We had a wonderful 2017, and are looking forward to the coming year. You may have noticed that WabiSabi was closed for several days at the beginning of January. During this time we had a busy and productive week of processing donations, while also preparing the store for the New Year with the help of many wonderful volunteers.

We absolutely love donations, and could not exist without the continuous support and generosity of the community! However, many people may be unaware of the sheer volume of donations that we receive on a daily basis. Our donation door is open every single afternoon. We try to keep things moving as quickly as possible, but space is limited, and fills up fast.

Keep reading to see how you can help expedite the donation process, and ensure that shoppers at WabiSabi are able to find the items they are looking for on a regular basis.

What donations are acceptable?
We accept clothing, furniture, electronics, toys, books, kitchenware, building supplies, and so so much more. Items MUST be clean, laundered, complete, and in working condition. Here’s a good rule: if you wouldn’t buy it in a thrift store, don’t donate it! Providing high quality donations is the best way to help: these items are easy to process, and sell quickly, allowing us the space to put more items out for sale.

How should I package my donations?
“Hard goods” (i.e. items which are not clothing or soft accessories like gloves, scarves or linens) can go into manageable sized boxes, preferably boxes that have tops which close. While it is ok to mix any and all items together, placing items that go together--for example, a set of toys-- in a closed bag can help our sorters immensely.

Clothing should be turned right side out and placed in tied trash bags, as should sheets, towels and other linens (“soft goods”). Please try to keep the bags manageably sized, so that they may be easily moved.

As a general rule: if it’s soft, put it in a bag. If it’s not, put it in a box. Bags of soft items can be stacked, and boxes that close can be stacked! A few extra minutes of your help when donating can save us hours of work when sorting the donations. Because we give our proceeds back to the community, this time is valuable to everyone.

What has to happen before something goes on the store floor?
When we can process donations efficiently, here’s what happens: donations come in. Donations are sorted through and priced, tagged, and put on floor quickly. Staff is happy! Shoppers are happy! And the best part: the more proceeds we make, the more money we can give back to the community.

Thanks for your support!
For a more detailed guide, please visit wabisabimoab.org. Send questions to info@wabisabimoab.org