Blogs

TREASURE CITY MARCH NEWS

***SKILLSHARES***

In April, Skillshare Austin will be offering a series of free workshops at Treasure City on crafty topics like sewing, knitting, and dress form construction. Would you be interested in teaching one or assisting a workshop leader? Contact info@skillshareaustin.org. You can also join the skillshare mailing list at www.skillshareaustin.org.

***BIKES***
Yellowbike has generously begun supplying bikes for sale at Treasure City during non-bike shop hours. Come check out the selection, and let our staff know if there’s a particular type of bike you’re looking for.
Yellowbike shop hours remain the same for March:
Mon, Wed, Thurs 3-6, Fri 6-9, Sat 11-3. Updates can be found at http://www.austinyellowbike.org/ and on the front door of the shop.

***SPRING SALES***
Right now we’ve got a rack of excellent winter coats on sale for just a buck. Check with us throughout the month for more sales on cold weather merchandise, we’ve still got some cold days ahead of us and it’s a good time to stock up cheaply for next winter.

***TREASURE HUNTING***
I’m sitting in the store at the moment looking around at an 8-track player, a nice white dresser, a 50’s hair dryer (you know, the kind that sits on top of your head in the beauty shop, some really cute shoes, a calculus textbook, a photo album full of somebody’s family and friends, some pearl snap shirts, boxes of sewing patterns, several toaster ovens…and I haven’t even gotten out of my chair. Come see what you can find.

***VOLUNTEERING***
Volunteers are what keep the store open. Right now we could particularly use some help on the Monday and Tuesday midday shifts (12:30-4:30 flexible) and Saturday mornings to help with our sidewalk sale. Contact us if you’re interested in a one time or ongoing shift at those or any other times.

***SOCCER WITHOUT BORDERS***
From March 24-29, 2009, Austin Anarchist Soccer will be hosting the Soccer Without Borders Football Tournament in Texas. REGISTRATION CUT-OFF IS FRIDAY MARCH 20th! http://anarchistsoccer.org/.
Treasure City will be organizing all of the food vending as a fundraiser for our move, and we’ve got an incredible menu in the works. So plan on coming to the tournament and buying some great food to support TCT.

xo,
Cory for the treasure city collective

1720 E. 12th St, East Austin
512.524-2820
Mon-Sat 11-6pm, plus most Fridays till 8pm

a conversation overheard in the store:
Customer Joe Shmoe: Hello Lucy P, what’s that you’re reading?

Lucy P: Popular mechanics -I found it in our magazine section –it’s a special issue on this new technology: computers so small you can hold them in your hands!
CJS:Uh, Lucy? Have you noticed that issue is from 1983? I think it might be a little out of date.
LP: Hmmm., I was kinda confused about how we could have some of these things in our display case here at the thrift store if they had just been invented…
CJS: Yeah, you don’t get out much do you? You’ve got an amazing outfit on today though, I noticed: The black boots, red skirt with tulle underlining...
and polka dot belt, red leather purse with a swallow appliqué, and that black t shirt…I don’t get it though “I am Albert Woodfox”? I thought your name was Lucy. Who’s Albert?
LP: Albert is one of the Angola 3, you can read about the case at http://www.a3grassroots.org/.
CJS: Whoa, very interesting. I can’t believe I can the extent of the one stop shopping: cheap awesome stuff plus information about all kinds of local and global struggles for social justice. Treasure City sure is an amazing place.
LP: Yup, you’re right that I don’t get out much, but really, why would I need to go anywhere else?

What’s Happening at Treasure City Thrift:

HALLOWEEN and DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
We’ve got all kinds of masks, wigs, costumes and clothes left to choose from, come see us Friday and Saturday for all your costume party needs.

FRIDAY NIGHTS
We'll continue to be open till 9pm, and will keep you posted on special events. If you're a band or DJ that would like to play for the 6-9 yellowbike shop, or if you'd like to teach any kind of friday night workshop in our space, please email cory@treasurecitythrift.org.

11/14 GRAND JURY RESISTANCE GALA
Fancy clothes. Fancy music. Fancy (delicious Ethiopian) food. Chandeliers and tablecloths even. Who knew paying the lawyers could be this much fun? Mark your calendars for November 14th and come out to support the Texas activists who’ve been targeted by continued police harassment for expressing their first amendment rights at the RNC protests. More info about the case and the benefit party will be on our website soon, and we’ll be selling tickets at store starting at the end of next week. Best of all, your ticket entitles you to a 50% discount on formal wear at all month long.

11/28 FREE KNITTING AND CROCHET WORKSHOP
Skillshare Austin presents a free workshop in both beginning and intermediate knitting, as well as basic crochet. Bring supplies if you’ve got them, or use ours to pick up some new skills.

BLANKET DRIVE DROP-OFF
We’re partnering with Positivity for Purpose to serve as a drop off point for their fall blanket drive. The drive is part of P4P’s annual event called “There is H.O.P.E. in Hip Hop (Helping Our People Elevate)”. We’re excited to be working with P4P and encourage you to check out the event and the organization at www.1205Productions.com/positivity4purpose.html

SEWING SALE
We’ve just unpacked a donation of about a hundred sewing patterns. For the first week in November, they’ll be on sale for only a quarter each! We also have two sewing machines, a sewing table, several ironing boards, and lots of miscellaneous sewing supplies in stock right now, so it’s a great time to get settled in for fall with a crafty project.

SUMMER SALE
Even though there are plenty of shorts and tank top weather days left this year, we need to clear them out to make space on the racks for the fall and winter clothes. Tank tops are already on sale for $1; shorts will be a dollar too for the whole month of November.

EVERYTHING ELSE
We’ve got it, you know: everything else you could possibly want. Spend your money at Treasure City, and 100% of it stays in your community. Spend it anywhere else? Who knows.
And as always, we’d love to talk to you about volunteering, holding your event at Treasure City, supporting your grassroots organization, or anything else. Stop by and see us...

xo,
the treasure city collective

positivity for purpose blanket drive

Our New Store Front (east)Our Store Front circa August, 2007NAACP Building Fire Next DoorOur New Store Front (west)

-----> This October, we will be celebrating our 2nd year in business as a radical thrift store. In summarizing this time (which seems longer than 2 years!), I'd say that we as a collective have faced and met many challenges - 4 fires, one of which destroyed the front of our building and one which destroyed neighboring buildings - and received great support from the neighborhood/local communities.

Our initial mission was to give financial support to 2 or 3 radical projects in town that were always underfunded. Instead we have given material support to over 30 local organizations, and also to hundreds of individuals through the Really Really Free Market in Chestnut Park. Since January of 2007, we have provided space for the Yellow Bike Project to run a neighborhood community bike shop and support an after school program at Kealing Middle School. The store also hosts regular free events such as skill shares, movies, fashion shows, music, and helped to established the Really Really Free Market.

And during this whole time we have managed to stay the most affordable thrift store in Austin...

Footnote: the East 12th and Chicon area is still over-shadowed by historic and deliberate neglect from the city, police and slumlords, exploitation by speculators/developers and a lack of basic services, such as a grocery store or bank. Sadly most visitors to the area see drugs as the problem, rather than a symptom of this neglect.

But there is a new positive feeling around that isn't due to an influx of boutique stores, condos or increased police harassment. The solutions for this area run deeper than simple law enforcement - they are all long-term (i.e. longer than a political term) and require your participation. Rebuilding community ourselves is a damn good place to start.

Links:

Volunteer at Treasure City
Really Really Free Market
25c Sidewalk Sales
Yellow Bike Project, Treasure City Shop
Inside Books (books to prison project)
Skillshare Austin at Treasure City
Groups We Support