GALLERY: Old goods much-loved
BLACKHEATH – Leon De Villiers takes us on the tour of his novel little charity shop.
It was always Leon De Villiers’ dream to open up a charity shop one day.
A self proclaimed hoarder and “baby boomer” (someone born in the years following WWII), De Villiers stored everything and anything. “I collected everything and rented storerooms to keep some of the things I had amassed,” he said.
He recalled how he constantly dreamed of one day opening up a charity shop that would help the community. About a year ago, he registered a non-profit organisation called, The White Elephant Charity Organisation (Tweco).
His charity shop is full of ‘white elephants.’ These are known as all the possessions that are now useless and have become expensive to maintain or hard to let go of. De Villiers explained that the charity shop will be called the curiosity shop, which is based in Blackheath.
Tweco, supports an entire host of charities, from animal shelters to regular shelters. People keen on adding something novel to their house can purchase goods from the charity shop with all proceeds going to a designated charity. “We have priced and coded each item and each code has its own charity. All coded goods which are bought, will go to a particular charity,” explained De Villiers.
“We have about 17 charities we are affiliated with and they each have a number,” he said. He added that when someone comes in and donates goods, they would then be given a list of charities that Tweco supports, and from that list, decide which charity they would like as a recipient of the proceeds of their goods. “At the end of every month we then give the organisations the proceeds of the goods bought,” said De Villiers.
Close to 60 percent of what is in the store once belonged to De Villiers. As he walked around the shop, he pointed out what once was his and shared why it was sentimental. He recalled his travels around the world and what the tangible gift he took from each place was. A wine decanter from Germany, a handmade wooden cabinet from Malawi and other one-of-a-kind pieces he is so willing to part with.
Details: Curiosity Shop, leon@tweco.org.za or 082 686 5734.
