Bachman Bargains volunteers Beki Campbell, left, and Mindy Murphy sort clothing donations.Change is coming soon to Bachman Bargains, the resale shop at Bachman Community Center, which is planning to add a bookstore to its offerings by this summer.
While the center already has a library where people can borrow donated books, Bachman occasionally gets donations of brand-new books from an online distributor getting rid of old inventory. The community center plans to sell these as a new source of income, said Katy Murphy, the center's marketing and programs director.
Since the former Nathan L. Bachman Elementary was established as a community center in 2000, Bachman Bargains has helped keep the doors of the historic building, built in 1937, open to the community.
"It's very significant for our bottom line and our fundraising efforts," Murphy said of the store, which supplies 30 percent of the center's income.
The resale shop offers donated items such as clothing, shoes and accessories for men, women and children, as well as housewares, toys and basically anything else one could imagine.
"I think people would be surprised at the quality of the clothing items," Murphy said. "We frequently get things with tags - brand-new items - and lots of name brands. It's also an opportunity to hunt for vintage finds, both clothing and housewares."
Some of the shop's best-sellers include children's clothing, of which there is a wide selection of high-quality items, most of which cost just a few dollars, she said.
The shop employs one volunteer coordinator, but 90 percent of the work is done by a group of about a dozen regular volunteers, Murphy added. The shop can always use new volunteers to help sort donations, organize and set up displays, she said.
For Easter, volunteers plan to put together ready-made baskets people can pick up for loved ones, and they also plan to sell tickets for the raffle of a giant stuffed panda.
Bachman Bargains is at 2815 Anderson Pike. Hours are Thursdays from 2:30-5:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information call 886-4842 or visit bachmancc.org.