Thrifty shopping for a consumer also means charitable donations for the needy at Ticktocker Thrift Shop.
The thrift store, on 19th Street at Harbor Boulevard, is owned and run by the Newport Chapter of the National Charity League. All proceeds from the shop go back into the philanthropic projects the organization is involved with.
And customers will find extra-special deals this Saturday at Ticktocker’s Sidewalk Sale.
“What we earn here is what we give to our philanthropy,” said shop co-chair Robin Sanders, and there are several different charitable projects that NCL works with, including Girls Inc., CHOC, Share Our Selves, Surfrider Foundation, soup kitchen, charities for seniors and children, and more.
This weekend’s sale, the first of the year, will be run by the group’s ninth grade girls. Home goods, toys, electronics, clothing and more will be available. The event will start at 8 a.m. and go until 3 p.m.
There are only a handful of NCL thrift stores in the nation, Sanders said, so this is pretty unique to Newport. Especially since the group owns the building.
The Newport Chapter was the fourth National Charity League chapter founded, signed into the organization in 1958. By 1959, the doors of the Ticktocker Thrift Shop were open.
The shop has also recently opened a boutique section, which features more high-end items. The boutique area started out small but has been expanded in recent years. The extra funds coming in from the boutique area enabled the group to donate a van to Girls Inc. last year.
The entire store has grown and evolved, co-chair Judith Wattson said. Over the years the organizational system has changed, volunteer schedules have been optimized, window displays and merchandise have been added, and other areas have developed. It’s become a well oiled machine, Sanders said. The shop is even on Facebook now, Wattson added.
The actual storefront has changed as well. In 1967, a painter’s dropcloth was left on the floor furnace and almost burned the shop down. In 1971, it moved to its current location on 19th Street.
Customers have seen many positive changes over the years. There is a very loyal clientele, Wattson said, of people from every walk of life. And it all goes back to the community.
“It’s so fortunate, what it allows for in the community,” Wattson said.
It’s not just what the Ticktocker shop gives out that helps, it’s also what is going on inside.
“This is another form of how the girls get involved,” Sanders said, and how members can build that mother-daughter relationship.
“This comes at a mother-daughter relationship from a completely different direction,” Sanders said.
National Charity League aims to honor the mother-daughter bond by learning, growing and modeling responsibility and graciousness together. The organization teaches leadership, social awareness and compassion to the younger generation, while supporting the local community.
The thrift shop does all of this in different ways. The mothers and daughters work together in the store, offering a different dynamic for their relationship.
The girls will also learn skills like merchandising, customer service and finance. Through this work, they find out where their talents are, whether it’s working with people or children, fundraising, marketing or other areas. Things that can help them in their future.
Shop volunteers – moms and daughters during school breaks- are prepping for the upcoming changeover, where they will swap out all the winter items for spring items. And to get rid of all leftover winter merchandise, they’ll hold a $10 bag sale. Anything left after that gets donated to charity.
There are about 300 mothers and daughters in the Newport group. The daughters, or “ticktockers,” are in grades 7-12. About 99 percent of the items sold in the shop have been donated by group members.
Visit www.newportnclthriftshop.com or call 949-646-4024 for more information.
