The thrift shop hop

As the old adage goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”—and our local thrift shops truly embody this, selling donated goods at a low price. Whether you thrift to save money, to save the environment or to support your local community, treasures abound. Below are thrift shops located in the Center Moriches and Manorville area. We’ve let you know where they’re located, when they’re open and what you may expect shopping there.

*Before reading further, it should be noted that the items found in a thrift shop differ every day and are based on donations—the best way to know what one thrift shop is selling is to go visit.

Center Moriches

Center Moriches United Methodist Church Thrift Store

464 Main Street

Center Moriches, NY 11934

Open: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This thrift shop is located in a white house with a large open-air porch, next to the United Methodist Church in Center Moriches. Each room houses a different category of items like men’s clothing, women’s clothing, children’s clothing and so on. There is also a small section of hard goods in the area in the back of the shop with items like plates, cups, mugs, candle holders, picture frames and so on. On a recent Wednesday, the thrift shop hosted a Christmas in July sale, with Christmas tchotchkes, wrapping paper, crafts, snowman figurines, angel figurines and more.

St. John the Evangelist Thrift Shop

25 Ocean Avenue

Center Moriches, NY11934

Open: Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

This thrift shop is part of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church; all proceeds go to the church and its various outreach missions. The shop is chock-full of shoes, clothing, jewelry and hard goods – each category has its own highly organized section with some clothing items hanging up and some in labeled bins. 

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted the thrift shop’s income, and therefore, the missions it supports. Since COVID-19, Sue Diragi, a volunteer in charge of the thrift shop, says fewer people come to shop since they’ve reopened. As a safety measure, the thrift shop only lets four people in at a time; once that number is exceeded, patrons get a number and are let in to shop once their number is called. Diragi said they give out about 20 numbers now, but in pre-COVID times, double or triple the amount of people would shop.

“We made double the amount before COVID,” said Diragi.

On a recent Wednesday, the thrift shop had American-cut glass, a vintage crystal necklace, a trio of Corningware casserole dishes and a bottle of barely used Marc Jacobs perfume for $5. 

The thrift shop sells some items outside, but the nicest stuff is located inside the red, barn-like boutique, according to Diragi. More than three volunteers man the boutique at a time, at least one volunteer per section, including Caroline Mezze, who works at the jewelry counter.

“If it’s going to be in here, it has to be in good shape,” said Diragi of the boutique.

Manorville

Manorville Historical Society Thrift Shop

50 North Street

Manorville, NY 11949

Open: Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and on the first Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The thrift shop is run by the Manorville Historical Society and a source of income for them. It is located in the basement of the historical society. The shop is filled to the brim with donated items for sale, including adult and children’s clothing, glassware, baskets, kids toys and stuffed animals, appliances, bedding, crafting items, tchotchkes and more.

The shop is located in one large room and organized by category. It can be tough to navigate through because of an overflowing amount of items on each table—but for veteran thrifters, the layout is a positive because hidden gems can be found while digging. On a recent Wednesday, they had Corningware and glass bake casserole dishes, bags full of vintage sewing accessories and barely used spools of holiday ribbon. 

On the same recent Wednesday, a steady flow of customers could be seen coming and going, usually leaving with a bag or two in their hands. In other words, the shopping was good.

For customer Jeff Cronin, of Eastport, the decision to go was prompted by an online advertisement and a need for camping equipment for an upcoming trip with his kids.

“I saw an ad for the thrift shop online and I needed camping gear, and the ad said that they had it,” said Cronin.

While he didn’t find any camping gear, he did find a microscope, still in the box.

“I was looking on Amazon and these are going for like $80 there. I figured, even if it is broken or defective, it was only $5,” he said.