Thrift Store is True Treasure House

Jennifer Brown lovingly examined a white turquoise necklace before carefully loading it into a shopping bag.

"I hope this is real white turquoise, but even if it isn't, I love it," Brown said of her new treasure.

Brown, a Village of Glen Ellyn employee, bought her new piece of jewelry at Treasure House, a thrift store on Pennsylvania Avenue.  

Brown is a repeat customer at the store, which has served the residents of Glen Ellyn and surrounding communities for more than 50 years.

But Treasure House is more than just another retail store; it's a community institution with benefits far beyond the sale and resale of inventory. All the proceeds generated at Treasure House have supported countless programs in Glen Ellyn and the rest of DuPage County through DuPage Metropolitan Family Services.

The store generates tens of thousands of dollars annually that support services including child and youth development, counseling, employee assistance, legal aid, mental health, adult services, parent development and violence prevention services.

In 2009, the shop provided about $150,000 to the organization.

"We have some great items here and everything goes to a good cause," said Sue Scarpelli, a 10-year volunteer at the store.

Items the store sells in its 500-square feet space include jewelry, clothing, furniture, books, art and many other things. The inventory is either donated to Treasure House or is sold on consignment.

Brown said Treasure House carries such a wide range of items for such a reasonable price that she shops there before going to any other retail outlet.

If you put your mind to it you can find almost anything at Treasure House, said store manager Tillie Thorpe. Thorpe is one of two paid employees at the store. The other 80 staff members like Scarpelli are all volunteers.

A former elementary teacher, Thorpe got her start at Treasure House as a volunteer. But six years ago she was asked to run the daily operations. Thorpe said it was an opportunity she could not turn down because she loved working at the store and with the customers. The majority of the Treasure House shoppers are repeat customers. Thorpe speculated about 75 percent of her customer base are repeat shoppers.

"I enjoy it because I enjoy the people," said Thorpe, who warmly treats the store's patrons as if they were guests in her home, rather than mere customers.

Thorpe said Treasure House will begin an expansion project next year that will double the amount of retail space. She said she hopes the store will be better organized and more merchandise will be on the sales floor.

"Good things are coming to Treasure House. We have something new every day," she said.

Many of the items donated to the store are quite valuable. Thorpe said one donor gave the store a complete set of Lenox china valued at nearly $3,000. Because her clientele is unlikely to pay that much money, Thorpe sold the set for $450.

"I have to ask myself , 'How much will my customers pay?'" she said.

While some items are valuable, Thorpe said they also receive some odd items, such as a hanging lamp made from a blowfish.

"I didn't know what to do with it, so I slapped a $15 sticker on it and it sold," she said, with a merry twinkle in her eye.

Many of their customers, such as Brown, are drawn to the store because of the quality of the items, the low prices and what the money is used for.

Thorpe said the support the shop provides is actually three-fold. She said not only can customers donate to the store, thus providing a service to them, but the customer who purchase the items and DuPage Metropolitan Family Services benefits as well.

"It's endless. We really support thousands of people each year," Thorpe said.