LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
The store bustled with activity. A din of happy chatter from shoppers echoed off the hardwood floors and high vaunted ceilings as patrons tried on clothes, flipped through books and searched through the hundreds of knick-knacks that sat on shelves lining the store.
Reminiscent of a busy downtown department store, this is actually a typical afternoon in the Langley Thrift Shop at Langley Air Force Base, Va., nestled between the Community Center and Military Clothing Sales.
The thrift shop allows Active-duty military, dependents, Department of Defense civilians and retirees to consign or purchase gently-used items. It is open for business Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturdays during Air National Guard drill weekends from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Consignments are accepted from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the same days.
"The thrift shop gives our community the opportunity to sell things they are no longer using," said Katie Lorea, the thrift shop assistant manager. "You can find things here that you can't find anywhere else."
With the holiday season in full swing, the thrift shop offers a great place to find everything from bulbs and wreaths to gifts for loved ones.
"The thrift shop is the perfect place to stock up on holiday gear," said Barbara Schwind, the thrift shop manager. "We often receive items that still have the tags on them.
Although the thrift shop accepts a large variety of items, there are a few guidelines every potential consigner must bear in mind.
Consignors may consign no more than 20 items up to three times a month, equaling 60 items total in any given month. With an appointment, a Service member with permanent change of station orders is permitted to consign a total 100 items. This includes an Airmen leaving or moving into the local area.
Each item is eligible for a 56-day sales period. At the end of that time the item must be picked up by the consigner, or it becomes property of the thrift shop and is sold at a discounted price.
By utilizing a computer-based system, the thrift shop makes consigning unwanted items easier than ever. Each consigner receives a unique identification number to track the progress of pending items. The archive is updated at the end of each business day and shows the status of items and recent activity, said Schwind.
Unlike some civilian-owned consignment shops, the thrift shop allows consigners to determine their own pricing for items, but thrift shop volunteers are always available for pricing advice. While the shop charges a 25 percent shop fee, all proceeds from the sales, donations and consignments are directly donated to the Joint Base Langley-Eustis community.
By utilizing the consignment system, the thrift shop ensures that each item received is up to a high standard of quality. This makes the shop an ideal place for a first-time renter or home owner. Once a first time customer visits the thrift shop, Schwind said they are liable to get hooked.
"The thrift shop is the perfect place to get a first-home starter kit," she laughed. "Once you shop here, it becomes addicting."
Lorea said that although not everyone may know about the services the shop provides, there is a committed following around the base.
"I just started coming to the thrift shop recently," said Captain Cristine Shikle, 633rd Medical Operations Squadron clinical nurse and repeat thrift shop customer. "I really like shopping here."
The thrift shop is always looking for those interested in volunteering any amount of time to help run the shop.
For more information on thrift shop events and pictures of merchandise be sure to the visit the Langley Thrift shop Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/LangleyThriftShop.