By Caroline Carr

When Lifelong announced it was getting out of the thrift business in January, they were naturally met with disappointment from the community. At the time, they couldn’t yet reveal what would come next for the Broadway thrift shop that had been a quintessential Capitol Hill spot for more than twenty years.

The Lifelong nonprofit will be moving away from retail to focus its efforts on an expanded kitchen and meal services mission doubling its size in Georgetown, making way for a new effort in reuse and recycling: Magpie Thrift.

The new beginning on Broadway starts next week.

Magpie will be a thrift store that encourages patrons to reuse, recycle, and make do with less.

“Although we are sad and have been grieving the loss of that identity, life is about moving forward and creating new things,” said owner Tamara Asakawa who previously served as the longtime director of Lifelong Thrift.

The new store will be a space for shopping along with upcycling workshops, senior downsizing assistance programs, and community events.

Magpie will begin as a for-profit venture that will fund the launch of Everly, a nonprofit created by Asakawa. In time, she hopes to raise the money to merge the two entities and return the thrift back to its roots as a nonprofit. Asakawa was intent on transparency with the store’s new for-profit status, and is confident that this is both necessary and temporary.

CHS first reported on the changes here earlier this year as Asakawa made plans to keep the long-running 12,500-square-foot, two-level thrift shop space on Broadway dedicated to reuse and vintage retail. Lifelong Thrift opened in the space in early 2015. Prior to that, the store was part of the Red Light Vintage family.

Aesthetically, only the signage will change with Magpie. The interior will be fairly indistinguishable from Lifelong, with many of the same queer mementos from the store’s past hanging on the wall. Across Lifelong’s lifespan, it has been an unofficial meeting space for people who belong to marginalized groups. Magpie will continue to hold up its predecessor’s values of helping those affected by HIV/AIDS and the larger LGBTQ+ community by providing assistance for the unique struggles faced by each group.

For seniors, this will look like help with paring down possessions in preparation for moving or aging in place. “We just want to give back and also take that opportunity to make sure that whatever they’re getting rid of is recycled properly,” said Asakawa.

For younger members of the community, Asakawa imagines using the store to host sewing and mending workshops. “All of us that work here are really passionate about thrifting but also reusing,” said Asakawa. “There’s just so much waste in the world.”

The store will also develop its existing volunteer program in an effort to place a bigger emphasis on providing students and young people with practical job skills. Under the new program, volunteers will learn about repairing and refinishing items for reuse through three courses of their choosing.

For the neighborhood, Magpie hopes to eventually double as a queer community center, hosting art markets, open mics, shows, or support groups.

The store’s grand opening on April 5th will be the first taste of this new era with giveaways, astrology readings, and a blessing by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

The store will still be accepting donations March 25th-31st with a soft opening on April 1st. If you want to drive your donations over, there is a drop-off area behind the store off E Thomas.

Magpie Thrift is opening at 312 Broadway E. Learn more at magpiethriftseattle.com.

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