The Crowded Closet – A Thrift Store With A Mission

I’m a thrift store fanatic, and The Crowded Closet in Iowa City is near and dear to my heart. Not only is that store stuffed with bargains, but it’s super neat and clean. This Mennonite sponsored thrift store is staffed by volunteers with mile-wide smiles and “Iowa Nice” personalities.  Do you want proof? Come along for a tour!

Before we left Iowa in December I wanted to make one last pass through the store to see if there were any small items I might need for our Snowbird nest in Fort Lauderdale. (In fact if you want to see how many Crowded Closet items we’ve already hauled to Florida, click HERE. Our condo is filled with thrift store finds of all kinds!)

The Crowded Closet is much more than a thrift store. It is filled with everything from vintage clothes and dishes to items you might find in designer boutiques in New York City. You just never know what you might find!

Some of the most unusual or expensive items can be found in their Silent Auction area. You can place a “bid” on the item and see if you’re the lucky highest bidder when the time runs out.

Clothing is gently worn and beautifully arranged, and there is plenty of room to maneuver your shopping cart between the racks.

All of  the items are marked with colored tags, and each week one color of the tags is on sale for 50% off. And on Saturday those “already on sale” sale items are only 25 cents! You might be amazed at some of the 25 cent items I’ve found. Like I always say…it’s “the thrill of the hunt” that keeps me going back.

Do you need a new purse? I’ve found some serious name brands on those racks.

And if you’re into sewing or quilting or knitting, this store is a MUST. They sell cloth BY THE POUND for quilting and craft projects. And check out this display of…BUTTONS!

I keep forgetting to ask the volunteers if someone actually sits in the back room and cuts the buttons off of donated clothing that is out of style or too worn to sell. (Come on Crowded Closet volunteers…give me an answer in the Comments section!)

Do you need some shoes? I have gotten many NEW pairs of all kinds. Yes, Dear Readers…shoes that have never been worn. 

But when it comes to thrift stores I bet you can guess which aisle is MY favorite.

The COOKING aisle is awesome! I’ve found everything from a French press coffee pot to paper thin wine glasses. (How about a beautiful wine glass for fifty cents…with an approximate retail value of $30!) I LOVE a bargain like that!!!

I have purchased enough kitchen items to outfit both of my kitchens, and I’ve found items and gadgets that have been on wish lists of other friends and family members too. It’s so much fun to find a bargain, and it’s even more special to know I’m keeping some items from ending up unnecessarily in the landfill!

The unique thrift store also boasts an International gift shop in one corner of the large showroom.

Artisans from developing countries around the world make and sell their products (like jewelry, clothing and artwork) to benefit their families and their local economy. You can read more about it HERE.

And remember those “Iowa Nice” smiles I promised you? Here are two of my favorite volunteers.

That’s Margaret on the left, and that’s Peepaw’s cousin Sheryl on the right. We always joke that I always seem to stop in when Sheryl is working…but then I admit how often I stop in, so I’m almost guaranteed to see her no matter when she works!

And Margaret has been a friend of our family for almost seventy years! In case you think I’m stretching the truth…this photo will prove it!

That’s Margaret on the left, and her sister Anna Mae next to her. And that little girl Anna Mae is holding? Well, that would be ME. And that’s my red haired Mom and my big brother Tom in the photo too.

Where in the world have all the years gone?  Such wonderful memories…

Yes…The Crowded Closet is a thrift store, but it’s much more than that. It warms my heart every time I make a purchase there. It’s a “feel good” store with a worldwide mission.

And what could be better than that?