Ed Charkow and Beth Ward have been thrifting for years, enjoying the thrill of finding something unique. Ward began her thrifting in California where her grandfather owned a newspaper. What they have created is now known as Oldschool Thrift, located behind EasySpeak on Milford-Harrington Highway in Milford.
“My grandfather owned a city newspaper, and I just got started going out to thrift stores and finding things,” Ward said. “When I became disabled and was waiting for my disability to come in, I thought this was something I could do to bring in extra money, so I started selling things I found on eBay.”
Once Ward met Charkow, she took him to thrift stores, and he was bitten by the bug. Charkow also bids on storage units with unpaid rent, goes to estate sales and visits local thrift shops looking for unique finds. Currently, the couple has six storage units filled with items and the idea for a thrift shop that would benefit the community began to form. Oldschool Thrift is the result of that idea.
“My grandmother taught me about seeing the value in things others don’t,” Ward said. “I brought home a stuffed animal I found at a local thrift store. I paid $2 for it and sold it on eBay for $100. I can see the value in weird little things, so I am using that talent to bring a unique store to the area.”
The main reason Charkow and Ward are opening the store is to give back to the community. They will be a consignment shop where people can bring their items in and receive cash for them, but Charkow says that is not where it ends.
“If you come in with items you just want to get rid of and say, “I don’t want any money,” we will have you sign a donation form and the portion that you would have received from the sale, we will donate to one of our causes,” Charkow said. “Portions of our proceeds will go to support causes important to us. We have not chosen exactly what charities, but our focus is on the homeless, children and dogs. We have been talking to an organization that builds bunk beds for kids who need them, so that may be one charity we work with.”
Charkow is a Delaware native, growing up in several areas of the state including Woodland, Newark, Wilmington and Lewes before settling in Milford five years ago. Ward came to Delaware when she was in the Army and was stationed at Fort Belvoir, working her way to the East coast after she left the service.
“We had been looking for a place for the shop when someone who knew Marissa [King] saw a post that they had this space,” Charkow said. “We had looked at a few spaces in Camden and Dover, but they were far too large for what we needed. We reached out to Zack, and he showed us this place.”
Charkow and Ward say that the Kings have been amazing to work with while they have been getting the new location up and running. Charkow stated that they thought when they ordered the signs for the new business, they would be notified before they were placed on the road. They were not and someone shared the sign on a local Facebook group. Charkow was shocked at the instant positive response they received, so he added a post explaining what they were doing.
“The aim is to open on a limited basis starting at the end of this month,” the post read. “The store is excited to share unique thrifting finds with old school prices while keeping the donations and consignments here in our community at reasonable prices.”
One of the most important things to Charkow and Ward is to keep prices as low as possible which is why they came up with the name “Oldschool Thrift.” Charkow pointed out that other thrift shops in the area charge as much as $9 for a t-shirt which he says isn’t affordable for many in the community. The couple also wants to offer other services for those who may need a helping hand.
“I want to create “starting over” boxes where we sell a package that lets someone come in and fill a box because their house burned down or they just got divorced,” Ward said. “It would have things like a set of dishware, pots and pans, silverware, the things you need when you are starting over or just starting out. It would all be one flat price, and people could actually give them as gifts for graduation from high school or college.”
Charkow wants Oldschool Thrift to be a place where people who need a helping hand can come to get assistance. In addition, the couple wants to provide employment to those who may struggle to get a job.
“We have children on the autism spectrum, and they will be working here with us,” Ward said. “One of my sons will work in the back with inventory and stuff. When we told him, he was excited and told us that when we hire help for him, he only wants to hire people on the autism spectrum. And we are okay with that.”
Because of her disability, Ward is limited to what she can do in the store and must occasionally use a wheelchair. Therefore, the hours of the store will depend on Charkow’s work schedule. The current plans are for the thrift shop to be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM, although they may extend hours to 6 PM. The store is located at 582 Milford Harrington Highway. More information can be found on their website.
