Bargain hunting for a good cause

By Melissa Lambarena

Throngs of shoppers were lined up even before the doors opened for the long-awaited spring collection opening, an event that annually draws crowds to Westwood on the first Saturday of April.

But these people weren't elite fashionistas waiting to see a runway parade of the latest designer creations.

These were bargain hunters eager to start rummaging through "new" used merchandise put out for the spring collection opening at the UCLA Thrift Shop. People showed up early on April 5 at the 11271 Massachusetts Ave. store in the hope of snagging a $75 pair of gently worn Prada shoes or a $25 secondhand designer bag.

Established in 1963, the shop raises funds for the UCLA Medical Auxiliary, which provides merit scholarships for medical and nursing students and student volunteers. It also supports major programs at the UCLA Medical Center. It's open Tuesdays through Saturdays. But three times a year it attracts bargain hunters galore when "new" merchandise hits the shelves. The most avid customers have already marked their calendars for the first Saturdays in August, December and April of 2009. To prepare for the openings, the store is closed a week in advance so that volunteer workers can stock the racks and shelves.

Shoppers hunted through clothing racks filled with items from present and past decades. Some crowded around glass display cases inspecting donated jewelry while others immediately went for the designer bags.

The main thrift store and the Annex Store at 1601 Sawtelle Blvd. carry hidden treasures that range from cashmere sweaters, DVDs and CDs, and apparel bearing the labels of Juicy Couture, Coach, Armani, Louis Vuitton and Chanel to sterling silver items, antiques, furniture, appliances and art. You'll find home decor, children's clothing and toys, linens, furniture and collectibles at the Annex Store.

Customers, who range from the less fortunate to movie stars, "like the quality of the merchandise and the fact that we keep it clean," said store manager Patty Canals.

Donated items come from students, staff and faculty as well as people in the local community. Some stores with excess inventory will also donate their goods. "One student who was moving out of his apartment came in the other day," said Helen Levin, auxiliary president. "His bed and desk are going up for sale."

Mary Daily, director of executive communications at Murphy Hall, has been donating to the store for 18 years.

"For years, I've dropped off clothes, books and household things I'm no longer using," Daily said. "The people who work where I drop things off are so nice, and they know me. And — maybe this is best of all — they calculate the value of everything and send you a card at the end of the year with the total amount of what you've given that year."

Among the 50 volunteers who helped prepare the store for the opening were auxiliary members, students and a few friends of friends, said Levin. "It is such a warm and professional staff, and the other volunteers are so amazing. It is the kind of experience that really makes you grateful to live in a community like Los Angeles."

Donations to the shop are tax-deductible. The funds raised by the auxiliary go to support the Blood Mobile, Critical Care Transport Unit Ambulance, Medical Center Security Van, Palliative Care Program, ICU Patient Clothing program and the Pediatric Bereavement Program, among others.

Visit the shop's Web site for more information and to sign up for e-mail alerts of future special sales: www.uclathriftshop.com.