Kudos to Flathead Industries for telling a great story on their Facebook page:
“They met innocently enough at the annual art auction fundraiser for the Conrad Mansion. She was spellbinding in a $300 long sleeved sequined gown from Saks. He was in tan Dockers and a Black North Face pullover. Both were attired perfectly for the event and their life roles; she, the owner/proprietor of a trendy downtown Kalispell Boutique, and he, an architect from Bigfork.
They were bidding against one another for a large colorful original completed at the banquet just a few hours before by an upcoming local artist.
He bid only twice and basically let her have the painting for a song, but used the mutual admiration for the art and artist for an introduction. After several months of dinners and cozy times, Ed proposed and Edith replied “Sure, why not”.
The couple decided to live in her old colonial on the east side and Ed would rent his small Bigfork home. Things were smooth as silk. On most Thursdays Edith drove to Whitefish to meet her cronies for an after work weekly social debriefing. She would often return home these nights with a bag of goodies from the Village Shop or some other high end clothier. “Ed”, she would say, “Come look at this beautiful new blouse I bought for our get together next week.” “It was on sale and only cost $112.”
Ed would smile and ‘ooh and ahh’ appropriately and congratulate her on finding such a bargain. Ed also shopped but would rarely, in fact never, show Edith his new purchases. He would suddenly appear one morning wearing a shirt she hadn’t seen before. “I like that shirt Ed. Is it new?” Edith would ask. Ed would reply vaguely, ” Yeah, sort of; I picked it up a few weeks back. I’m glad you like it.”
Edith got curious; real curious. She looked in the big paper sack where they kept plastic bags for re-use at some point. She didn’t find any bags from Herbergers, or JCP, or any of the downtown shops, or even any of the big box stores. They were always quality clothes. She just couldn’t figure it out. Nothing ever came UPS, so he wasn’t shopping on line. The receipts she found in the used grocery bags made no sense. $.50, $1.25, $2.00; nothing ever over $4.00.
One Friday evening Ed, having returned from a tough day at the office where he had been designing the layout for the new playground at the recently constructed sub-division [should the monkey bars be close to the swing set? etc.], was in no mood for a financial discussion. But Edith could take it no longer. “Ed”, she began, “I know you feel about discussing finances, and this may be difficult, but you know I ‘ll love you no matter what. Are you like………..a ‘thrifter’?”
Where was he going to go with this? Of course he was a thrifter, and was very proud of the fact, but was married to someone who bought the finest clothes off the finest racks in stores where the sales people ‘received commissions’. Think…think….think…..Shame or Pride? ………….Pride!
“Yes Dear, I’m a thrifter; and I have something to show you.” He went to his closet and drug out a grocery bag from Super 1. He pulled from it a Columbia fleece sweater vest and said ” I thought this would look nice at the wine festival tomorrow night; and it was on sale. Red tag items were half off at the Kalispell Thrift Store, and I got it for $2. Like it?”
Speechless, but only for a moment, Edith replied, “Doesn’t it bother you that someone has worn that before?”
Cautiously Ed replied that it didn’t bother him at all, and if Edith were to think about it, the blouse she bought a few weeks ago may have been tried on by several women before her.
They both wisely decided to let it go – for the moment. But two weeks later old Ed showed up with a pair of “silver” jeans exactly Edith’s size with the tag still on! They were donated to the Whitefish store brand new. Scored ’em for ten bucks. She wore them proudly to the “Event at Rececca Farm”, along, of course, with a pair of Tony Lamas, hand sewn in El Paso.
True comittment and conversion to “thrifting”, just like love, can happen in an instant or take a while to get used to. Last I heard Ed and Edith were living happily ever after, loving and thrifting their little hearts out. Our sales and specials for the up coming weeks are listed below along with some exciting news about our Whitefish and Columbia Falls stores.
Monday and Tuesday: Winter clothing and Jackets are 1/2 price
Wednesday: The entire store is half price[new blakets excluded].
Thursday and Friday: Shoes and Boots1/2 price and yellow tag shoes $1
Saturday: All clothing is 50% off!!”
Posted by Flathead Nonprofit Development Partnership 
Nonprofit Development Partnership 