Geriatric gypsies

COEUR d'ALENE - Cheap rent is hard to come by, and even harder to keep.

The volunteers who operate the Coeur d'Alene Homes Auxiliary Trading Post know that all too well, as they get ready to move, one more time.

"We've been all over town," said Mary Olson, who helped start the auxiliary in 1974 and watched as it grew, raising around $450,000 for the low-income senior living complex.

After getting pretty well settled in to their present site at 1124 Sherman Ave., where they have operated their thrift store for about six years, the group got word this week they will need to move again, and soon.

There's good news this time, though. They are giving up their window space and the additional space down the hall, but won't have to go far. Work has already begun on cleaning up a space just down the hall on the other side, where they will have nearly as much room, with no dividing wall.

The organization started up by selling off the antiques often found in the attics of area homes, with churches holding ice cream socials or hamburger sales. They soon branched into garage sales, and from there their first store.

Olson has lost track of how many places they have been and how many times they have had to move.

"We go where we can," she said.

They have been on Second Street, in Hayden, and several other spots, including their current location once before, before another thrift store wanted to rent the spot.

Now they've been told a gym operation wants the spot. Building owner Rick Garnett said no deal has been signed, but he expects to know for certain in the coming week.

And true to how the Trading Post has operated, the rent will continue to be low for the nonprofit group.

"It's almost a donation," Garnett said.

There will be little cost to the organization, as part of the deal will be that the new tenants will make the necessary improvements for the store.

Ann Johnson, director of development for Coeur d'Alene Homes, said she just found out about the plan on Thursday. The only downside will be loss of the street view, she said.

The Trading Post, which is only open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays, is a valuable asset to the organization. Each year, they provide funds to a different project at Coeur d'Alene Homes. Last April, they provided $19,000. The community's serenity garden, staff scholarships and legacy project have been among the recent recipients.

"There's always a project around here," she said.

The Trading Post is a valuable asset to not only the Coeur d'Alene Homes community, but the community in general, providing estate sale services.

"It is a huge service," Johnson said. "All they ask is a donation. It takes hours of work, and it can be expensive."

Those volunteers include a group of ladies from Kellogg who come over several times a year to put in a shift at the store, which was bustling with customers on Friday.

"I've been doing it for many, many years," Irma Connors said. "We have moved around to many buildings before. I enjoy coming over, and meet a lot of people. They (the store) do have some nice things."

Normally the store has a lot of furniture, but most has been sold in recent weeks, said Sarah Cagle, also of Kellogg.

"That's good," she said. "We won't have to move it."

The volunteers plan to make to most of the change, organizing the store a little differently.

"The lighting will be different," Kellogg's Doris Kerns said. "It will work. People will find out where we are."