Treasures Galore: Bargains Unlimited

By Laurel Ciohon

Bargains Unlimited in Sister Bay is an amazing place for finding treasures at unheard of prices. Located next to the Scandia Village Senior Living Community, nearly all proceeds of the fantastic resale store benefit Scandia’s residents and staff. Items are constantly changing each day as new amazing donations are always arriving. Since 1995, Bargains has provided more than $2 million in the form of gifts, goods, services and monies to Scandia Village.

I like to stop at Bargains Unlimited every couple weeks to check out the new inventory. I can always count on finding something unique or useful for my home, or a fantastic vintage clothing or jewelry item I can’t live without. When I stopped in Bargains this fall, I ended up staying for over an hour and finally left the store with many treasures. Included in my haul was three retro gold necklaces, a cozy wool trench coat, a beautiful vintage tablecloth, framed art, a J. Crew dress on the $1 rack, Salvatore Ferragamo Italian leather heels circa the 1980’s (unfortunately not in my size, but I knew I could resell them online), and a perfectly worn leather belt. The best part was that I only spent around $30 for everything!

Treasures at Bargains Unlimited can be found for bargain shoppers like myself looking for one-of-a-kind items, antiques, furniture, toys, books, and clothing. It’s truly amazing the things that come through the doors there each day. On the particular day I was shopping this fall, there was a fantastic, retro kidney bean-shaped bar table that slid open to reveal hidden martini glass and shaker storage. It was valued at over $1,500 online and was reasonably priced at $900 at Bargains. It was such an amazing piece that was hard to pass up!

As the seasons change, so does the inventory and store set-up. The store items change to reflect what its customers need most. For example, during the holidays, Bargains is the perfect place to find a gently used artificial Christmas tree or holiday décor galore! During the summer months, they always have a great selection of bikes and summer clothing. During the winter, you can count on finding an awesome pair of ice skates or cross-country skis.

Except for the managers of Bargains Unlimited, the staff consists entirely of volunteers. More than one hundred people volunteer in the store at some capacity each month, including my mother who tries to volunteer her time once a week. Help is always welcome, so if you have time to give, you can have fun spending your time at Bargains and be the first to dig through the latest donations and prepare them for the sales floor! Bargains Unlimited is truly proof that so much generosity exists in Northern Door County.

Located at 10560 Applewood Road, just north of Scandia Village and right off of Hwy 57 in Sister, the store is always open to the public. Monday through Saturday it is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday it is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donation drop off is in the back of the store. Call or email for more information. 920.854.9669. info@bargainsunlimited.org.