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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1980)
^Lgcal T , l>iUVC:lVIDtM 1 U, 1900 econdhands draw all types - XT17T cr^xi r r'U ‘‘ L.-1J r ^ t By DEBBIE NELSON Battalion Staff Is s4tXt *e end of two dusty streets in Cntown Bryan sit two stores tilled Amen J a collage of secondhand cI °- the streets may seem quiet except " “fan occasional passerby, but the Kleedfeirsand trucks parked outside the ticraoSinon-proflt stores hint at the sul ■' Stores— Hearts Bargain Mart Brwin City Mission Helping without^ tor f' . .1 ^ . n . ,nc PS „ Here s the scene inside Twin City '‘‘oca or | j aethm E tf 1 i ,busyd n y: t j ■ , p’cn!l ■ree college women amble into '"’ffstore and mingle with the two in „ fl j. n , |k women and the Spanish man ‘ “ " are searching through racks of ies and rows of shoes, king for costume party outfits, of the three women spots some i pants and says, “We could go 1 tors.” Laughing, they all move “nsumenj Paying casl ■raadirettl to avoid y “Keep tJ Hmi’tl. |to the coat racks. , “Mv mother used to have a coat ! y ra *iiis,” one coed says. You know, ° Un Isisn’t bad. You could find a pretty o says, detl" , ' ' “But I want a t^pky one.” ther one says, “Here’s a pur- eated belt ioney,”i| ay not gil won’t,” sll the first replies, “that’s too he Spanish man says to one of the “If you run across a pair of eralls, let me know. They’re for a ||an; she’s about 400 pounds.” A liutton-down-collared college f dent going to a costume party iinto the store. How late do ya’all stay open?” he )e source "We close the door at 4:30,” the ^replies. firm is P he back later with some other w manure P e > ' he says, making a speedy dies Cbitaep' ieat4,0() -p () th er clerk lugs a box of clothes nauticse f the storeroom. A stray brown manae eking cap hugs her head, the cap’s hvacinf 8 M bouncing along behind her nental kiC lethane l woman an d her son say hello to CaliforjBp er hs as they come in the door, mother sorts through piles of i’s slacks. y 20 trill* year een 1 x-Russian mbassador jws two feel tand bad : that ban I — sewagfF an be tat; sad o appear utilities a-L x A ud governm"™ 171 Toon, former ambassa- ; seem to; r *°^ uss i a > * s scheduled to appear ing fuels li? xas ''K&M University’s Rudder lethane. “ ter at g P m - tonight. The prog- n is being presented by MSC Poli- al Forum. Three children of God” dressed only in thin white cotton gowns and ponchos made of green Army blank ets enter the store. One of the long-haired, white- headbanded disciples searches for blankets in a nondescript pile of gar ments. Holding up a green filmy cur tain, he looks like an actor in a Biblic al movie, and rather out of place in a Bryan secondhand store. Through it all, the clerks remain unfazed, as if this is a normal working day. At Hearts, only a block away, the scene is much the same. Actually, business is a little better than usual. It’s Halloween week and extra cus tomers are in the store looking for costumes. A back storeroom was full of clothes, but Lemon said Hearts almost ran out of clothes most in de mand for costumes. It’s mostly old-timey stuff they want — Roaring 20s. The guys get stuff for gangster costumes.” Besides maintaining this con tinuous source of clothing (and cos tumes) the two stores put profits back into the community by helping the needy and the handicapped. At Twin City, a temporary emergency shelter for abused and battered women, is supported by profits from the mission secondhand store. Men from the mission’s re habilitation program who work in the store are paid a small fee and receive free room and board for their work. Other men in the program drive the trucks which pick up donated clothing, furniture and canned goods. Joan Sebesta, secretary of Twin City Mission, Inc., said, “If it wasn’t for people calling in dona tions, we wouldn’t be in business.” Pick-ups of donations can be arranged by calling 822-7511. “Our first goal is to help needy families,” Sebesta said. Victims of house fires, for example, receive free clothing and furniture from the mis sion store. Hearts (Handicapped Employ ment and Rehabilitation Training Skaggs shopping center/Across from A4M Society) eventually will employ 25 to 50 handicapped people either at the store or in assembly-line small indus try, Floyd Wells, Hearts president, said. “This is set up to aid and assist the handicapped, with recreational faci lities and activities,” Wells said. Hearts’ donation pick-ups can be arranged by calling 822-5226. Twin City Mission’s secondhand store is 15 years old, while Hearts has been open only about a year. Although the stores are only one block apart, they claim they don’t compete with each other. “There’s no competition,” Sebesta said. “Our things are priced so low, or we give the things away.” Lemon said, “Maybe somebody’ll come in and say, ‘Your stuffs too high,’ then the next one says, ‘Well, I’ll come here all the time. Your stuffs cheaper. ’” Clothes at the stores are as diverse as the assortment of people who shop there. Selection ranges from fringed yellow bikinis to men’s suits to psychedelic ’60s minidresses to green satin formals. And throw in some jewelry, a few red alligator shoes, old fur coats, some straw handbags and a few striped ties. It’s a tangle of accents, patterns, colors and textures variegated enough to inspire a little chill of dis covery in almost anyone. . . What treasure could you find here? Look around . . . You might be enticed. THE ELEGANCE OF FINE FRENCH CRYSTAL CAN BE YOURS FREE WHEN YOU BANK AT CITY NATIONAL. This is the crystal of Cherbourg. Ex quisitely formed, flawlessly elegant, this fine French crystal gleams with a radiance all its own. And for good reason. Because Cher bourg crystal is 24% lead crystal, as only fine crystal can be. Imagine, if you will, how this re markable crystal would sparkle and shine in your hand. Consider how easily it could add that special touch of ele gance to all the meals you serve. And remember that when you bank at City National, you’ll have the opportunity to obtain your own personal collection of exquisite Cherbourg crystal. HERE’S HOW YOU CAN ACQUIRE YOUR ELEGANT CHERBOURG CRYSTAL. From now until January 16, if you put $250 or more into a new or existing City National savings account, a new check ing account or a savings certificate of $500 or more, you’ll receive, at no cost, a matching pair of Cherbourg crystal. If you’d prefer to make a more sub stantial deposit of $5,000 or more, you’ll receive two matched pairs instead of one. Even better, from now until April 30, each deposit of $50 or more in your City National savings account will enable you to buy another pair of crystal for only $6.95 (plus sales tax). So do come soon to City National Bank. Because once you’ve seen the Cherbourg collection, the reasons for banking at City National will be crystal clear. CITY NATIONAL BANK OF BRYAN A First City Bancorporation Member City National Bank reserves the right to extend or withdraw this offer at any time without notice. Purchase crystal through April 30, 1981. Free crystal offer expires January 16, 1981. Limit one free gift per household. Offer limited to personal accounts, ty