Thrifty Deals in Sussex

By Mary Jo Tarallo

While you may not have a wedding around the bend, you can borrow this little ditty for your next jaunt around our area’s many thrift shops. And what is the difference between antique shops and thrift shops? Since there are plenty of both scattered among Delaware Coastal towns, we’ll start with a few definitions:

Collectibles are items from 20-99 years old that are worth more than the originally purchased price. Just based on inflation, that could apply to a wide range of products.

Antiques are collectibles that are at least 100 years old.

While Vintage pertains to culturally significant items that are “worthy” of being collected (enough people like them to make them considered attractive again). Antique dealers know that they might discover unique finds in any of those categories at local thrift shops. So many browse and even buy items of interest you can then find in their shops at a higher price. While thrift shops can afford to keep prices low because the inventory is donated. For your first two to peruse – Unfinished Business, and New Life – are clustered just below and above the Midway shopping center off Coastal Highway.

Privately-owned Unfinished Business is housed in the Storage Solutions building behind Panera Bread. Community advocate Lynne Maloy founded the shop after retirement. Her vision included helping to fund various organizations such as Camp Rehoboth, Milton Historical Society, Delaware Hospice and the Rehoboth Library. Maloy had a long history of helping to fund or create various non-profit groups but she lost her battle with cancer in late 2021. Now her husband Patrick and daughter Allie carry on the shops mission “to help serve the residents of Sussex County with gently used clothing, furniture and household items at reduced rates”. The Maloys have contributed thousands of dollars to their associated charities and non-profits.

The shop is beautifully merchandised with items that are brand-spanking new or lovingly maintained. You can get CD,

DVD or VHS players for those collections from yesteryear, a trophy to use as a gag gift or a drone to “spy” on the neighbors.

New Life Thrift Shop, behind, the Jiffy Lube, carries many of the same products as Unfinished Business and Beebe but its vast space allows for even more merchandise in each category. In fact, New Life is housed in two buildings and this shop probably has the best selection of furniture among the three. And, what partially sets it apart is its vast collection of Christmas ornaments and wreaths plus its periodic special sale days when selected items might be reduced 50 percent off on already very affordable prices.