29 Dec News from Experienced Goods January 2023

When I moved to the Brattleboro area in 1994, I did what I always do when getting to know a new place: I sought out the best grocery stores, bookstores and, most importantly, thrift stores.  Experienced Goods was a cute little shop off the Harmony Parking Lot then, two rooms about the size of my kitchen and living room, staffed by a couple of friendly employees and few volunteers.  Transactions were conducted with a cash box and a receipt pad.  It was a gem, a place to return to once or twice a week to sift through the jumble of wonderful secondhand goodies. There were other thrift stores, of course, a couple in Brattleboro, some in Keene NH, bigger ones in Northampton and Hadley, MA, but Experienced Goods was the one I looked forward to visiting the most. Small as it was, I always found something delightful to buy, and the staff had a talent for making the tiny space look artful and inviting. There was always a lot of laughter and conversation coming from the work area; the volunteers were friendly and seemed dedicated and to enjoy what they were doing.  There was an atmosphere that the bigger, more industrial thrift stores didn’t have, despite their greater volume of product.  Experienced Goods felt like a place where the staff was emotionally invested in the business, cared about it like one might care about one’s home.  Shoppers were treated like friends, donations were accepted cheerfully and gratefully. In the years since then, many of which I have spent as an employee, that sense of ownership and caring has only grown with the business.  I’ve written in this space about the many transitions and expansions Experienced Goods has gone through since its beginning, but loyalty to the store and its philosophy and dedication to raising money for Brattleboro Area Hospice has remained our driving force. 

Thrift store shopping options have recently expanded in Brattleboro, and many shoppers and donors have asked us if we are concerned that this will negatively impact our business.  Our shoppers and donors showed us tremendous support over the last year as we planned and implemented the move to our new location, resulting in one of our best years ever.  We feel that this loyalty and support will continue as we welcome a new thrift store to town, simply because we offer a unique, inviting shopping and donating experience.  If you are worried for us, turn that worry into more shopping at and donating to Experienced Goods! We continue to thrive because you support us.  Without you we would not exist, and we are continuously humbled by the love this community shows us through shopping and donating, allowing Brattleboro Area Hospice to continue in its mission. 

Different thrift stores offer different experiences and serve the community in different ways.  Over and over, shoppers and donors have shown us through word and action that what we bring to the community is unique and treasured, and that there is no other thrift store quite like Experienced Goods.  Like at that tiny shop I discovered when I first moved here, you are likely to hear laughter coming from the back room, see staff members setting up displays and tidying racks and shelves, donors pulling up with carloads of donations and being greeted with a smile and a helping hand.  Now we have cash registers and a big, beautiful space to fill with endless delightful treasures. Most importantly, we still have you, shoppers and donors, who keep us happily humming along.  Thank you for a fantastic 2022, and here’s to the potential for an even better 2023, learning from the past, making room for the new, appreciating the here and now.  

~Jennie Reichman