Spring Cleaning? Follow It Up with Resale

Located on the northwestern corner of the St. Jude the Apostle campus, the building that houses the thrift shop originally functioned as the St. Jude the Apostle convent. Enter at the door on the western side of the building. And a word for those with limited mobility — the shop is located in the basement, so descending a flight of stairs is required.

This thrift shop is a Wauwatosa staple, having been around for over forty years. It carries clothing for men, women and children; linens; home decor; books; toys; kitchen items and small furniture. And, like most thrift stores, you will always have the opportunity to stumble upon that item that you didn’t know you wanted until you arrived — like a snowboard and helmet.

Donated items can be brought into the shop or placed in the shed behind the building.

822 Glenview Ave. Wauwatosa 414-259-0975 Hours Wednesday 10 am – 4 pm Saturday 9 am – 2 pm

St. Mary’s Thrift Shop is located in the heart of Elm Grove’s village, not far from Wauwatosa’s western border. The shop is connected to the school building and can be accessed through the Juneau Street parking lot and entrance. In it, you can browse through rooms filled with home goods; books; toys; sporting goods; fabric, knitting, sewing and craft supplies; and small furniture.

Deliver donations at the drive-up drop off, which you can locate by entering the church parking lot from Church Street. You will find the donation door towards the far east end of the lot.

13150 Juneau Blvd. Elm Grove 262-784-6644 Hours Monday – Friday  9 am – 4 pm (Closed on Wednesdays) Saturday 9 am – 1 pm

The Salvation Army is an international organization that provides a wide array of services including homeless shelters, veteran services and after-school programs.

The Wauwatosa site, the divisional headquarters for Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, offers a drop box for donations. Also in close proximity is the West Allis Family Store and Donation Center (7713 W. Greenfield Ave). Accepted items include clothing, toys, housewares, appliances, furniture and books. If donating at this location, boxed or bagged items can be brought directly into the store.

In addition, a donation pickup service is available and can be accessed through their website. Proceeds from the thrift stores help support Adult Rehabilitation Centers for individuals struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.

11315 W. Watertown Plank Road, Wauwatosa 414-302-4300 Hours Monday – Saturday 10 am – 6 pm

In the area for ten years, this shop along Bluemound Road is nestled between Barbiere’s Pizza on one side and two other small businesses on the other. Though its environs are cozy, it carries a variety of items including apparel for men and women, some toys, dvds and records, tools, and a few small appliances and pieces of furniture. And occasionally the unexpected item – like a shower seat with no-slip feet – will turn up.

If making a donation, items can be carried directly into the store. Pick-ups can also be arranged.

5836 W. Bluemound Road, Milwaukee 414-640-8817 Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 9 am – 3 pm

Restore carries items for a specific niche: anything that goes into building, improving or outfitting homes. This includes appliances, furniture and home decor, building materials, cabinets, windows and doors, lighting, electronics, lawn and garden tools and decor, hardware and tools, paint supplies, lighting, flooring, and plumbing supplies.

Donations can be dropped off at the store, and for large donations, pickups can be scheduled. The Restore also offers deconstruction services to salvage reusable items like cabinets from a residential or commercial property.

Not only can you find great bargains for improving your own home, you can feel good knowing that someone else will give a second life to an item you can no longer use. And, the proceeds contribute to building safe and affordable homes in our community.

3015 N. 114th St. Wauwatosa 414-257-9078 Hours Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 6 pm Saturday 10 am – 4 pm

It may be consignment, but Optimist’s Bazaar feels more like a first-time-around furniture shop. That is because its owner, Betsy Peckenpaugh, knows how to select gently used, quality pieces and design a showroom. She is also the owner of Uncommon Walls, an interior design and remodeling firm.

With Optimist’s Bazaar, Peckenpaugh’s mission is to reduce waste. On the shop’s website, she states: “We believe this business model is an important piece of the puzzle in the pressing ecological need of creating less waste on the planet. We are passionate about intelligent consumption reinventing, and all that is interior design.”

The shop (which requires navigating a flight of stairs) is filled with treasures — original artwork, unique tables and chests of drawers, Persian rugs and more.

To consign, she recommends emailing a photo of your proposed piece to shop@optimisitsbazaar.com or stopping by with the piece. If the piece is approved, a contract is provided. Payment (50 percent of the selling price) is available after the piece is sold.

10600 W. Bluemound Rd., Suite 1 Wauwatosa 414-885-0352 Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10 am – 5 pm Thursday 10 am – 7 pm

f looking for a place that focuses only on clothing (plus accessories), take a look at Levine’s Consignment and Resale Boutique. Here you will find clothing for both men and women. And reviewers seemed to agree that the service is fantastic; the owner is friendly, accommodating and extremely helpful. For those who prefer to shop from home, online shopping is available.

If looking for a spot to sell clothing, Levine’s looks for items that are unique, name brand or high-quality vintage. Be aware that they have a limit of 15 seasonal items. Levine’s offers 40 percent of the sale price after a piece is sold.

5510 W. Center St. Milwaukee 414-459-1123

This shop is among several fun boutiques that have popped up in recent years along Vliet Street. Owner Jessica Brittingham is a veteran in the consignment business; she is one of the owners of the former U-Turn, the successful consignment shop that was located on East Tosa’s North Avenue. As a result, she knows how to find and stage upscale, hip clothes for women. Her newest venture, Spruced 57, also carries shoes and accessories such as jewelry, scarves and purses. 

If interested in selling, items need to be brought in on hangers. Stop in or call the shop to find out which brands are accepted. Brittingham will display accepted items for 60 days and offers 40 percent of the sale price to the seller. After 60 days, the owner can retrieve the item or allow it to be donated to Community Advocates, an organization that assists low-income individuals seeking work. 

5706 W. Vliet St. Milwaukee 414-988-4027 Hours Wednesday 12 pm – 6 pm Thursday 11am – 5 pm Friday 11 am – 4 pm Saturday 11 am – 3 pm   

As its name implies, Play it Again Sports is unique in that it only buys and sells sporting, fitness and outdoor items. This includes baseball gloves, skateboards, curling accessories, camping gear, dumbbells, hockey sticks and more. If you have a child athlete in the family who seems to be growing by the week, this is the store for you. At the same time, Mom and Dad can find items for themselves as it carries adult equipment, too. 

Play It Again Sports buys used equipment on the spot. You can simply walk into the store without an appointment and after a staff review, receive an offer. Note that Play It Again moved west down Capitol Avenue from its long-time location in Milwaukee to Brookfield. 

And as noted on their website, Play It Again Sports exemplifies sustainability at work. It can take over 1,000 years for the composite materials, plastics and metals in most athletic equipment to decompose. By keeping these items in play, they are keeping them out of landfill. 

14155 W. Capitol Dr. Brookfield 414-461-5600 Hours Monday – Saturday 9 am – 5 pm