When people think of thrift stores, racks of haphazardly organized clothes typically come to mind. However, there is a thrift store in Kansas City’s Midtown that offers so much more. ScrapsKC is a thrift store supplied by donations. They offer everything from sewing necessities to office supplies to mosaic and stained glass materials.

According to the ScrapsKC website, this unconventional thrift store is Kansas City’s “first creative reuse center.” ScrapsKC claims this title because they are not only the perfect place to donate any of your excess craft supplies, but they will also recycle your plastics. From the recycled plastics, they make crafting supplies such as weaving looms and paint pallets. Last time I visited ScrapsKC, they had also purchased a felting machine and had just begun recycling felt scraps, which will hopefully be available for purchase soon.

With new materials set out every week and a very kind suite of staff and volunteers, ScrapsKC is the kind of store you will want to visit often. The store is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 12 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Next time you find yourself needing materials for a new project, wanting to donate excess supplies or looking for inspiration, head down to ScrapsKC at 3269 Roanoke Rd in Kansas City, Missouri.

Photos by Alexis Harper.

Living in the midwest requires an arsenal of clothing for different weather conditions. In one season, you may be wearing shorts one day and a puffer jacket the next. Some can find maintaining a good selection difficult when dorm closet space is so limited. Thrifting is a great, eco-friendly way to frequently update your wardrobe and donate unwanted pieces in the same trip.

For your convenience, I have ranked all of the thrift stores within three miles of William Jewell College’s campus. I ranked on a five-star scale using four criteria: selection, affordability, organization and the integrity of the business itself.

4. Goodwill

Selection: 3/5

Affordability: 4/5

Organization: 3/5

Integrity: 2/5

Yes, we have a Goodwill here – it’s located around two miles northwest of Jewell’s campus. However, I do not recommend taking the trip to visit this particular Goodwill. For such a large building, its selection is quite small. It still has the low prices characteristic of Goodwill, but those prices come at the cost of contributing to a company with a shady past that includes paying disabled workers less than minimum wage. As well, Goodwill stores throw away a significant amount of their donations. However, apparently some Goodwill locations recently went bagless, so there’s that. Good for them.

Overall score: 60/100

3. Savers

Selection: 5/5

Affordability: 2/5

Organization: 5/5

Integrity: 2/5

There is a significant amount of appeal stored in the sheer size and wonder of Savers. It’s huge and the stock changes constantly. They’re great about keeping their racks seasonally appropriate, even for specific holidays. The organization of the store is very sensible. However, their prices are often outrageous, even with their 20 percent student discount. This company has had its fair share of scandals and throws away many of its donations. However, Savers gets honors points for being open late on most evenings, which is a rarity for a thrift store.

Overall score: 70/100

2. Immaculata Manor Thrift Store

Selection: 3/5

Affordability: 5/5

Organization: 3/5

Integrity: 5/5

A thrift store located next to Price Chopper on Brown Street that is unknown to most Jewell students, Manor is a small thrift store that solely pursues funding for the Immaculata Manor organization, a non-profit that supports individuals with developmental disabilities and helps to offer them independent supported living (ISL) residences and better integration within the Liberty community. All of the workers are volunteers, and the prices are incredibly right. On most days, the most you’ll pay for an item of clothing is two bucks.

However, the racks are jam-packed and clothing does not get rotated very often, so you cannot visit very regularly. Their website is sparse, so it is difficult to tell what they do with their leftover items. The organization of the store is not very intuitive, though the women’s clothing is color coordinated. They also have begun to stock more furniture and household-related items. Overall, this is a lovely place to spend your money!

Overall Score: 80/100

1. Hillcrest Hope

Selection: 4/5

Affordability: 5/5

Organization: 5/5

Integrity: 5/5

Chances are that you have driven by this place hundreds of times and never thought to go inside. I urge you to visit this wonderful store sometime – this thrift store donates all of its proceeds to its parent organization, which holistically supports low-income families within the Liberty community. As a thrift store, it excels in almost every area: it is impeccably organized, the clothes are cleaned before being racked, its large selection changes fairly often, it offers a large selection of non-clothing items and 95 percent of what is donated either gets sold or recycled. Plus, the whole store has Goodwill-level prices!

Overall score: 95/100

In my opinion, the best part about the whole hipster movement has been the clothing options. Spending $75 on shirt from Buckle is not cool anymore. Consumerism is not cute. The real cool kids raid their grandpa’s closet for new spring pieces or sew their clothes themselves from organic, cruelty-free tree bark. Most college students, though, do not have time to pursue these options, and for them thrift shops are a great place to turn.

In Liberty we are lucky enough to have a variety of thrift shops to choose from, but deciding where to go for your flannels can get a little overwhelming. I visited a few of the shops around town and got a feel for what they are like and what about them might appeal to other students. So, put on your favorite record, brew some fair trade coffee and let’s take a look at some of Liberty’s thrift shops.

Front of Hillcrest

The first shop I visited in town was Hillcrest, which is located on Mill Street near the police station. Hillcrest is decently sized and has a wide variety of items. There are racks of clothing, a section with games and toys, kitchenware, sports equipment and other items. There are plenty of items which, arguably, are not really useable, which means you might have to hunt to find something worth having. However, you can usually walk away with a sweater or button-down if you take the time to look. This is also a great place to buy used furniture if you are looking for a couch or chair for your room (I would recommend vacuuming and Febrezing furniture before regular use). I even know someone who bought a crock pot there once.

Front of Manor Thrift Shop

Immacolata Manor Thrift Shop is the smallest of the stores I visited and is located near Sutherlands. The items you would find there are similar to what you might find at Hillcrest, though there is a more limited selection. There is some furniture, a selection of kitchenware and racks of clothing with plenty of shoulder pads. There is also a selection of magazines and records for 25 cents, and there are some cool finds, if you are willing to take the time to look. The staff there was incredibly helpful and friendly. They were eager to help, but also did not hover when I said I just wanted to browse. This shop is worth checking out, but if you have a really specific item in mind, you may need to look elsewhere.

Front of Savers

Savers is the largest thrift shop in town and has an almost overwhelming number of racks of clothing. There are aisles devoted solely to jeans, and the selection of mens’ flannels cannot be beat. Everything in the store is really easy to find, and clothing items are around seven dollars. If you are looking for chunky sweaters, vintage shirts or costumes, Savers is probably your best bet, but you should be prepared to spend time searching.

While it may not be a true thrift shop, Plato’s Closet has discounted used clothing, shoes and accessories. It is probably my favorite place in town to look for clothes, although it is a bit more expensive than a typical thrift store. If you are looking for the thrifted, hipster look, this store is not your best bet. I stock up on jeans and work pants there and can usually get a pair of pants for under $10. It is also probably the best place to exchange your own old clothes for cash, although they will not take every item you bring, and you will get much less than you bought your clothes for in the first place. Additionally, this is the only store on this list that does not directly benefit a charity.

All of these stores require some time and effort on the part of the shopper, but each one has some potentially great finds. Thrift stores are a great way to save money, and shopping there can be a ton of fun. I suggest that you take a group of friends and visit these stores for yourself. You are sure to find some great items.