A bargain hunter’s paradise

It’s a Wednesday morning in May, and a steady stream of shoppers enter the bargain hunter’s paradise that is the Manorville Historical Society Thrift Store.

Racks of clothing line one wall. Shelves piled high with classic board games—Monopoly, Mystery Date and Mad Libs—line another. Tables filled with glassware, china and porcelain figurines fill the center of the room.

If you need a shower rod or a set of “Honeymooners” VHS tapes and don’t want to pay retail, this is the place.

“If there’s something you want that we don’t have, wait until next week,” said Aggie Pearo, the Manorville Historical Society’s president.

Prices range from 50 cents for a pair of earrings to $3 and up for a pair of shoes. Clothing is $1 to $5.

The store is a major source of revenue for the historical society, which is housed in the former West Manor School, a restored two-room schoolhouse built in 1929. The society uses the proceeds from the store to help pay for upkeep and maintenance of the building, including a new roof and gutters, as well as window repairs and a new memorial bench.

“This is where the money goes, to keep the building going.” Pearo said.

Pearo runs the thrift shop with the help of a team of volunteers, including her husband Matthew, the society’s vice president. She rings up the sales and cheerfully chats up the customers, many of whom are regulars, like Jim Barry of East Moriches.

Barry, who has been shopping every Wednesday for the past five years, said he appreciates the rock-bottom prices and the eclectic assortment of merchandise.

“It’s cheaper, closer, and it’s more unique [than a shopping mall],” he said.

“You never know what you’re going to find,” said Barry, whose purchases included a picture frame, toy tank, and a pair of baseballs for his baseball collection.

For some shoppers, the store is a place to find material for their art projects.

Jane McCarthy, of Mastic, shops about once a month for dolls she uses to create the goth-style figures she sells at local craft fairs.

“I get a lot of my dolls from here,” McCarthy said.

John Ryan, of East Quogue, is another regular shopper. Ryan, who collects kitchen gadgets, said he appreciates how the older items he finds here are so durable.

“You can’t get stuff like this in the store anymore,” said Ryan, whose purchases included a pair of stainless-steel salt-and-pepper shakers.

A tiny chalkboard at the front of the store displays what could be the shoppers’ credo: “The item you saw today and want to think about tonight will be sold later to the person who saw it yesterday and thought about it last night.”