A cheerful voice greeted me when I ducked out of the pouring rain into Key Opportunities Consignment and Vintage Center. The young woman gave me a crooked smile and returned to arranging tea cups on a shelf near the counter. It was just about closing time, and with a nod from her supervisor, she shuffled toward a door in the back of the store.
Key Opportunities, one of the many consignment and resale shops in the Hillsdale area, is located just a block past Olds Residence at 400 N. Hillsdale St. The shop helps sustain the operations of Key Opportunities, Inc., a vocational rehabilitation center that assists people with developmental, physical, and mental disabilities in developing job skills. One application of training is at the resale shop, which features furniture, home accents, housewares, dishes, and luggage.
“We have individuals who work at the consignment store who are building their skills to work in retail sales, customer service, pricing, marking things, handling money,” said Julie Boyce, Director of Key Opportunities Inc. “We want to build skills and tasks that individuals know how to do that they can then make those skills transferrable to community-based employment.”
The center brings together employees from around the county to learn skills both at the center on Hillsdale Street, and at subcontracted positions from local manufacturers. While Key Opportunities has existed for 39 years, the consignment shop opened four years ago to meet a deficiency of open positions within the community.
“It started because the industry in Hillsdale had gone down so much,” said Chris Starlin, a financial specialist for Key Opportunities Inc. “A lot of businesses went out, we had been doing a lot of that in house, so we were trying to think if we’re not going to have the industry here, then what can we do so that we can still put our people to work and still bring money into our organization?”
Key Opportunities Inc. also partners with Hillsdale Market House on a school program for local students referred by Michigan rehab. In the program, students learn skills like bagging groceries and customer service.
“They learn to run a cash register, and the learn to greet people, and how to respect someone’s space. It seems kind-of a small thing, but it is so very important,” Starlin said.
This year, the store will have a drawing for a Christmas dinner basket, featuring a full turkey dinner, pies, and accompanying dishes. The store takes both donations and consignment items, which are displayed on the floor for a year, and are marked down on discount schedule.
A prime destination for vintage clothing is Treasures Etc. in downtown Jonesville. The store is located at 253 E. Chicago Road, just past the Jonesville Bakery. Though they have recently scaled back their non-vintage clothing section, it’s worth a visit just for a look at their extensive jewelry selection. The store also takes furniture, home accents, dishes, and a selection of books.
“What I always have liked about thrift stores is that you can always find something different from what other people are wearing, but also a cool style and not what someone else is prescribing for you, like at a general department store or something,” junior Elizabeth Green said. “I also think you can find better quality stuff, too – well made things.”
One store Green regularly frequents is the Salvation Army Family Store in the Kroger shopping center. Salvation Army offers a 15 percent discount to college students every Thursday. All proceeds from family store sales go toward food baskets, groceries, and Christmas festivities, along with other operations of the Salvation Army.
“It all goes back to the community,” employee Katherine Pieffer said. “Everything stays in Hillsdale County.”
The Salvation Army store is a staple for college students, providing everything from halloween costumes to dorm furniture.
“Freshman year, Luke Adams and I decided that our room was a little empty, and we both liked having people over but there was absolutely nowhere to sit,” junior Nicholas Gibbs told The Collegian. “So when we got to Salvation Army, we found a couch — I think it was $22.”
The two carried the couch back to their room in Simpson Residence on their shoulders, with some help from friends.
“Awhile later, Dean Pete came by and is talking with me and Luke,” Gibbs remembers. “He looks around and asks ‘is that a couch in your room?’ and we’re like, ‘yeah, yeah.’ So he goes over and sits down and and this thing is so soft that he sinks right down, and he goes, ‘Oh yeah. That’s nice.’ So he gets up and as he’s walking out he goes, ‘I didn’t see that.’ A week later Chief Rogers comes in and says, ‘so I hear you guys have this nice couch.’ So he goes over and does pretty much the same routine. And then just leaves, ‘I didn’t see it.’”
Salvation Army features weekly colored tag discounts, and is a turnover powerhouse. Second-hand treasures of all shapes, sizes, colors, styles, and decades pack the racks.
“I found a red velvet jumpsuit that had legs and short sleeves – it was kind of like a clown outfit, but it was really awesome, and I bought it and really liked it even though it wouldn’t fit me,” Green said.
Hillsdale’s newest — and certainly most glamourous — resale shop is Marilyn’s Off Monroe, located at 34 E. Bacon.
“I specialize in things that are unique and different. I don’t sell a lot of t-shirts or hoodies because you can get them anywhere,” Gary said. “I’m very particular about what I take. I don’t want my women walking down the street seeing someone else wearing the exact same thing.”
The store is the perfect destination for some retail therapy. Decorated in pink and shiny silver, photos of Marilyn Monroe pepper the walls between splendidly bedecked mannequins. Though it’s only been open for nearly a year, the business is doing well.
“I have a masters in counseling, and I had a private practice counseling agency for many years,” Gary said. “I wanted to get out of that because I had enough, and this was my second love, so I said ‘I’m going to lease a storefront and I’m going to open a resale shop.’”
Gary did just that, and cleaned, decorated, and staged the space herself.
“This place was a mess. It was vacant for a long time, and it was a bike shop so there was bike grease – it took me four months just to get this place ready,” she said. “I have an old-Hollywood glam theme going on, with Marilyn and pink and silver and gold and fluffy stuff.”
Reasonably priced, the store features quite a few designer labels, and operates on direct buyouts instead of consignment.
“This is a social place; people come in and everybody knows each other,” Gary said. “Being that I am a therapist, this is the ultimate therapy.”
