First Posted: 11/15/2014

While visiting the Waverly Community House, be sure to stop in to the new Upstairs Thrift store. This boutique is full of hand-picked and diverse items, from recent trends in women’s apparel to designer children’s clothes. It’s the perfect place to find hidden treasures. There is a handsome men’s section, vintage house wares, a precious display of ladies’ accessories and a tiny, fort-like room of children’s toys.

Found upstairs over the north wing of the building, in what was a charming residential apartment for many years, this is a one-stop shop for newer and vintage pieces for the closet and home. Upstairs Thrift is artfully decorated and offers the shopper the opportunity to browse in the midst of a delightful atmosphere. Each item is affordably priced, so shoppers can stock up on fashion-forward and classic pieces on a budget. Hit Upstairs Thrift on the right day, and you could leave with a real find.

Victoria Maybeck designed and now manages the store. She came to the area one year ago from Newtown, Conn. to be closer to her daughter and new son-in-law, recent graduates of the University of Scranton. She leaves behind a career in horticulture, gardening and landscape design.

“It was time for something new,” Maybeck explained. “Thrifting and repurposing has always been a passion of mine.”

About the unique décor in the quaint rooms, “I must have 400 neckties and fabric swatches at home. It’s fun to find uses for them, to think outside the box and make things new again.”

Upstairs Thrift is not to be confused with The Attic Shop that used to inhabit the bottom floor of the Waverly Community House. That shop was a consignment store run by the Waverly Women’s Club. They closed their doors last year.

“This is all donated items and 100 percent of the proceeds benefit the Waverly Community House and its programs,” Maybeck said. “We stock high-quality house wares with a vintage feel. Our clothing is upscale, with nothing out-dated.”

People can donate items by leaving them in the stairwell between the two garage doors off the back parking lot. Maybeck selects about 60 percent of the donated items for the store and delivers the excess items to other organizations to benefit less fortunate people.

Regular store hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. In addition, it will be open during the Artisan’s Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23.