One of my favorite places to shop for "stuff" I didn't know I needed is located at 26 Red Wing Avenue in Kenyon. Owned by Doug and Mary Klatt, it has a colorful history and is a delight to visit, whether you need something or not! SIFT is an acronym for Save It From Trash, and is appropriately named. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle thrives here. You can bring in usable items you no longer need, to save it from the landfill. Or you can pop in to check out the new things arriving daily. But if you see something you really want, best grab it, because nothing stays around for long!
Doug and Mary bought the building from Bobby and Ron Peterson in November of 2015. They had been running a rummage sale on their home property, unattended most of the time, and on the "Honor System." You could come in and pick out what you wanted, and put your money in a metal box. Sometimes, people had no money to pay, and left an I.O.U instead, and always came back to pay. The small business became so popular that they needed a larger space to have all their treasures displayed, so they bought the building. Then they bought gondolas (fancy name for retail shelving) from Hjermstad Hardware in Cannon Falls, and started filling the space.
Previous to the Klatts buying the building, it had started as Milo Peterson Ford. As the Ford dealership grew and needed more space, the Petersons kept the building and rented it out. Some of the businesses you may remember in that place were the Kenyon Coffee Cup Cafe, K Town Video, and Write On, which later became D & S Printing. But Doug and Mary had a vision, and decided the only way to accommodate all their dreams was to purchase the building, and so they did.
Now that the space was theirs, they began going to rummage sales, estate sales, and auctions to buy items for the store. Then people began dropping things off so they wouldn't have to throw it away, and someone else could use it. One mans trash is another mans treasure! The inventory is constantly changing, and they have a color coded system so they know when the item has outlived it's welcome. It will be in the store for no longer than 12 weeks, and at the last 2 weeks, there is a color for 50% off. After that 2 weeks is up, it gets donated to somewhere it has another chance!
I asked Doug what his favorite part of owning the business is. "I love talking to people. I love wheeling and dealing, and giving others a good deal." he replied. "I was in law enforcement for 32 years, and in those years I treated even the people I arrested with respect. I do that here, too. People come in just to chat, or have a cup of coffee. They know they are always welcome here, whether they come to buy, look around, or just say hello."
Then I asked him in all the years he has been running SIFT, if he had found any real treasures. "Yes" he replied, and brought out an original Courier and Ives picture from 1873 that was gifted to a young boy upon graduation from grade school. "This is one I will keep!" The strangest item donated was a coffin....empty, of course!
Another interesting item he received was a buckboard that belonged to the "Leper Doctor", Dr. Gronvold, who was living in the Kenyon area, and is buried in the Emmanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery. You have to ask Doug about that one! But the part of the story I will share is this; Doug had been showing everyone the buckboard, and giving it's history. He was so proud to own it, and talked about it to everyone who wanted to hear about it. In 2017, Doug had moved the buckboard into the back room of the building. An electrical fire broke out, and the buckboard burned completely. However, there was a 3 dimensional cross, maybe 6 feet tall that was leaning against the buckboard that did not burn! The cross said "He Is Risen". After some consideration on the loss of the buckboard, he decided it was better to talk about the meaning of the cross than to talk about the buckboard!
I asked him if he wanted the community to know anything else about his business. He said he wanted to tell people this is not a business he can run alone. His wife Mary is a huge part of the operation, and even though she works from home from 7 am to 3:30 pm for the CHS office located in Inver Grove Heights, she comes in every day after work to sort through donations and price new items. "If it wasn't for Mary, there would be no SIFT! " said Doug."We rely on Judy, Gerri, Shirley and Phyllis, who come to the store every Monday morning to rearrange the furniture and put out the items that are new to the store." They also have another group of family members who come in and price everything. Also he said Justin Peterson who details cars next door to SIFT is his "right hand man" and is invaluable in the running of the business. It is very clear that it takes a village to run a Thrift Store. He wants to thank all of them for being there, and he especially wants to thank all of his customers from near and far who come in to donate, purchase, or just to chat. Without them, he wouldn't be here! Especially after the fire! When the damage was cleared out, and the back room was ready once more to house more goodies, the Kenyon community showed up to stock the shelves, and get the space open again. Now THAT is what small towns do!
So, if you are out and about on Thursday, Friday or Saturdays, stop in and see what treasures may await you! I could , and have, spent countless hours "sifting through" the plethora of merchandise available, and have found many things to bring home and enjoy. And as always, I love to chat with Doug about a lot of things, and am always greeted with a Hello and a smile. And when you come in the door, check out the basket to your right...........and find out what community is all about!
