Bargains benefit the community

Locally sourced thrift store, Bridge Street Bargains, has moved to 114 E. Bridge Avenue and is continuing its tradition of benefiting the Saratoga community.

After the lease on its previous location was not renewed and Chris Lamprecht had made the decision to step down from running the store, a corps of volunteers made some quick moves to keep the shop running. Carol Beach, president of the new board, said the move was a blur. Beach and fellow Valley Services Organization members Merlynn Hoopes and Julie Evans formed a new board for the thrift shop in October after initially thinking they would reorganize the store in January.

They found the new space just down the block from the old store and organized the move.

Bridge Street Bargains hosts a wide variety of donated clothing, furniture, books, videos, jewelry and housewares. The proceeds from sales are all put back into the local community.

In the past Bridge Street Bargains has provided funding for the Saratoga Museum, bought $5,000 worth of flowers placed in pots around Saratoga and students who volunteer have received credits for things such as athletic equipment and Teton Science School tuition. This year they are giving $500 to the Giving Tree and are also donating to the high school booster club.

"All the money goes back to the community," Beach said. Any non-profit can apply for funding from Bridge Street Bargains. "I'm very committed to Saratoga. Putting money back in the community is a wonderful, smart thing to do," Beach said.

When asked about the quality of the new space Beach said, "I think it's more warm. It's cozier." The new space has several small rooms including a linen closet with gently used table settings and bedding, a small library space with books and videos, and a back room for seasonal wares and men's clothing, as well as the main room filled with furniture, housewares and women's clothing. During the move, Evans took care of shelving and display racks, Beach worked on organizing volunteers and Hoopes developed new protocols for the store.

Beach is hard pressed to come up with the favorite things she has seen come through the store thus far but pointed out a formal red dress in the window that cost about $2,000 new which is reminiscent of something a first lady would wear. The volunteers also showed off a book of art signed by the artist, bound in elk hide, a copy of which was recently posted on EBay for over $1,000.

Many donations come from estates and the store will take in virtually a whole house worth of items. If people want to donate large items that cannot be easily moved, the store can work with you to make arrangements to move those items to the store.

Beach's mission for the store is to make sure virtually every item finds a home and almost nothing ends up in the trash. When things come in and they are not up to par for the store, but are still usable, they go in to a donation box that benefits local churches and Native American reservations.

At the previous location items were often seen piled at the back door, but the staff is hoping to better manage donations at the new store. Eventually there will be a bin in the back alley for donations, but for now they are hoping people will come in during store hours to drop items off.

Lamprecht started Bridge Street Bargains, with the help of many others in the community, about seven years ago and the thrift store thrived under her leadership. Beach credits the previous board with having everything necessary in place to continue Bridge Street Bargains at its new location. "We really appreciate all the work that the previous board and (Lamprecht) did," Beach said.

Bridge Street Bargains is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday during the Christmas Season and will adjust hours after that to fit the seasonality of Saratoga.

To celebrate their new location there will be an Open House on Dec. 12 which is open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. and for Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce Members from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Come sit down with the ladies of Bridge Street Bargains for coffee and snacks, and buy something nice while you are at it.