This is the best thrift store in Whatcom County, according to results from our reader poll
We asked readers which Whatcom County thrift store was their favorite, and the votes are in.
The non-scientific poll had 12 thrift store options in Whatcom County including The Assistance League of Bellingham Thrift & Gift Shop, Second Hand Thrift, Bellingham Goodwill and Value Village, and 1,122 votes were cast.
Winning with 365 votes was Mystery Thrift in Ferndale.
Mystery Thrift is family-owned and started by mother-daughter duo Nicole and Avery Weiss who opened their shop in February 2021.
“We opened the store because we felt Ferndale really needed a thrift store. We also had the idea to help different local organizations and families and not just donate to one specific cause,” Kyle Weiss, co-owner of Mystery Thrift wrote in an email.
Mystery Thrift offers low prices similar to garage sale pricing in its store, with most items less than $5, and many even $1 or less, Weiss wrote.
Mystery Thrift is not only great for affordable prices, but also donates profits to different charities and organizations.
“We choose different local organizations and families to donate to each month and donate 10% of our gross store sales off the top. Our monetary donations are not based on profit,” Weiss wrote.
The locally-loved store is also looking to expand as they are looking for a larger space in Ferndale and an additional store space in the South Bellingham area.
“If anyone has any space for rent or ideas that would be helpful! We appreciate the support of Ferndale and Whatcom county over the last 15 months,” Weiss wrote.
Mystery Thrift is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and is located at 1920 Main St., Suite 8. in Ferndale.
Other options
Assistance League of Bellingham Thrift & Gift Shop came in a close second with 311 votes.
This local Bellingham thrift store funds the Assistance League of Bellingham, a non-profit national organization for “transforming lives and strengthening our community through philanthropic programs within Whatcom County,” the organization’s website states.
The thrift store is the main source of funding for the organization’s five philanthropic programs, programs that provide new clothing and shoes for students, give out student scholarships, provide clothing and care for hospital patients, give holiday gifts and fund student camp promoting healthy eating choices.
The thrift store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday and is located at 2817 Meridian St.
Whatcom Humane Society Thrift Store came in third place with 245 votes.
Like its competitors, Whatcom Human Society Thrift Store uses its profits to donate to organizations and its own programs that serve the community. Proceeds help fund the daily operations and care for the animals inside the human society’s shelters.
The Whatcom Human Society Thrift Store is open 9 a.m.to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. The store is located in Bellingham at 4151 Meridian St.
This story was originally published May 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
