The Daily Tar HeelWednesday, September 11, 19853
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By DEMISE SMITHERMAN
Staff Writer
One man's trash is another man's
treasure. .
That's never more true than at , a
Saturday morning look-at-all-this-junk
yard sale.
Where else could one buy a backpack
for 35 cents, a necktie for 10 cents or
a huge tartan plaid suitcase for $1.25?
While UNC Student Body Treasurer
Ryke Longest describes yard sales as
"people's trash with prices on it," others
say the sales contain many interesting
items waiting to be matched with the
right buyers.
In fact, one avid yardsale shopper
recalls the story of a woman who, after
a divorce, sold her $1,000 wedding rings
for $5.
People hold sales to make money, or
they frequent the events to find specific
items, such as albums or depression
glass, for extremely low prices. Both
buyers and sellers are anxious to make
a good deal.
UNC School of Pharmacy assistant
professors Herb Patterson and Ralph
Raasch combined yardsale items their
families collected to "make a few bucks
out of it." They will send what shoppers
turn down to Goodwill or another
charitable organization.
Patterson said baby items were most
popular. A changing table was snatched
at the start of their sale.
Sophomore Mike Tornero and his
brother, Carlos, a freshman, also held
a yard sale to make extra money. When
they were age 10 and nine, respectively,
they sold old toys, Mike said.
"We made $150, so 1 think it was
pretty successful," he said.
Many search the tables of old kitchen
paraphernalia or rummage through the
boxes of ladies' shoes simply because
they enjoy it. Yard sales have become
a hobby and a pastime.
"It's a social thing, like bridge," said
senior Karen Godfrey. "Lots of house
wives get together and have them."
Nannie Phillips and Betty Oldham,
employees of N.C. Memorial Hospital
Printing Department, organize their
throw-aways about twice a year. The
two visit with each other, joke with
neighbors and bargain in between.
While a Donna Summer eight-track
tape played in a small stereo marked
$25, Oldham decided she could use the
fur-lined boots that Phillips had never
worn and was selling for $3.
Oldham's brother, Raymond Pender
grass, came to set up tables.
Yard sales are an opportunity to
socialize, he said. "It gets people
together in the neighborhood."
So when your blender just mixed its
last daiquiri and funds have dwindled
to nil, a yard sale crnight be the best
place to shop. '"'
Adele Thomas, who did find a
blender (that even works) for $2, said,
"You never know what's going to turn
up."
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Modeh domi clothes
horn dsiys gone by
By MARYMELDA HALL
Assistant Features Editor
The models paraded past their
audience in elegant clothes of the finest
silk, satin, velvet and handmade lace.
Although the outfits weren't designed
by the likes of Calvin Klein or Liz
Claibourne, they made their statements
in the fashion world the world of
the 1800s and 1900s, that is.
The Chapel Hill Historical Society
hosted this "old-fashions show" Sept.
5 at the Horace Williams House on
Rosemary Street. From about 4:30 to
6 p.m., an audience of all ages was
treated to an evening in the past.
White wicker chairs and tables dotted
the green lawn of the Williams house.
A silver punch bowl and cut-glass cups
glistened with thejook of the Old South.
afternoon of high tea.
Val Lauder, who co-chaired Chapel
Hill's Heritage Week with Georgie
Kyser, explained how the fashion show
started.
"Each year the Historical Society
does a calendar, and this year was 'How
We Looked, " she said. The calendar
is filled with historic photos of Chapel
Hillians, including an old picnic scene,
a picture of the lady who owneo tne
Tri Delt sorority house and pictures of
antique clothing.
"We decided to have an old-fashions
show based on the calendar," Lauder
said.
Pam Smith of Pittsboro acted as the
show's emcee. Smith has spent 10 years
collecting antique clothing and owns the
shop Beggars and Choosers in Pitts
boro. Durham radio station WDNC
provided music to match the period of
the clothes shown.
The models, many of them area
students, walked from the back porch
of the house through the yard so people
could get a close-up view of the clothes
craftsmanship.
Smith discussed not only the clothes,
but also the fashion history of the time,
including the story of the corset.
"The corset was worn by girls starting
as young as 3 years, old," she said, "and
by the time they were 16, they often
had trouble standing upright and
breathing because of weakened muscles
and constricted lungs. It was considered
high class for a man to have a wife who
fainted easily. Some women even
attempted to make their waists smaller
by having their top two ribs surgically
removed."
No one fainted during the show, but
the clothes often were hot and heavy.
Actress Kaeren Hawkesworth
modeled a black silk-and-velvet gown
from the Victorian era that covered
everything from the neck down.
(Women were not allowed to mention
any part of the body below the neck,
and often table legs and the arms of
chairs were covered for propriety's
sake.)
"The black velvet is very hot,
Hawkesworth said. The further back
you go in time, the heavier the clothes
are."
Old Salem village lent two sedate
Moravian outfits for the show. The
Moravians only allowed clothes colored
solid blue, brown or black, so the
clothes contrasted sharply with many
of the other clothes in the show.
Pastel colors adorned with ribbons,
; , lace and feathers were popular. Outfits
! ranged from flapper gowns supplied by
the UNC drama department tc cotton
nightgowns from 1910 handed down
through generations. ,
Frances Frankstone, who co-chaired
the fashion show with Carroll Kyser,
spent about two months collecting
clothes and accessories for the show.
"1 gathered all the clothes in one
study, and I had people come try on
outfits until we found ones that truly
fit," she said.
Elenore Cole and Emily Brown, both
lOth-graders at Chapel Hill High
School, enjoyed the opportunity to
wear old fashions different from the
jeans and T-shirts of today.
"They're pretty tight," Cole said with
a sigh, "and some of the clothes have
a lot of buttons."
"They make you feel so ... I don't
know," Brown added. "I just like to
wear them.
Rick Fields, a UNC student from
England, said his favorite outfit was the
Moravian costume, partly because of
its "very austere look.
"It has all these different pieces and
they just somehow fit together," he said.
One inconvenience with wearing
antique clothing he discovered was
' having to keep his braid pinned up to
keep in fashion.
Accessories Tike a black reiver hat
with fuschia ostrich feathers and an
ostrich boa, fans, parasols and costume
jewelry were used to make the outfits
realistic. One black evening dress
featured an eight-inch' beaded ribbon
and had been worn on- a South Amer
ican cruise decades ago.
The show ended in the Edwardian
era with lots of cottons and flimsy
materials. The final showcase piece was
a fine silk tafetta Gibson Girl wedding
dress that had been worn in 1906.
Admission to the show was $3 for
the general public. Money earned will
be placed in the revolving fund of the
Chapel Hill Preservation Society to help
purchase historic buildings, then resell
them to private owners to preserve
them, Frankstone explained.
"It was great fun having student
models from all over," she said.
"This old fashions show felt like a
wonderful trip into a lot of great
grandmothers' attics."
r mi mm,,,.., innr.nr-n,.!.!.. I i i- in- i i- " i r - i i. i t i mmi n.rni- - .. . h-m mi "' """ ' 11 ' " DTH Larry ChildreSS
Bradley Davis of Carrboro gets a lot of his toys at the PTA Thrift Shop waits for his mother to finish shopping. Besides, he already has one
on Main Street. But this basketball is just temporary comfort while he just like it at home.
TEhoiTulhiop wootor taoDft tfoor ftireayire
By LOUIS CORRIGAN
Staff Writer
Colored cut out drawings of
birds by fifth-graders and flowers by
second-graders cover the back wall.
The floor seems cluttered with junk:
a couple of sofas, racks and racks
of clothes that look old and maybe
hit dirtv. a bookcase full of damp-
you re not going to una anyimng
here.
The PTA Thrift Shop in Carrboro
doesnt remind one of Macy's or even
Belks. There's no Muzak, for one
thing. Yet thrift stores, particularly
PTA, have become nearly as accep
table as department stores.
The PTA stores in Carrboro and
the Kroger Plaza prove thrift shops
are not just for bag ladies. Anyone
looking for almost anything may
find happiness in thrift-store
shopping.
Joshua Spadaro sorts through the
bin of jeans while his mother
browses. His wooden tiki necklace
bounces against his chest as he
explains thrift shopping.
"If I see anything I like, I just pick
it up. It's a hell of a lot easier to
find what I want," he says. "But it's
hard to find stuff that fits."
Edna Clark pulls shirts from the
If I see anything I like, I just pick it up.
It's a hell-of-a lot easier to find what I
want. Joshua Spadaro
.boys' bin. and. inspects each closely.
She says she comes in "as often as "
I can" and looks for clothes for her
two sons. She doesn't mind mending
a little. Her plaid skirt cost her $1
a couple of weeks ago.
At the back counter where dona
tions are accepted and piled to
the ceiling in a back storage room
two women talk to the clerk about
an unpriced item they want. The
clerk says she's not going to argue.
One of the women says they are not
arguing.
Into this thrift-store day enters
Joel Katzenstein, bargain hunter
extraordinaire. He comes not seek
ing bermudas at least not neces
sarily but glory and maybe some
drawers for his kitchen.
"I come here 'most every day," he
says. "IVe finished my whole house
with the most inconceivable finds."
Katzenstein's trophies include a
four-poster bed for $30, a huge 100
. percent .wool rug for $8, a painting
" appraised at $300 that he purchased
for $2, a couple of brass lamps and
about two houses full of other
"finds."
He looks for special books, too,
and recently found a first-edition
copy of Somerset Maugham's Of
Human Bondage for $1 at PTA.
"There's sort of a thrill in doing
that," he says. The excitement comes
more from feeling like you won a
treasure hunt than finding a valuable
item, he says.
Katzenstein says most of his
clothes are from thrift stores, and no
one can tell. He owns four tweed
jackets that Julian's donated to PTA
as overstock items. They cost him
$4 each.
The price is, of course, the main
feature of the thrift store business.
Nothing PTA sells costs much.
The other main attraction, as
Katzenstein has discovered, is that
a discriminating and diligent
shopper can find some beautiful and
unusual items not just Halloween
costumes, but dresses that aren't
made anymore or handknit sweaters
that your parents wouldn't buy you
even for Christmas all for what
you'd spend on drinks on a Saturday
night.
These features and a good organ
ization" have made" the PTA Thrift
Shops highly profitable.
In the year ending June 30, PTA
generated $250,202 in profits, after
operating expenses. This will be
distributed to nine schools in the
Chapel Hill-Carrboro school system.
The money goes to buy items that
state and county funds can't cover,
such as library books, playground
equipment and computers.
The PTA Thrift Shops receive
donations from individuals and
businesses in the community. In
turn, they serve all groups in the
community and at the University.
"There are so many people in here,
you just wouldn't believe. From all
different walks of life," says Letitia
Jones, head clerk at the Carrboro
store. About a third are students.
So, don't be afraid to dig into that
bin. You might find something pretty
cool.
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Area bookworms may satisfy appetites
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at specialized local used-book stoires
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DTHLarry Childress
rdeman of The Bookshop, Inc.
By KARA V.DONALDSON
Staff Writer
Buying books can be an adventure when you explore some
of the used-book stores in Chapel Hill.
Each store has a distinct personality. Most began as
extensions of the owners' interests and hobbies. Some stores
have very specialized collections, while others carry a range
of subjects. No matter what subject you are looking for,
you're bound to find it in one of these used-book stores.
Second Foundation, in NCNB Plaza at 136 E. Rosemary
St., is a specialty bookstore.
"Some people come in and are surprised that it's all science
fiction," said Owner Dan J. Breen. "These people dont stop
and think what science fiction is. I try to tell them it's everthmg
from Greek myths to George Orwell. But other people come
in and their eyes light up when they realize it's all science
fiction and fantasy."
Breen, whose store is an extension of his hobby, carries
old and new paperbacks, hardbacks and comics. One would
have to travel 200 miles to reach another collection as
extensive, he said. , , .
Books are bought and sold according to onginal price,
condition and availability.
Second Foundation is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday
through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Breen will
hold "a yard sale Saturday. Books will be priced from 30
cents to 60 cents.
Comics also are bought and sold at Heroes Areni Hard
to Find at 133'2 E. Franklin St. It's open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday
and Saturday. .
The Community Bookstore is located in an old house at
409 W. Rosemary St. Owner Richard Davis was a UNC
student 12 years ago and stayed in Chapel Hill to run his
bookstore. ,
The shop, smelling of incense, houses its books on wooden
shelves. Book topics include religion, metaphysics,
philosophy, health, yoga, massage and vegetarian cooking.
"We carry things that arent readily available," Davis said.
He has a mixture of new and old books.
Community Bookstore is open 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday
through Saturday. rt
Internationalist Books is across the street at 408 W.
Rosemary St. The store carries a mixture of political and
social books, periodicals, t-shirts, buttons and posters. Most
of his stock is new, although he has a section of used books.
Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
The Book Cellar is not in a cellar at all, but in Carrmill
Mall. The new owner, Paticia Wall, said she would change
the name in the next couple of weeks.
The Book Cellar carries all used, mostly paperback books,
including recreational reading, fiction, non-fiction, classical
literature and romances.
"We have 14 copies of The Red Badge of Courage,
employee Lisa Parrish said. "A whole class could buy its
book here."
Wall buys books depending on supply and demand. Selling
prices range from 10 cents to $10. Hours are 10 a.m. to
6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The Bookshop Inc. is Chapel Hill's newest bookstore, but
the faces behind the counter are familiar. Linda Saardemaa,
of Bookends, and Bill Loeser, of Keith and Martin, now
are joint owners of The Bookshop Inc. Keith and Martin
is closed but Bookends will remain open a couple more weeks.
Prices of the entire stock are one-third off.
Loeser's stock already is on the shelves at 400 W. Franklin
St. He specializes in hardbacks and has a selection of North
Carolina history booksi .Saardemaa now is moving and
reshelving her stock. " '
The Bookshop Inc. owners want to buy and sell all types
of used books. . Some.are rare, such as the 1840 printing
of Tales of a Traveller ' by ,Qeoffery Crayon, Gent., but most
are reading copies. i (
"If a customer is interested in a specific book or subject
which we don't have, we put a card on file and watch for
it," Saardemaa said "We can also use a booksearch service
to find it at another store."
Bookends' hours are 1 1 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through
Friday and 1 1 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Until Sept. 30, The Bookshop Inc. will be open 1 1 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. After that, its hours
will be 1 1 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1 1 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Each store's personality makes it a unique place to visit,
whether to find a specific book or just to browse. Stop by
and discover the variety and personality of Chapel Hill's
used-book stores.