The Common Good Thrift Store — Local services in Eaton

From Supporter to Disappointed Shopper: A Story I Didn’t Expect to Tell

I’ve always loved stopping into this store. It’s more than just a thrift shop — it supports a food pantry mission I truly believe in. Over the years, I’ve shopped there often, donated bags of clothing, and felt good knowing my purchases and donations were helping people in need.

Today, I stopped in just to see what they had. I wasn’t looking for anything specific, just browsing like I used to. And then — there they were. A small stash of unopened packs of baseball cards from the 1980s, just sitting there waiting to be discovered. Nostalgic gold. I asked the clerk how much they were. “A dollar each,” she said.

I smiled and said, “I’ll take them all.” She started ringing them up as I chatted with another employee about a Mark Chagall art book I had picked up — another gem I was seriously thinking about buying. It felt like one of those lucky thrift trips where everything aligns.

And then… everything changed.

The woman I was talking to looked at the cards and casually said, “Oh, you can’t buy those — they’re mine.” Just like that. Not maybe, not they’re on hold, just flat out claimed them for herself. The cashier stopped scanning and said, with a little shrug, “Well, there go your baseball cards.”

I stood there for a moment, surprised. Then I set the Chagall book down, left everything on the counter, and quietly walked out.

On the way home, something clicked. I thought about the bags of my son’s clothes I had donated — at least 30 gently used outfits. I never saw a single piece hit the racks. And now I wonder… how many other items never even make it to the floor?

I’m not writing this out of bitterness over some baseball cards. I’m writing this because I believed in what this store was doing. I believed the donations were going to help others, not being cherry-picked by staff before they had a chance to do good.

I still believe in supporting local causes. But now I’ll be more careful where I choose to give and spend. Trust, once cracked, is hard to piece back together — even if it’s just over a few...

This is a wonderful place to shop for gently used pre-owned clothing, housewares, decor, books, toys, linens, and unique vintage items, etc. Once a month the entire store is 50% off (minus speciality items) and the following week a specific colored tag is only a quarter! Every day more items are added to the store from our community’s quality donations. Shop often for the best bargains. All profits fund the food pantry and other services for those in need in Preble County. Consider shopping, donating or volunteering in the store, warehouse, or food pantry. It’s a wonderful place to make a difference in our community. Follow them on Facebook: The Common Good of Preble County to see their weekly sales for specific department or tag colors. Click on PHOTOS to see a sample of past photos of offerings from their Facebook and...

Come and visit Eaton’s quiet little gem of a shop just off downtown on South Cherry Street: The Once Around Shop! Clean, nicely organized: it’s chock full of clothing, toys, housewares, décor, etc. And I try to catch the awesome .25 cent or even 50% off sales!

All sales clerks are volunteers and they are very helpful and kind folks; merchandise rolls over quickly so it pays to go back frequently!

Right now, there’s so many nice holiday gift items, toys, etc. for Christmas shopping! I always find something I simply have to have: from greeting cards to travel items to a very fun kids’ game! The prices cannot compare to other charity shops. And I get the extra satisfaction knowing my purchases support the outreach of the Food Bank and...