AUSTIN, Texas — After 30 years on Burnet Road, Top Drawer Thrift store is being priced out of its location.
Saturday, Aug. 26, is the last day the store will be open before relocating to 5312 Airport Blvd.
The outside of Top Drawer Thrift is just as wacky as the inside.
"We're just kind of a thrift, vintage, kind of oddball little thing," manager Ben Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman runs the place, and when he says oddball vintage, he means it. When KVUE stopped by on Tuesday afternoon, rusty knives and loose mannequin parts were part of what was for sale.
"I'm looking for dismembered body parts, apparently, but I'm looking for heads, torsos and just general mannequin pieces for a display for Pflugerville Gays and Pflugerville Pride," shopper LeAnne Rheaume said.
Zimmerman said the shop has been pretty busy since announcing everything is on sale. After 30 years at this location off of Burnet Road, Top Drawer Thrift has to move.
"Our rent went up to a rate that we did not feel comfortable with anymore," Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman said the shop's rent doubled. Matt Patton, executive vice president at Angelou Economics, said it's something happening to staple businesses all over the city.
"It's one of those complicated things with the growth that Austin experiences because it's always uneven growth," Patton said.
Zimmerman believes Top Drawer Thrift's loyal customers will follow the store to its next spot because it stands for something.
"There's just so much love here," Patton said.
One-hundred percent of Top Drawer Thrift's revenue goes to the nonprofit Project Transitions.
"So for 30 years, we have been providing and helping provide health care, hospice and housing services for people with HIV here in Austin that are also experiencing homelessness at the same time," Zimmerman said.
Saturday is the last time shoppers will see the building so wacky, but don't worry: the love and quirkiness will follow the store up the road. Top Drawer Thrift plans to reopen in mid-September.
Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.