Be thrifty when shopping Hartville’s Antique & Thrift Trail

This is the third of a three-article series highlighting the Antique & Thrift Trail and how it has been connecting visitors coming to or staying in and around the Hartville area. The first article detailed how the Trail came about. The second highlighted a few of the antique stores and the owners’ opinions of the Trail, while this article reviews how the local thrift stores have used it.

Shopping at thrift and consignment stores has become more popular over the past several years. An online search for thrift stores in Stark County will bring up more than a dozen stores from around the area.

Online resources list several reasons for the gain in popularity, such as the rising cost of living, wanting to help the environment, and, in some cases, wanting to earn a living as a reseller. With this surge in approval, secondhand clothing has become a multibillion-dollar global industry.

Megan Wise, of the Discover Hartville group in Hartville, owns and operates Best Bib and Tucker with her mother, Barb. The store offers used clothing for women, juniors and maternity fashions from everyday basics to special occasion wear. It also has shoes, handbags, designer handbags, handmade items, boutique loungewear, jewelry and accessories.

It is one example of the quality of items offered throughout the area by at least 10 other stores listed on the Hartville Antique & Thrift Trail.

“Thrift and consignment shopping is a major attraction in Hartville,” Wise said. “The sheer size of the Hartville Thrift Shop, combined with the dedication of its amazing volunteers, makes it a destination on its own. When you add in the other fantastic thrifting and resale opportunities on the Trail, it easily becomes a day-long or even weekend-long excursion.”

Amanda Ray owns the Twice Is Nice Consignment shop in Hartville, just down the street from the Hartville Marketplace & Flea Market, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors and shoppers to the area every year.

“We offer a little bit of everything in the shop,” Ray said. “From luxury and designer household items to designer clothing in all sizes including adults, juniors, extra small, and up to 3X and 4X. We have furniture, home décor, and locally made items.”

Ray said she has been involved with the Hartville Antique & Thrift Trail since its inception.

“We absolutely love it. The Trail is a great way to bring new people into the area to shop. Having the map has been a lifesaver for us to be able to direct people to other businesses. People are always asking us about other stores in the area and the maps with the Trail bring attention to stores that maybe the customer wasn’t aware of,” Ray said.

She also mentioned the connection between the other shop owners has been helpful. Shopping each other’s stores has been another way to help customers because the shop owners can refer the customer to another store in the area for a particular item.

Missy Love is the mission leader for the Love Our Community (LOC) stores in Hartville. There are three locations where people can shop for slightly used clothing, furniture, shoes, home décor, back-to-school items and more.

LOC stores are part of a larger nonprofit organization that works in the community with at-risk families and individuals for housing, case management, pastoral counseling and community meals.

“The items in our thrift stores are all donated,” Love said. “And 100 percent of our proceeds help those in need locally, it all stays within the community. Being a part of the Hartville Antique & Thrift Trail has been helpful to all of our locations. The area is considered a destination location to shop for antiques and thrift items.”

She added that the collaboration among the store owners has been helpful when planning and organizing events like the yearly Shop Hop.

There is plenty of time left this summer, or gather a group of friends this fall to take a day or two and grab a Hartville Antique & Thrift Trail map and shop the stores listed. The quantity and quality of the items found on the Trail will amaze and thrill the most discerning shoppers.

Wise added, “The Trail attracts a wide range of shoppers, from dedicated diggers who love a good treasure hunt to those who prefer a more curated, boutique-style experience. The Trail shops specialize in everything from vintage tees to luxury designer bags, ensuring every shopper can find exactly what they’re looking for.”

The Hartville Antique & Thrift Trail features a wide variety of stores, each with its own specialty. Best Bib and Tucker, 127 Mill St. SE, offers stylish consignment for women, juniors and maternity, with clothing, shoes, jewelry, handbags and gifts, plus its own BBT Boutique line. Gwen’s Peculiar Treasures, 114 E. Maple St., is a nonprofit resale shop supporting Giving Women Encouragement Nurturing Support. Twice Is Nice Consignments, 841 Edison St. NW, carries designer fashion in all sizes, furniture, décor, antiques and local goods.

At the Hartville Marketplace & Flea Market, 1289 Edison St. NW, shoppers will find two stories of local shops and 800 seasonal outdoor vendor spaces; the same location also houses one of the Love Our Community thrift stores, which, along with its Sunnyside Street location at 1236 Sunnyside St. SW, offers clothing, furniture, toys and more, with proceeds supporting local families in need. Hartville Music, 142 Sunnyside St. SW, sells guitars, vinyl, band gear and offers lessons and live jams. Modern Vintage, 119 Sunnyside St. SW, specializes in refinished furniture, antiques, European kitchen finds and handmade jewelry.

Rabbitwood Road, 500 Prospect Ave. S, offers unique collectibles, home décor, clothing and gifts, while The Corduroy Cat, 106 E. Maple St., leans into retro style with vintage band tees, Carhartt and Y2K fashion. Together, these shops form a trail of eclectic treasures, from vintage finds to boutique-style pieces, making Hartville a destination for thrifters and antique lovers alike.