More places for my blog challenge!
I’ve only lived in the Portland area for a little over a year, and, like most crafters, I make friends with other crafters in part to find out the best (cheapest) places to find supplies. Several of my friends said that I must go to SCRAP PDX.
It took a while for me to make the time to head on out there, but I finally made the journey. For those of you who haven’t seen it, I’m not sure if the pictures in this blog will do the store justice, but the pics will certainly give you an idea of what wonders there are to behold.
As I walked through the store, my first thoughts included how impressed I felt at the level of organization. Although you may never have seen such an arrangement of random stuff, the fact that everything is arranged, labeled, separated into individual boxes, and often color-coded blows your mind away.
At the same time, the sheer amount of everything, and the peculiar items for sale, can feel overwhelming, hence the heaven and hell in the title. Fortunately, the variety of items everywhere you look keeps you distracted, and it heightens your curiosity concerning what you’re going to find next.
Like many things in Portland, SCRAP PDX promotes the idea of minimizing waste, and their items for sale emphasize that idea to the extreme. These items for sale are often donated from individuals and businesses.
While the majority of the items in the store are legitimate craft and art supplies, the rest of the items are somewhere between what most would call junk and what others would find typically at a flea market or garage sale.
With prices unbelievably low for the majority of items, this store is definitely the place for mixed-media artists to gather supplies and inspiration. Teachers also would make out like bandits at this store, especially on their limited budgets.
I feel that some, not all, of the fabric and notions were slightly overpriced for a secondhand store. I admit, I am a penny-pincher, so my view on prices is no doubt jaded.
Despite some overpriced fabric, SCRAP PDX seems like an excellent place for a multitude of customers. Similarly, if you just need a store to walk through and look around, your eyes will never want for more in a store like this.
SCRAP PDX, located at 1736 SW Alder Street in Portland, is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1999. They offer educational classes, including classes for children. Promoting greener living through reusing everything and anything, according to their site, “SCRAP diverted 140 tons of usable materials from the waste stream” in 2016. Find out more by visiting their website: www.scrappdx.org
The Eccentric Eclectic's Blogs About Everything and Anything 