Salvation Army Store reopens with new look

By Richard Yager….

Manager Sarah Hollingsworth and Michelle Ward prepare to reopen Salvation stoe on Bird Road.

Bargain-starved Kendall shoppers happily stormed a reopened a Bird Road Salvation Army Family Store on Feb. 26.

Doors had been closed since September 2010 as the 10,000-squarefoot interior underwent extensive remodeling and changes of location for inventories.

“People have called or rapped on our door for weeks, wondering when we would open again,” said Sarah Hollingsworth, store supervisor for the Salvation Army.

“Some shop here every day, so closing has really been a problem for them. I know because when I lived in Kendall, I used to shop here all the time myself.”

Now a resident of Broward where the Salvation Army offices are headquartered, Hollingsworth helped supervise extensive renovations that included new tiling and carpet flooring and replacing fixtures and décor to give the 20-yearold store a long-needed facelift. New dressing rooms and bathrooms also have been added.

“Regulars will find clothing now displayed in the west part of the store, and book, painting, appliance and kitchen-ware areas rearranged,” she said.

Occupying prime display space between the entry doors and a central cash register are displays of gleaming costume jewelry and a showcase of collectibles, including a vintage Stradivarius trumpet and case, valued online at $2,529, said Hollingsworth who checks store item pricing carefully. Price tag at the store is $499.99. Also waiting for a buyer is a $1,500 King trombone and case, on sale for $500.

“Those are among the highest-priced items we have but still go for a lot less than you would expect,” Hollingsworth added, noting the store has become a prime hunting ground for those who view PBS/TV’s Antiques Roadshow.

For the fashion conscious, there were two types of Gucci sunglasses at $34.99 each, ready for reopening day shoppers, items sold for up to $150 retail.

A teenager jeans jacket embroidered with Mickey Mouse from Disney World in like-new condition carried a $4.99 price tag “and it’s probably a collectible, too!” said Hollingsworth, who personally favors Hummel figurines since given a collection by her parents.

“Yes, we’ve had Barbi dolls here, too,” she laughed. “Actually, the most favored items in the store are clothing, with everything half-off on Wednesdays and bric-abrac, but there are super buys in every department,” pointing to a like-new 52- inch Panasonic HDTV priced at $299.99.

“There’s no tax on anything you purchase,” she added. “Every appliance is tested before going on sale, and a professional restorer repairs furnishing before they’re displayed. And 100 percent of all sale proceeds go directly to operate the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers,” Hollingsworth emphasized.

Open 10 to 6, Monday through Saturday, the SA store is located at 9790 Bird Rd.

For information, call 305-554-9669.


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