The Savvy Picker travels around the southeast looking for vintage merchandise to stock her brick and mortar and online shops. She returned to the beautiful North Georgia Mountains this August and made enough stops to fill up her car! Keep reading to check out her hauls and pick up a few tricks of the trade.
From stately old mansions to a train track running through the middle of town to shops for all manner of vintage enthusiasts, The Savvy Picker loved the time she spent in Commerce, Georgia. One of her first stops in this charming town was St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, which is supported by the community and by Catholic congregations.
A thrift store supported by a church is almost always worth the stop because church populations are generally generous donors, and this one was no exception!
A ‘very good sign’
I pulled into the parking lot a little before the store opened and there was already a line. When I see a line, it’s a very good sign! Almost immediately upon entering, I found a vintage Nemadji vase. This type of popular Native American pottery is famous for its marbled appearance, which is created by dipping bisque pottery into colored slips. Once sold to tourists along roadsides, it has become collectible. I paid $2.99 for the vase and will sell it for $12 in my shop or $20 online.
Another treasure I couldn’t resist was the large porcelain cat figurine pictured below – even though the ear had a little chip on it.
Cat figurines remain ever popular, and I have yet to offer one that didn’t sell. Based on the experience of purchasing this particular one, however, I must warn that if you buy a life-sized porcelain cat, be prepared to do double-takes every time you walk through a room where it is sitting.
One particularly nice thing about this shop was its book selection. Books continue to do well for me in my brick-and-mortar store, so I made sure to peruse the offerings in the book section. I selected about 10 books for $1 each that looked like they were practically new. These should sell for between $6 and $20 each, as most were classics that will remain desirable over the years.
I then added a few more items to my cart, but after about 20 minutes of shopping, realized I’d missed a crucial bit of information after noticing a sign announcing all red-tagged items were a dollar, and all blue-tagged items were 50% off.
Naturally, this meant I had to sweep through the store again in case some of the items I originally decided against based on price might actually be reduced by 50% or only cost a dollar. This resulted in my picking up some very nice palm tree candle holders for 50 cents each, pictured above with the cat. That’s $1.50 for the whole set, folks. Not bad for something I should sell for at least ten times the cost. Plus, I had several other palm tree candlesticks in the shop, so I knew I could set up a cute display with them.
I wasn’t in the market for furniture this time around, but it is worth noting that there were several nice, extremely affordable pieces available on the porch and inside. And if you are one to stockpile holiday decorations, it’s worth noting that this shop has an entire large room dedicated to holiday décor, most of it for Christmas.
Finally, I took a look at the jewelry case and selected two small pieces, including a hand-painted Russian lacquer brooch – another type of item that remains always popular because it is always beautiful. It cost $3 and should sell for $15+.
Another wonderful thing about shopping here is that this thrift store supports the community, raising hundreds of thousands last year and using these funds to assist over 18,000 people in need. Their slogan says it all: It’s more than a thrift store, it’s help and hope.
Can’t go in person? This shop makes it easy for you to shop and support their charity by offering an online shopping experience through their eBay store. Here’s a photo of the QR Code that you can scan.
I think it’s commendable for thrift stores supporting charities to offer something like this to maximize their profit by researching the items they are selling and posting more valuable items in places that will draw greater revenue. For a reseller, this usually means that the most valuable finds are going to be identified by volunteers. Still, it’s nice to have two ways to purchase vintage items, and even with this system in place, there are always bargains to be found.
TSP Takeaway
Would I go back? Yes indeed. The clean, easy-to-navigate shelving, the friendly personnel, and the impressive community support, plus the bonus of a spacious and very clean bathroom, make this store a must-stop location for anyone passing through Commerce. And there are eight other St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores throughout Georgia, too! The Savvy Picker will have to add some of those to future stops!
Check the store’s website (https://svdpgeorgia.org/what-we-do/thrift-stores/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SVdPGeorgia/) for hours, deals, and more information.
Who should visit: Booklovers and bargain hunters
Score of the day: books
Predicted profit on books: $75
Re-seller takeaway: Look for signs indicating sales.
Click here for more great reads and finds. For additional tips on tracking vintage treasures, visit The Savvy Picker website.
