Good Things Thrift & Craft Shop is located at 14 Washington Road in Waldoboro. The lobster traps at lower left were donated by a local lobsterman. Peggy Davis said the parking lot is available for area fishermen to sell directly to customers. (Elizabeth Walztoni photo)
Operating a thrift store was not part of the plan for Ron and Peggy Davis, of Waldoboro, but when a need appeared, they were ready to act.
Shortly after the founding of their “brainchild,” the Medomak Exchange nonprofit corporation, in April 2021, they purchased the former Burnham’s Blooms building across the street from Moody’s Diner to house Good Things Thrift and Craft Shop. It opened in July 2022 to support the Exchange’s programs through the sale of donated home goods at affordable prices.
Lights shone on glassware, artwork, craft supplies, and furniture through the open doors of the shop on Oct. 12 as visitors gathered for a meet-and-greet organized by the Waldoboro Business Association.
The Medomak Exchange was established to serve the people of the Waldoboro area through educational and spiritual programs, according to Peggy Davis, a founding member of the organization and the board’s president. Though the exchange receives support from area churches, it is not a religious organization.
The Medomak Exchange has a second location at 124 Friendship Road, from which it operates a free clothing closet and offers space to the Waldoboro Food Pantry. A plan is in development to transform the house into a community meeting and retreat center.
Good Things Thrift & Craft Shop’s Manager Terri Stred, of Warren, stands among donated goods for sale on the first floor of the Waldoboro business. Stred said that working in the shop is a local cycle of receiving donations and sending them out to new homes. (Elizabeth Walztoni photo)
Standing on the porch of the shop at 14 Washington Road, Peggy Davis described the Exchange’s mission as “holistic,” and said that their work is always developing as needs change. It began with the food pantry and clothing closet, Davis said, but a thrift store emerged as “the missing piece.”
Her husband Ron “wanted to do something that benefitted more than us,” Davis said. He was touched by a story he read about immigrant families, and “that lit a fire in him,” which is still burning today, she said. After considering their community and available resources in Waldoboro, the Davises decided to keep their focus close to home.
Now, she said, “The energy just flows.”
The Medomak Exchange receives the support of over 70 volunteers, according to Davis. Some staff Good Things, which “plays a major part in the movement of stuff in the community.”
She said that the shop is well-stocked by a growing amount of used household items in the area as residents age and downsize their homes.
Terri Stred, shop manager, said the shop’s target markets are varied. The Medomak Exchange focuses on the people of Waldoboro, and Good Things is a unique opportunity for residents “looking for a place to shop that isn’t Damariscotta or Rockland for the kinds of things we have.”
Good Things works to carry “something for everybody,” said Stred, from those in need of household essentials to antique dealers. Affordable everyday goods sell for 50 cents or a $1, while the proceeds from high-end and specialty items cycle back into the Medomak Exchange.
Peggy Davis, board president and founding member of the Medomak Exchange, Good Things Thrift and Craft Shop’s parent company, teaches visitors to a recent open house about her nonprofit’s projects. Good Things is one piece of what she called a “holistic” set of programs including a free clothing closet and a partnership with the Waldoboro Food Pantry. (Elizabeth Walztoni photo)
Good Things’ location along Route One is also ideal to attract out-of-state visitors whose dollars could support the Medomak Exchange, and the Davises have community-minded plans to make use of this. They intend to transform the front room into a gallery for local artists and crafters to sell their work on consignment. Outside, buoys from lobstermen are hung on the building to show solidarity with the industry, and the parking lot is available for fishermen to sell directly to customers.
The Davises expect that these portions of the shop, once developed, will particularly draw tourists from Moody’s Diner across the street.
“I’d love to see the excitement catch on for recycling and giving back,” Stred said.
She is joined in day-to-day operations by a team of volunteers who bring their own areas of interest to the shop. One volunteer is an expert on fine china; another “can fix anything;” a third knows her art, and a fourth loves furniture.
“We have a lot of fun,” Stred said with a smile. “Everyone here has a heart for the vision.”
As some of these volunteers are seasonal residents, the store is looking for new helpers; Stred shared that volunteers receive a 20% discount and 50% off on the day they work.
Space to sell in the parking lot is still available to the fishing community, Davis said, as is room for buoys on the building.
Good Things Thrift & Craft Shop at 14 Washington Road is open for business and donations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.
Good Things accepts donations of furniture and most household goods except for electronics, books, and some large items. For a full list, contact the shop.
For more information about volunteering, consigning craft work, or donating items, visit the Good Things Facebook group or call the shop during business hours at 841-2307.
