Mike Triem talks with Maggie Scivicque of arc Thrift Stores about stretching the family budget through the final dog days of summer and the approaching school year. arc’s 37 Front Range stores offer everything from inflatable pools, life vests and fishing poles to RV accessories, sports equipment and nearly new cleats for growing children. Families can also dig through affordable craft supplies, office supplies, pencils, markers, paper and other classroom necessities.
Maggie explains arc’s “good, better, best” quality policy and the value of shopping secondhand when children are trying a new sport or rapidly outgrowing clothing. Donating unwanted belongings also
00:00:00 Introduction with Arc Thrift and summer shopping
Hey, it’s Mike Triem with Crawford Media Group. We’re here with Maggie Scivique from Arc Thrift. And Maggie, thanks for taking a little time with us.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thanks for having us. We’re excited.
SPEAKER 01 :
It is the dog days of summer. So what does that look like at Arc Thrift?
SPEAKER 02 :
I mean, these days, this weather is just so hot, right? Aside from it being a great place to cool off, Arc Thrift stores, you know, we have… 37 stores across the front range for you to cool down with our ACs pumping. But aisles and aisles of great finds for summertime, whether you’re trying to keep the kids busy for the last of this summer or you’re looking to gear up for back to school.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, for sure. And do you have, like, do people bring in those little pools and you can then repurpose those, stuff like that?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, we are on the tail end of that, but definitely those things are still available. Any of those things that you need for the backyard or your days at the pool, again, that are dwindling, or at the lake, you know, even life vests. That’s good. I saw fishing poles and life vests and floaties and inflatable pools. You name it, anything for the backyard or those little weekend trips, we’re geared up and ready to provide. I’ve even seen things for your RV in our stores, which is great as well. If your camper needs some upgrades, you can find those things at ARC.
SPEAKER 01 :
The good news is that our weather stays so nice. We’re pretty blessed that, you know, September is still really nice. October, pretty nice, at least for most of October. So unless things change, there’s plenty of outdoor time. So these things will get used.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, absolutely. And then the sports equipment is right on the heels of all that summer stuff, too. So that’s exciting. I always, you know, like to remind young families if your kiddo is trying a new sport, here’s a great opportunity to get those things that can be really expensive when you buy them regular retail, especially if they’re just trying out a sport for the first time and you need, you know, some pads for football or, you know, that new basketball, new to you basketball, lacrosse sticks. All of those things can be found at our thrift stores. You just have to be savvy and ready to dig in our furniture department. We’ve got them.
SPEAKER 01 :
Maggie, I love that because there are kids’ expenses like the sports stuff. We don’t usually think about that. Next thing you know, you’re buying this baseball mitt thinking, hmm, is this going to keep going or is this just like we buy it and then a year later it’s obsolete?
SPEAKER 02 :
They’re over it, yeah, or they outgrew it, which is always an opportunity to cleats. We get really great kids’ cleats for every single sport, girls and boys, that are practically brand new because your kids outgrow them so quickly.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, and you’re pretty careful, aren’t you, about what you keep and what you don’t? So when they go in the stores, they know that the goods will be quality goods. They don’t have to worry about, well, that’s going to be really worn out.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, absolutely. We have a policy our pricers follow. It’s called good, better, best. And it only hits the floor if it enters one of those three categories, good, better, and best.
SPEAKER 01 :
Awesome. And then what about things to cool down? I mean, we, we touched on the pools, our misters. Is that a thing that you see in the stores ever?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yep. And those fun things you put on the end of a sprinkler head that are, you know, fun for the kids to run through all of those things are available. I mean, some of the things I have found at the thrift stores just blow my mind, you know, pots, steaks, hose, rakes, all the things you need for gardening. All those things can get really expensive really quick. So if you’re looking for the fun projects for the backyard, it’s a great place to start. And then I always like to remind families, crafts. One of the things that our domestic department is really great at is a partial spool of yarn, craft supplies if you’re a big scrapbooker, All the things you need for making a scrapbook, whether it’s the paper, the scissors, the tools, those things can be found at ARC. Crafts galore. People will try a crochet project. They don’t like it. It comes to our stores. So lots of great opportunities to pick up those craft supplies that are going to cost you a fortune retail.
SPEAKER 01 :
We’re speaking with Maggie from Arc Thrift. And Maggie, I think, too, about just the, you know, making sure there are fun activities for kids and grandkids. That’s for the grandparents, too, because they end up, you know, parents go on vacation. Grandparents are watching the kids. They may not want to buy a whole art set. So then go to Arc Thrift and pick up some things that make it fun.
SPEAKER 02 :
coloring books, paint by number, all those kind of fun things can be found. And then, you know, we’re starting to get the itch, and you’re seeing the ads all over the place for back to school. And I always love to remind families on a budget that a thrift store is a great place to start. You’ve got this list that’s a mile long from your son’s third grade teacher, and it’s expensive. But many times we have bags of cranes, markers, Unsharpened pencils. All of those things are available. Reams of paper, colored paper, pens, even copy paper. All those things can be found at our store on a budget and in bulk. So, you know, on our end caps, we will bag everything. pencils, scissors, all those sort of things that are on the list for school, and you can find them for a great deal in bulk on our end caps. I really encourage you to check out office supplies at our store stores. Our back-to-school stuff can’t be beat.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, that stuff really adds up, and you don’t realize it until you go to Walmart and try to buy everything new, and you say, hmm, this is about $200 or more.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I could save half. Think about that list. Even if you get half of those items at the thrift store and the other half new, you’re going to save a tremendous amount of money. Some of these markers have never been opened.
SPEAKER 01 :
And how about the whole dynamic of Arc Thrift is taking things that would get thrown in the landfill, and no matter where you sit on the whole thing, you’re recycling landfills, making sure that things get used. I think we can all agree, if it’s good, use it.
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. You know, they say that America has a stuff problem and that just couldn’t be truer. We have just miles and miles of unused items that end up coming to our stores. And Coloradans are so generous with their donations. We’ve just created this culture around the first thing you do is you donate those items. Instead of putting them in your trash, you’re going to drive them to our thrift stores or you’re going to give us a shout and we’re going to pick them up for free. And that culture, we’re so lucky. I’ve talked to people in other states on our podcast, and sometimes that’s just not the vibe in other states. But Coloradans understand how impactful it is to take the extra step, give us a shout for a pickup, drive over and unload your car, and know that we’re going to take good care of those items and give them a second chance in someone else’s household.
SPEAKER 01 :
That’s a great point, Maggie. And before we talk about the children’s sale, I want to just touch on something you just mentioned, too, in a certain way anyways, is that when our house is filled with stuff, it’s more stress. It puts more stress on your family and on you. I don’t know if you guys ever talk about that, but if you’d like, maybe 30 seconds on how it feels once you use Arc Thrift and you bring things over.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, gosh, I love that. Yeah, that attitude of decluttering, you know, and clearing the mind is so healthy. There’s just so many studies out there that suggest that, you know, less is more when it comes to all the stuff in your home. And when you can really clear out those drawers and, you know, organize things, it’s so much easier to find and it just helps your mind recover, right? And your kiddos will experience that, you know, feeling of zen. I hate to use that word, but, you know, that relaxation of not being cluttered with things. And it really does feel good. It feels great to clear out your home and make room for the new if you need to. But be ready for that school year. We find a huge influx right before school starts of decluttering. And we’re just happy to be the recipients of those things. Use us is what I tell Coloradans. Use us. Clear out your basement, your closet, your garage, your drawers, all the things. Bring it to us. We’ll give it a second life. And you can have a really clear mind and house ready to start the school year, right?
SPEAKER 01 :
Right. And put that in a bag or box, right?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, absolutely. Cloth can go in bags, hard goods in boxes so that we can be good stewards of your items. It’s very important to us that they don’t come to us broken or we don’t break them in the process of taking them from you. So that’s always important. If you can do cloth in bags, hard goods in boxes, we’re good to go for you.
SPEAKER 01 :
Now, Maggie, before we go, children’s sale, we’re just going to break this as people start to hear this interview, right?
SPEAKER 02 :
Biggest sale of the year. Yes. Breaking news. Very big. People wait. You know, I get more DMs, more emails, more questions to the general comments about when the 99 cent kid sale is going to be. We have picked a day. It will be Friday, August 7th. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., every store is participating. There are no color tag restrictions. If it has a kid’s tag on it and it is a cloth item, it is 99 cents. I do want to say that some exclusions apply when it comes to the shoes. Shoes and back-to-school items are not part of this, but they’re still a great deal. It’s all the cloth items, and that goes all the way down to infants and all the way up to your big kids. So if it’s a kid’s tag, the color is not relevant. It is 99 cents.
SPEAKER 01 :
So it helps with the kids. The kids are getting older. They’re growing. You can help someone else by bringing in some items when you come to shop at Arc Thrift. And then you come in, and you might find something almost new or new that someone just never wore. Yep.
SPEAKER 02 :
You know, these kids… they grow their clothes so quickly. That’s why this sale is so popular. No matter what, I can almost guarantee you, if you’re coming to our kids 99 cent sale, you’re going to find at least one item that’s brand new with tags. That’s good. You know, we kind of get overzealous when our kids are, especially when they’re babies, and they outgrow it too quickly and we end up donating it. New with tags is the most you know, popular part of this sale. We’ll get mamas that come in. They’re shopping for three plus children and they’re doing it for every season. So not to worry. It’s not going to be only shorts. We have the cold weather gear. We’re pulling out everything marked with a children’s tag. That includes your kids outerwear as well for the winter season. which, you know, we’ve heard could be pretty big this year. So it might be super cold, jeans, outerwear, coats, sweaters, hoodies, all the things. Everything’s going to be included in this.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah. Fun fact is if you think ahead, boy, you save yourself with selection and money. And in this case, especially with selection, you just think ahead and say, all right, we know what we’re going to need for the winter. Start getting some of those items.
SPEAKER 02 :
And tell a friend. You know, I’m always trying to tell, you know, all of these things. moms and dads and grandmothers and grandfathers that are out there shopping that 99 cent sale, take a picture, post it on your social media, tell your neighbors. The biggest… You know, sadness for me is when someone calls me the next day and says, I missed the kid sale. Let’s get the word out. Let’s tell a friend. It’s a really important thing. If you can, you know, share what you found at our 99 cent sale and tell a friend, it’s the biggest sale of the year. We get lines out the door, come early, but we are open late. If you have to work that day, we replenish all day. That’s our promise to our families is that we will replenish throughout the day. You’ll find stuff on our floor till 9 p.m. when we close.
SPEAKER 01 :
That’s super. And again, the date?
SPEAKER 02 :
August 7th, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. That’s Friday, August 7th.
SPEAKER 01 :
Okay. Awesome. Well, Maggie, we love Arc Thrift Store. My friend Angie Austin always says, I go in there, I find things new or almost new. She’s very proud of her handbag that she found there. That is some designer that I don’t know, but oh my goodness, she loves that.
SPEAKER 02 :
She has an eye for that. I love it.
SPEAKER 01 :
She is. She’s really skilled and her son has picked up that skill. So pretty amazing.
SPEAKER 02 :
It’s a family affair. I love it. Love this town. You know, we do good by our people. It’s pretty great.
SPEAKER 01 :
So it’s artthrift.com, correct?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, artthrift.com. And don’t forget to shop us every Saturday, 50% off most items. And then don’t forget our Tuesday senior sale, which is 55 and older, the youngest senior sale in town.
SPEAKER 01 :
So good. So good. Senior sale, Saturdays, and then August 7th, right? Nine to nine?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yep.
SPEAKER 01 :
Children sale. Nine to nine. Get her done. Okay. Maggie, thank you so much. So good to have you. Thank you.
