Dozens of shoppers were lined up on a weekday morning waiting for the doors of the White Elephant Thrift Store to open in Green Valley.
They were waiting to hunt for bargains — including clothing, furniture, appliances, jewelry, paintings, glassware and silverware. They were also coming in search of antiques, tools and patio furniture.
Items can range from $2 for clothing on up to $90 for sofas. A Southwestern-style armoire sold for $40 while its retail price was $2,000.
Items need to be moved out because donations constantly come in, said Joan Fischer, a retired interior designer from Dallas who moved to Green Valley 16 years ago and was recruited to help price furniture.
“We get a high volume of business because if you can find what you are looking for here, then you cannot pass up the price,” said Fischer. “Deals are even better when items are half-price. Volunteering here makes me feel like a Santa Claus.”
The morning lines are a common scene at 601 N. La Cañada Drive, where the store operates Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
Customers come from Phoenix, Tucson, Southern Arizona communities and Sonora, Mexico. The store also attracts visitors from across the United States who are spending time with family and friends in Green Valley.
The desire to hunt for quality merchandise at bargain prices keeps customers returning.
One of those is shopper Sky Fisher, a caregiver who brings her client several times a week.
“We look around for treasures, including CDs and household items. I have bought items here for a buck, sometimes a quarter,” said Fisher. She, too, has purchased lamps, blankets, pillows, toys, curling irons and clothes.
“Before I became a caregiver, I worked as a special education instructional aide at Sopori Elementary School,” said Fisher, explaining that the school in Amado has benefited tremendously from grants over the years awarded by the White Elephant board of directors. “I am a loyal supporter of this store because it does a lot of good for our community.”
Earlier this month, the store’s board awarded 124 grants totaling $1.7 million to beneficiaries located mostly in communities off the I-19 corridor, from Sahuarita to Nogales, said board president Regina Ford.
Those receiving grants included nonprofit agencies, schools, youth organizations, veterans, sheriff’s and police departments, fire districts, community food banks and animal-welfare groups. The board also awards college scholarships to Sahuarita Unified School District students, Ford said.
The history of the White Elephant Thrift Store began in 1964, when a group of volunteers organized a country fair in Green Valley because they wanted to give back to their community. Sales from the country fair totaled $146.20, said Karen Lavo, general manager of the store. For the past 55 years, net proceeds from the thrift store that has been given back to the community total $32 million, Lavo said.
The store has five paid staff members and 600 volunteers who work in two shifts to keep the operation running smoothly. Lavo oversees up to 100 volunteers daily in a 34,400-square-foot building.
Volunteers learn the business through training and shifts at the store, including helping unload trucks full of donated items, sorting through the goods, cleaning off pieces and pricing items .
The store receives goods from donors who will their possessions, or people who may be downsizing or moving and do not want to pack and ship their furniture.
The volunteers learn pricing guidelines, paying close attention to the quality and value of the items, said Lavo.
“When items come in and are high-value or unusual, and we need a wider audience, we put the pieces on eBay,” said Lavo. “Last year, we sold more than $60,000 worth on eBay.”
Many donated treasures make their way into the store. One was an oil painting by Frederick Mulhaupt, 1871-1938, that was worth thousands of dollars. It was sold at auction and, after costs, the store received $7,000 from the sale, recalled Lavo. The thrift store has also auctioned off vehicles, including RVs and a BMW sedan.
Consultants are called when needed to give their expertise about vintage, antique or rare pieces. In addition to auctions, some items are sold through sealed bids.
Pricey items at bargain prices can also be found in the store. A diamond ring sold for $900. Italian leather sofas sold for $900, and two zero-gravity chairs sold for $500 each.
Customer Dee Beck, a resident of Alamogordo, New Mexico, is a retired college counselor who travels to visit family in Sahuarita. For 20 years, she has shopped at the store, purchasing valuable items at deal prices. She said her “prizes” include a $40 white marble table with semiprecious stones inlaid in a pattern of the Taj Mahal, a $45 mahogany roll-top desk, a $90 stained-glass bronze chandelier and two black iron, prairie-style stained-glass lamps for $25 each.
In October, the thrift store hosts Country Fair Days and kicks off with Midnight Madness Green Valley Style — great deals from 3 to 6 p.m., said Lavo, laughing and explaining that many residents call it a night by 8 in the evening.
On the last Saturday in October, the public also is invited to the community’s White Elephant parade, which attracts more than 100 entries and celebrates the community for supporting the thrift store.
“I work with great people,” said Lavo. “I get to be a part of an organization that gives so much back to others. There are many organizations and institutions that could not operate fully without our funding.”
