeah, I would never spend a dollar in a in a regular retail store on a frame, on a basket, because there are so many in thrift stores and they're in fabulous shape and once again giving it more life, it's it's a really smart way to be sustainable.

In fact, this year I did, I do a Christmas cookie for all.

Everyone in my family, my friends.

I make tons of cookies.

And this year I went around and bought Christmas plates at thrift stores.

So instead of giving them plastic, they throw away, right?

Or styrofoam or something.

That's horrible for the environment.

They got a 25-30 year old plate that celebrates Christmas.

So it's a great way it's economical to do that.

It's a great way to give a nice gift that says, I was thinking about you probably brought back great memories.

It might have had a scene on it from their grandmother or something, and it could be a way to start a new collection, a new tradition, even out.

So I'm liking that.

we're going to take a short break, but when we return, we're going to talk about the impact and the connection that thrift stores bring to communities.

Stay with us.

♪ Welcome back.

We're here today with Tony Penisi from Troost 39 and Deb from Ethel's Emporium vintage, to talk more about thrifting.

Okay, I got to ask, so when you are talking about giving back to the community, Tony, with your thrift shop, which sounds unique to me because I didn't know that people were doing that necessarily.

What is it that you're doing for the community with your shop down in Kansas City?

Sure.

Well, first of all, you know, our core customers, I think, like I said before, are the people who ride the bus on Troost.

So we set our prices for them because they might not be able to afford to shop at all the big retailers, at least not not all the time.

So that's the first thing we do, is we try to keep our prices low so the local community can benefit, we have, partnership with some of the social service agencies along the Troost corridor.

So Bishop Sullivan Center, Reconciliation Services, Swope Health Services, they will issue vouchers for clothing to our store and then there.

So their clients will come and shop if they're in need of clothing, especially, clients with families.

Last week we had somebody come in with six children to shop for, and they were able to do that on a voucher very nicely.

So that's another thing that we do, we hire from the community and we do have an At-Risk hiring program.

So we do try to employ people who might not easily be employed elsewhere, either they're recently coming out of incarceration or they're in a recovery program or something.

So we try to give them a chance and that helps us because they really then are on the same wavelength.

They have a lot of empathy for a lot of our customers who come to the store, who might be you know, going through some hard times, might be having, you know, might need a little bit more, sympathy and encouragement in terms of, people helping them out.

And so our employees are right there to help give out something free sometimes, just because they know they've been there themselves.

So that's good.

Those are just a couple of ways that we're trying to stay engaged.

So people bring things to your store.

Constantly everything from furniture and anything that they're downsizing from their own homes or businesses.

Exactly right.

And then, Deb, you go out and find things.

But you said something in the first segment that I just thought was profound.

You try not to get something that someone in Tony store.

I don't want to compete with her customers.

That's really important because I'm doing this for fun and for joy and self-expression and everything else.

But if I have my needs met, so I will not take it out of the hands and mouths of someone else.

And so that's really important.

When I go to Troost 39, I'll be looking for things that that, maybe are just shiny and catch my attention, but I won't.

But I won't take from that family with six kids because that's that's not what this is about.

We've got to take care of each other.

And I love your reaction to that.

I mean, you you obviously.

And you hope more people maybe have that.

We well, you know, we love all of our customers and you're a very good customer for us.

We have many pickers and resellers, and hobby thrifters.

And you know who they, they're they're like I said before, they're for the thrill the hunt.

They're finding something really special.

And sometimes they'll also pick up that little blast that.

Oh, I like that.

So, so that's great for us.

But we do appreciate the fact that people understand what our mission is.

And, I respect all of that.

So thank you so much.

You're welcome.

Thank you for being there.

I want to veer a little bit, but not far.

I want to talk about the employees that you're employing at your store.

Tell me some success stories, because I know that there are people whose lives have changed as a result of working for you.

Talk about that.

Okay.

We have, one woman who came to us.

She'll be here almost two years now as she came right out of prison.

She, We work with Journey to New Life, which is one of the agencies that serves that population here in Kansas City.

And, we gave her job.

We just took a chance on her.

We never looked for a resume.

I didn't look for references.

I just said, you know, can you work hard?

Yes.

And she just proved herself and is very, How can I say it?

She's she's very disciplined about her approach to work.

She's grateful for the opportunity.

And since she's been working with us, she's gotten herself an apartment.

She's gotten her driver's license, she's gotten a car, and she's just, you know, just on the road back.

And she has said to us, thank you so much for giving me the chance.

And we have a few other folks in similar, progress along that type of pass.

So we're really proud of them.

And it does make us feel good as well, of course, but they're just awesome to have everyone.

Yeah.

Thank you for asking.

Yes.

So when you say shiny thing.

Yes.

So many shiny.

Because I love shiny.

Shiny I love shiny.

So tell me, what are some of the key things that you're looking for and that, you know, if I come to your shop, I'm going to say got to have it.

Yeah.

So I'm a child of the 60s.

I was born in 1967.

And so that a static time frame, 60s, 70s and even 80s now, because that was growing up, it has such a connection to me.

I remember, in fact, Ethel's Emporium is named after my grandmother, Ethel.

And so their house had all those mid-century modern elements, right?

Beautiful teak bowls and, glassware in that avocado green and that wonderful gold and oranges and all the things that shag carpet kind of bring to mind.

That's the shine I love.

You know, it's really funny for some people, they think of that time frame.

They're like, oh, that was the worst.

Now for me, I just love that time.

So anything in that time frame I gravitate toward and, my house reflects that.

And that's one thing about thrifting is my house is is unique.

I pick items that bring me joy and bring me love and bring me good memories.

And I surround myself with that.

And it's by not buying, you know, general run of the mill retail objects, I can create a world around me that reflects kind of me.

Right?

So that's what thrifting does for me.

So I'll enjoy.

I've only had this booth for two months, so I'm new at this and it's part of the Glenwood Antique Mall.

And, it's a fabulous way for me to go on my hunts to have a good time to help support the community by making purchases at stores just like Tony's, but then enjoy it for a while and then give it back into the world to have let someone else find some joy with it.

So it's sort of a full cycle process.

Thank you both so much for Deb and Tony, and thank you for staying right there because we're going to talk sustainablity in just a little bit, hang right there.

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We're back with thrift' queens Deb and Tony and Deb.

We were here just seconds ago.

We were talking about sustainability.

We're going to get into that.

And you were saying you get something, and then you give it back to the world.

Absolutely.

My house can be changing all the time.

So I go find something that someone else gave away.

I take it in and use it for a while.

When I'm ready to release it, I release it back through my booth or I donate it depending on what what the item is, and it's a great full circle.

It can keep going.

And we'll talk to you about sustainability with used furniture and that type of thing would let's have your opinion please.

Well, pretty much what Deb said and we will.

One of the reasons why we get so many wonderful donations is because I think people innately don't want to waste something you've got.

They might have a mug they don't need anymore, but I'm not going to throw it away.

Let's maybe somebody else can use this.

So that works very much to our advantage, and sometimes not so much because we'll get something that's it's kind of, pretty well damaged, you know, and we can't really we can't sell it, but we understand why the person donated it to us.

They just couldn't quite bring it in their heart to throw away this 90% perfect comforter that's got maybe an ink stain in the corner.

Right.

So it just, you know, it benefits us in many ways.

So when we donate pieces, what is the goal?

The you want something that is pretty much pristine.

Perfect.

I know that you don't want something that is not usable.

I mean, it's not a chance to just get rid of everything.

How do you want us to present the items to you?

That's such a great question.

Thank you.

It would really be anything that you yourself would continue to use.

So, we might accept a rug that's got a little bit of a, you know, a scuff on it or something because it is second hand.

I mean, everything that we're offering is second hand.

So it has been used.

It has been loved.

And so from that perspective, most of our customers understand it's not going to be absolutely pristine all the time.

And we will put things on the shelf sometimes it might have in the business we call it a flea bite.

There we go.

Right.

We buy.

So a tiny little chip.

But it's a 1950s piece of art ceramic.

And so the knowledgeable customer is going to be able to overlook that the flea bite loves the flea bite.

Take it despite the flea bite.

And that's all good too as part of the term.

Yeah, it it is, it is.

Yeah.

What about you?

Just think about it when I donate myself because I'm on both sides, I donate to places and then I buy places.

I always think of it.

Everyone deserves dignity.

So what I'm donating, I should see it as someone deserves dignity in this piece.

And if it's something that that really isn't a place that would would honor that person then I probably shouldn't give it.

right because everyone deserves a nice something, even if it's second hand.

It should be whole and it should be workable, and it should be something that enriches their lives.

Love that.

What about artwork?

Is that something that - you're talking shiny things again!

Oh, is that a shiny?

I love artwork!

My grandfather was an artist.

So art for me is everything.

And art can be is the ceramic face you're talking about, right?

It could be the teacup.

It could be a piece of art that's photographs or art, oil painting and things like that.

Trends come and go, but we're coming back where all these trends are coming back right now.

So just because you think it may not be in right now, there's going to be a market for it at some point again, and someone's going to want to be looking for that type of art.

Yeah, I have found that in clothing, although I can't wear it anymore, but I still have, but I need to give it away.

Yeah.

So Tony, would you mentioned that there are some things that you can't use.

What becomes of them?

Good question.

We have, we do have a relationship with the Big Brothers Big Sisters Savers organization, and they are able to take textiles, for example, from us that we can't use.

It's torn or it's shredded or stained or it's dirty or it's been on the rack for a month and a half and we haven't been able to sell it.

So we will bundle it up.

And they then our understanding is are able to keep that out of the landfill, because they have means by which they will bale, bale up their textiles and recycle them or send them to recyclers.

So it's able to go someplace better than into the landfill.

So that's that's just one example.

We keep talking about the way to save money by thrifting.

What are some practical tips that we need as we thrift?

Maybe for the first time?

Well, I would say first of all, go in with an open mind.

If you've literally never thrifted before, you're going to be surprised by the variety of of of products you're going to see.

Like I said, anything from most recently we had a small, believe it or not, a gunpowder, flask from the Civil War.

Oh, wow.

So and if you know what that looks like and you know what that is, when you see it, you'll you're going to be delighted and surprised, for sure.

So keeping an open mind about what you might see, maybe not going in and saying, today I am going to buy the black leather jacket to end all black leather jackets.

That's what is going to happen.

But if you stay open, and you just keep an eye out, what catches your eye?

What do you fall in love with?

What speaks to you?

What, like Deb was saying, was shiny?

You're going to find great stuff, you know, and it's.

And you'll learn.

You learn to see, you will develop and I absolutely I think it comes down to a couple things.

Patience.

If you go in thinking, I'm going to find exactly what is on my list, it's not going to happen that way.

And consistency go often see new things that are coming in.

Get a feel for the shop.

Know where they place certain things.

I mean, once you do it enough and you're patient, all of a sudden your mind, you said, keep an open mind and that's that's really the bottom line.

Because thrifting is a thrill.

It's also a necessity.

And it's also good for all of us.

Travel.

Oh, well, that's all the time we have for today's look at thrifting in Kansas.

Thanks again to Tony Penisi of Troost 39 and Deb Cole of Ethel's Emporium Vintage.

We've learned so much.

And as always, you can watch this program again at watch.ktwu.org.

And if you're so inspired to learn more about our guests and want to see what's coming up on future episodes, please visit our website at ktwu.org/inspire Inspiring women, inspiring mindful shopping and inspiring you on KTWU.

Thank you all for watching.

♪ Inspire is sponsored by the estate of Ray and Anne Goldsmith, the Raymond C and Marguerite Gibson Foundation, and the Louis H. Humphreys Charitable Trust.