- April 25, 2024
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For a long time, if you stopped by the Pinkadilly Thrift Store around noon, you might have walked in on a disco dance party involving many of the city’s senior citizens. Sadly, the store’s beloved disco ball was accidentally sold a few weeks ago — a situation not uncommon to this community pillar.
“One time a volunteer was leaving the store to go to the gym, and she left her running shoes on the counter to go change,” Manager Susan Van Oehsen said. “When she came back out, they were sold.”
The store has had some changes throughout the 40 years it’s been a part of Ormond Beach. Currently at it’s fourth location, Pinkadilly first began at a gas station at the end of West Granada Boulevard in 1974, according to the group’s “historian” Anne Walsh. Holding her personal notebook filled with tidbits of information about the organization, she told the Observer that in 1975 the store moved to Oceanside Country Club, in 1977 the location changed to Division Avenue and Yonge Street, and “some time later” they ended up at 665 S. Nova Road.
“About 45 years ago, I friend asked me to join the auxiliary.” Walsh said with a touch of nostalgia. “I just blossomed from there.”
Currently, Pinkadilly is ran by just 15 volunteers who are more like family than co-workers. In that crowd are women from many different walks of life including Jean Pipola, a former Brooklyn resident and high school dietitian assistant, Mary Huddleston, a former cancer unit nurse, Cile Coulter, a retired biology teacher, Maria Calderone and Anne Walsh, who was a self-described “household executive.”
Van Oehsen, who has been a part of Pinkadilly for five years, is no stranger to the retail business. In the past, she’s owned her own shops and worked as a buyer for Bloomingdales in Washington D.C. for 15 years.
“Thats why we look the way we do,” Van Oehsen laughed about the thrift store’s unusual cleanliness.
“She’s always moving everything,” Walsh said. “You come in the next day, and you have no idea where anything is.”
“Well you gotta keep it fresh,” Van Oehsen said.
“We get a lot of compliments from the customers about how they like shopping here because it’s neat,” Calderone said.
“And it smells good,” Huddleston pointed out — a amenity not usually found in thrift stores.
About four year ago, Pinkadilly was ran by 30 volunteers, buut the numbers have cut back because of illness and death. The ladies who are a part of the store’s family, credit being bored as the main reason for wanting to spend their time volunteering.
“I wanted to retire so I moved to Alabama,” Huddleston said. “When I got there, I didn’t know what to do. I should have worked till I was 90. I’m not a stay at home person.”
“A lot of us lost our husbands,” Pipola said.
“I retired two and half years ago, and did nothing for six months,” Calderone said. “I finally decided I was going to put some structure in my spare time, so I decided to volunteer. I really had no desire to come to the store because I had no retail background and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to deal with the public and all that. But I’m happy that this place chose me.”
“The people,” Walsh said. “I enjoy the people, and the camaraderie.”
“This gets you out of the house,” Huddleston said. “This is my day out, and I enjoy it. I’m new to the area, and I have met some wonderful women. I’m not at home sitting behind those four walls. This is really a day off.”
Because the store is short on volunteers, the ladies have to work more in order to get everything done. The funds from the store go to support the Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center’s Auxiliary. They make a commitment to raise money based on what the hospital’s needs are.
“It’s a challenge to get everything done here,” Van Oehsen said. “It’s a long process.”
“Plus we buy a lot too,” Huddleston chuckled.
The store’s main sellers include women’s clothing, and the volunteers love to watch some of the “experts” that shop at their store find the most treasured items.
“I was under the impression that only people of low-income shopped at thrift stores,” Huddlestone said. “But that is not the case. People come in here looking for vintage or name brand clothing, and they get it for next to nothing.”
“You have to have a little imagination when you shop here,” Pipola said.
“Just this week, the store sold a vintage necklace and earring set from the 1930s,” Van Oehsen said.
Pinkadilly gets quite the variety of local and national customers — some who even come in on a regular basis to see what’s in store.
“We have dealers that do their Ebays or whatever,” Van Oehsen said.
“We have people who work with plays come in to find costumes,” Walsh said.
“One time a lawyer came in, and he was going on a run and had to buy a red dress,” Pipola said. “That was funny. He was in the dressing room trying on dresses. So you never know who you’re going to get.”
The laughs and memories these women have shared together make the Pinkadilly thrift not only a great place to work, but a great place to shop as well.
“I live across the street from Susan,” Coulter said. “That’s how I got roped into this. But I love it. We have a great group of ladies.”
How to donate
Pinkadilly accepts donations at it’s store, located at 665 S. Nova Road. They do not do pickups. Currently, they are looking for the following:
Anyone interested in volunteering at Pinkadilly can call 231-3030 for more information.
