Located behind the Java House, in the original Java Barn, is St. Lawrence University’s very own thrift store. Founded in 2005 as the “SLU Reuse Initiative,” in its first few years they only held two big sales, one in the fall semester and one in the spring.
Originally the items sold were stored in two tractor trailers, before moving to the basement of one of the dorms, and then eventually to the old Java venue where it remains today. It wasn’t until 2008 that the Reuse Initiative became a year-round thrift store on campus.
The Barn Good Thrift Store is student run and organized. Senior Kylie Clancy has been working at the Barn Good since her freshman year at St. Lawrence. She has also been the manager of the store since her freshman year.
Sylvia Gilbert is an employee of the thrift store. “I have been working at Barn Good since I was a sophomore. I love it because I get to meet students and community members that I wouldn’t normally know. It also feels good to sell clothes really inexpensively – people are always really happy when I tell them that their t shirt is going to cost 3 dollars,” says Gilbert. “Also the environment. Kylie and I have put a lot of work into revamping the store – it was a mess when we first got here and we’ve cleaned and sorted and it’s probably in the best condition it’s been in for a while. I just wish that more students donated because right now most of the clothing is from the community and it’s out of style. But no matter what is in the store, people always come and browse and it’s a fun place to be, especially in the warmer months when we can leave the door open.”
While the Barn Good is open to donations year round, one of the goals of the store is to keep reusable items from being thrown into dumpsters as students move out at the end of each year.
The Barn Good accepts gently used, freshly laundered clothes, bedding, small appliances and electronics, furniture, and dishware. They will also accept items from faculty and staff, just as long as they are items that college students are likely to use.
A majority of the items that the Barn Good sells can be purchased for a single dollar. Big ticket items like electronics and furniture, while a little more expensive, can still be purchased for under twenty dollars.
All the profit the store generates goes right to the operating costs of the store such as, paying employees, advertising and supplies.
The weekly hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday’s and Saturday’s from 12 to 2 p.m.
“Barn Good is an untapped gem on campus, and a model to be emulated by campuses across the country. Currently, I am in correspondence with student leaders from Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles who are working to create their very own version of the Barn Good. Check out Facebook, come hang with the Barn Good girls, and pick up your swanky garb for your Friday giggles,” says Kylie Clancy, manager of the Barn Good.