The Savvy Picker travels around the southeast looking for antique and vintage treasures to fill her online and brick-and-mortar shops. Recently she returned to North Georgia, where she made a speedy trip through the Habitat for Humanity Rabun County ReStore in Clayton, Georgia.
This ReStore offers a bounty of merchandise ranging from works of art, to home goods, to furniture and more. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this until I saw the sign on the door after arriving at 1:40 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon!
Since I was leaving town on Thursday, I only had twenty minutes to run down the spacious aisles flanked by well-stocked shelves. Luckily, this store offers both shopping carts and merchandise holding areas, so I was still able to load up with some great merch despite my limited time.
While the prices are already reasonable at this ReStore, the savvy shopper will pay attention to the blue signs posted around the store while noting most of the inventory has dates on the price tags. Things that have been in inventory for 45 days or more are reduced.
You’ll get an especially good deal if something has been around for 90 days. These items are reduced by 75%!
One of my favorite finds at this store was a whole collection of blue and yellow plates and vases. I was thrilled when I looked at the date on the price tag and realized they had been in the shop for over 90 days, so they were deeply discounted to just $1 to $4 per piece. I priced them from $5 to $20 per piece, and they didn’t last nearly 90 days in my shop!
I was also happy to find a brass ewer for about $4 that I subsequently sold for $22. Ewers like this are very popular these days, so I pick them up when I can, and they always sell.
One of the joys of thrifting is finding the unexpected, and I found that at the ReStore in Clayton too! After all, who could anticipate seeing an army of vintage clown figurines? These might be the oddest I’ve ever seen; one is even holding open his jacket to show off the letters O.K. Yet somehow, OK does not come to mind when looking at his pose.
Other finds included multiple pieces of enamelware for a dollar each, a crystal dolphin figurine, a hand-carved fish, and an assortment of trinket boxes.
Around 1:59, I rolled my loaded cart to the checkout, where three volunteers worked swiftly and cheerfully to wrap everything up for me.
This store is definitely worth a stop. But do yourself a favor, allow plenty of time to explore, to find the dates on the price tags, and calculate your best deals! You can leave feeling great about your purchases because the money you spend will fund a great cause.
The Habitat for Humanity Rabun County ReStore is located at 43 Chechero Street in Clayton, Georgia. For hours and information on hot new deals, visit them on Facebook at Clayton ReStore.
Who should visit: Shoppers who enjoy sifting through a wide variety of merchandise.
Score of the day: Yellow and Blue China
Predicted profit on Yellow and Blue China: $50
Re-seller takeaway: Pick up vintage brass ewers whenever you can!
The Savvy Picker publishes bi-monthly on Now Habersham. For more great reads and finds, click here. For additional tips on tracking vintage treasures, visit The Savvy Picker website.
