MONROE TOWNSHIP -- Some people in central Pennsylvania call the opening of a new thrift store near Selinsgrove bigger than Black Friday! More than 1,000 people waited in line to shop at the store, which the owners say is the biggest thrift store in the country.
There were seven cash registers running, but the check-out line at community aid thrift store near Selinsgrove was several hundred people deep!
"It's really really long," Melinda Martin said.
The store is in the old Value City building across from the Susquehanna Valley Mall near Selinsgrove. At 74,000 square feet, owners call it the biggest thrift store in the country! More than 1,000 people waited in line for the store's grand opening.
"It's very big. It's somewhat cheaper than a lot of the other thrift stores that they have," Alicia Swigart said.
Swigart of Middleburg got a cart full of items for her family.
"Mainly a lot of books, toys, puzzles, clothes," Swigart said.
Leona Dworchak of Trevorton says the grand opening reminded her of Black Friday.
"Do you know where we parked? We had to park over at Walmart because we couldn't get a parking spot. When we saw the parking lot my husband said, I don't know if it's a good day today, and I said it's a good day, let's go," Leona Dworchak said.
There are more than 600 of these bins located all throughout Central Pennsylvania and for every pound of clothing donated into these bins, community aid will donate four cents to a local non-profit agency.
"For instance, the American Red Cross, SUN Chapter. We have bins out in Central PA right here to benefit them. For every donation into those bins, they're actually sending money back into the American Red Cross SUN Chapter," Bob Hauer said.
"How long do you think you'll be waiting in line? He says two hours. I think an hour. Hopefully," Martin said.
Community Aid Thrift Store brought around 80 jobs to the Selinsgrove area.