By Heather Skolnick • Photos by Beth Besen
Who doesn’t love a good bargain? The saying goes that it’s the thrill of the hunt, and that certainly rings true for those who love shopping at the Treasures Thrift Shop in Armonk. With an assortment as wide and varied as theirs, you never know what you might find on any given visit to the shop. From antiques to vintage to even brand new, the Treasures Thrift Shop has something on their shelves for everyone. They even have their own Facebook page!
Established in 1968, Treasures has now been a part of the Armonk community for 47 years. The shop satisfies many needs within Armonk, first and foremost of which is to direct 50% of the money raised to the charitable outreach organizations the Church supports. Mostly local organizations, these include the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, Friends of Karen, and the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry among others. Secondly, the shop provides a shopping venue affordable to most within a community where many boutiques cater to the more affluent. Thirdly, the Treasures website points out that the store also fosters comradery among the volunteers while working to support a common cause. And lastly, the Treasures Thrift Shop provides a local option for residents who wish to charitably donate some of their belongings with the hope that they find a new and loving home. Tax receipts are provided for all donations.
Treasures dedicated “employees” are volunteers from the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. There are 12-15 people on staff to support the store’s hours from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., three days a week. The thrift shop is managed by Linda Ranieris. She joined the church about 30 years ago and shortly thereafter became involved in the shop precisely because it supports such meaningful causes. She compliments all her co-workers, saying that the store truly “has a terrific staff who all truly love working there.” After 30 years, it’s understandable that Linda would feel so strongly about Treasures and its people!
Amy Knoll Lashmet started as a customer and recently became one of the newer volunteers to join the thrift shop staff. She maintains the newly created Facebook page in addition to working in the shop. The page gets updated about once a week with images of current donated merchandise. Follow them on Facebook to stay abreast of their latest donated items!
Amy shared several wonderful anecdotes about the thrift shop. She says that Treasures is particularly special because of their customer base, saying “Treasures customers are crazy loyal!” She elaborates, “It’s amazing, the ladies who work there really have relationships with their customers that go back for years!” She also talks about the quality of the donations, citing several very high end donations recently made. Not surprisingly, one of said items was gone in under eight minutes! Amy recommends that if you see something you like, don’t wait–it may not be there on your next visit. A recent customer was reduced to tears when she returned to buy an item, only to find that it had already sold.
Shoppers have very positive feedback about the store. The merchandise is wonderful and eclectic, and the staff is welcoming and accommodating. Merchandise in the store ranges from housewares to clothing to tchotchkes and all donations must be in good, clean, saleable condition. Manager Linda says that while they are open three days a week, if someone would like to donate and those days don’t work, she will work to find an alternative time. Linda also accommodates merchandise requests! She gets phone calls looking for specific products and will follow up with customers if a desired item comes in.
Armonk resident Ann Pircio-Pardes saw their sign one day while driving. She decided to stop by to make a donation. She made a donation, and said of her visit, “Since I was there, I decided to poke around a bit. Much to my surprise, I found a few things at terrific prices!” Among the “treasures” she found that day were a pair of shoes, a skirt and a blouse. The experience of coming in to donate and walking out with a purchase is part of the magic of the Treasures Thrift Shop.
Another Treasures shopper is Maria Perpepaj who also lives in Armonk. Maria discovered the shop a few years after moving into the area. She has been a regular shopper there for approximately 5 years now and goes about twice a month. She says, “You can really find nice things at a bargain! The people who work there are lovely and the money I spend goes to a good cause.”
Maria has found several items to purchase there. Among her favorite purchases were a green St. John suit and a sterling silver spoon.
Lastly, completing the circle, anything that doesn’t sell in the Treasures Thrift Shop will get re-donated to another organization. Treasures Thrift Shop is located at 50 Bedford Road in Armonk. Stop by to make a donation, look for your very own pre-loved Treasure–or both!
Heather Skolnick, her husband and three children live in New Castle. Heather works for a major retailer where she designs systems and processes to support Omnichannel shopping. In her spare time, she loves to look for pre-loved treasures, and has begun imparting that love on her young children too!
