News & Reviews: The ReStore of Levittown, Pennsylvania

While en route to other thrift shops in the Oxford Valley and Langhorne area a few weeks ago, I was fortuitously caught at a red light when I spotted a sign for ReStore. Surrounded by stores in a crowded commercial plaza, I was unsure of what to find in this unexpected thrift detour.  

A discount home improvement store that benefits the Habitat For Humanity in building and repairing homes in the Philadelphia area and beyond, ReStore typically offers preowned furniture, decor, and usable home furnishings. And don't let this small storefront fool you. Once you walk through the door, shoppers are greeted with a sign that assures 10,000 square feet of goods...downstairs. 

I should've gotten a panorama shot, to truly give you an idea of just how large this ReStore was, despite its deceptively small storefront. Deep in the guts of the building was a spread of sofas, tables, cabinets, lighting, doors, fixtures, office furniture, decor, and a highly organized book and media corner. Clean, well-lit, and fully-staffed, this ReStore was a welcome pitstop in my thrift trip.

And the prices were spectacular. I didn't find anything I needed in the way of home goods, but I will definitely be looking again in the future. Though it should be said that if I had the available space, there were definitely things that I wanted. 

So I snapped a few photos with my iPad, forked over a quarter for a fashion book, and left feeling that I had found some new secondhand stomping ground. 

This ReStore is located at 1337 E Lincoln Highway Levittown, PA 19056 

The Great Summer Wrap-Up: A Season In Pictures

Dearest Summer, 

Thanks for the memories!

XOXO

Jackie 

64 Years, 3000 Miles and Back Again

As some of you lovely longtime readers may recall, this isn't the first time that the photo above has been featured here on the blog.

 

The original post was back in October of last year and was titled Beautiful Abandon. This was The Ball House of Skagit County, Washington and it had quite the history. 

The Victorian style construction of the home in 1903, the terrible tragedy that provoked The Ball family to abandon the home in the 1930s, the decades of neglect and decay that followed...and the eventual collapse in 1996. Thanks to some internet research and  Bill Osbourne, the photographer who snapped and inscribed this shot back in 1949, I learned almost everything that I could about the infamous Ball House.

But a few weeks ago, I came to know something else. I learned that aside from some sketches and old photographs on the county website, no tangible photos existed of what was once an impressive stretch of property. I was contacted by Charlene, a resident of Buckley, Washington and longtime admirer of The Ball Estate.

For years, Char took her family camping in the Bayview area, where they would pass by The Ball House and see the slow and steady decline of the property. And then one year, nothing of the home remained at all.

After a few email exchanges, I decided that Char's personal connection and close location to the legacy of The Ball House certainly warranted selling her a prized piece of my vintage photo collection. 

If you're reading this, Char, I hope you and your family get to relive some of your past travels in owning this photograph. I would have loved to see what remained of the property in person while it was still standing.

I couldn't be happier that someone local to that area rediscovered the only tangible relic of a legend that no longer exists through Let's Go Thrifting! This little exchange only validates my own personally held credentials as a thrifter and hunter of cultural artifacts and further explores the mysterious cycle of secondhand shopping.

How did a photograph of a Skagit County, Washington home from 1949 end up in a Montgomeryville, PA thrift store in 2011? How many people in how many towns had their hands upon this photograph in those 62 years before it ended up in mine? And the cycle continues, as the only tangible reminder of what once remained of The Ball Estate now belongs to Char and her family two years after I rescued it from the Impact Thrift Store. 

Enjoy the memories, Charlene! And do let me know if you find a photograph of any legendary Philadelphia properties at your local thrift store.

The Ball House   

Skagit County, Washington

1903-1996

Photographed in 1949 by Bill Osbourne.
Thrifted in 2011 by Jackie Jardine.

Sold to Charlene of Buckley, Washington in 2013.

BATS in the Barn: The Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop

Never mind the belfry. There's BATS in the barn.

In traveling the winding curves of Tomlinson Road in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, it would be easy to dismiss this building as a barn belonging to an old orchard on the grounds of the Bryn Athyn Church.

But this is what is lovingly known as BATS.

This is the Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop. And this barn of secondhand treasures has been a fixture in this tightly knit community for 17 years. Yet somehow, I had not been there until just a few short days ago.

After stepping inside for the first time, I greeted one of the employees to seek permission for snapping a few photos. And much to my surprise, both the co-manager and manager were eager to give me an inside look of what BATS truly means to both the shoppers and staff.

Between taking photos of the shelves, displays and decor and talking shop with Nina Finkeldey, the manager of the Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop, I spent upwards of 90 minutes in total awe of my surroundings. 

There was kitsch. There was vintage. And there was a passion for the business that was palpable. And as I learned from Nina, BATS is a shared and collaborative passion among its 12 employees and 190 volunteers. The proceeds may benefit the Bryn Athyn Church, but the benefits are beyond  mere monetary value. Nina was quick to note that BATS serves the community first and acts as a fundraiser second. 

A lot of love, a lot of creativity and a whole lot of hard labor has gone into  to make this thrift shop into something more than just your average Goodwill. And there's much more on the horizon for this secondhand wonderland. More than just a retail environment, BATS  serves as an antiques gallery, with records,  bicycles, movie posters, hardware and more hanging from every nook and cranny. 

These thoughtfully arranged display pieces within BATS are marked "NFS." What I would typically dread as a vintage-seeking thrifter, I've come to admire.  Nina explained that  these pieces are not for sale so that all might  see and appreciate them. These vintage vignettes give the already historic barn added nostalgic charm. And who can complain about stepping into a time capsule?

Just admire the view. Snap a photo. Be a little jealous and move along. There's 6000 square feet to explore, after all.

And after a friendly exchange between management, some browsing with fellow shoppers and a lot of handshaking with the volunteer staff, I can officially endorse The Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop as one the must-see secondhand stores in all of Pennsylvania.

Of course I couldn't help but snatch up a few vintage bargains during my BATS exploration. But that's for another post. 

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The Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop is located at 510 Tomlinson Road, P.O. Box 277 Bryn Athyn, PA  19009. For announcements of sales and future thrift happenings, stop by the Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop Facebook page.