Tammy Wilder
Oct 18
Where this whole thing started
I am going to write a whole ass blog post right here, this is a placeholder.
The Worthwhile Mercantile is looking for its first home
We've got the vision, the ideas, the motivation, and the skill set to be able to open this secondhand shop and make it a success. We even have a good supply of inventory and plenty of volunteer support in the queue. What we don't have? A storefront. And that part is kind of important.
It's been quite a challenge to find commercial space to rent in Talent, Oregon. There just aren't a lot of options! We know that rebuilding the city's commercial area with new structures is going to take time. But we also want to turn this sweet idea into a reality sooner rather than later, because we truly believe this community very much needs this right now. So... if you know about any commercial space opening up in Talent, we would absolutely love to hear about it!
The purpose of the Worthwhile Mercantile is to bring affordable secondhand goods to Talent while providing a supportive, constructive space for relationship building and service-oriented activities that benefit low-income residents and enrich the lives of all community members.
Worthwhile is what you might call a 'Thrift Store Plus'. Affordable used clothes, art, and decor AND a welcoming environment where local residents will find opportunities to connect with their neighbors and improve their lives.
I mean first of all, who doesn't love looking around a quirky little downtown thrift shop? But also...
Because the closest place to get used/inexpensive clothing is almost 10 miles away from Talent and not everyone in town has the ability to drive to Medford or Ashland when they need something.
Because the population of Talent is increasing and a lot of the new residents are living in affordable and subsidized housing units, which means they're probably on a tighter budget and would benefit from more places to get the things they need in town at reasonable prices.
Because some thrift store prices are getting out of hand. Have you bought a shirt at Goodwill lately? Might as well buy it brand new! A lot of people rely on thrift stores to find accessible clothing, and lately many of those stores have become too expensive for them to shop at. We need an alternative.
Because a lot of people would prefer to donate their previously loved items to a locally-owned place that directly helps the people who live here and isn’t disproportionately raising their prices or exploiting anyone in the process.
Those are some pretty good reasons to open a thrift store in Talent, am I right?