But while we may have become strangers at the mall, we can always find a friendly welcome at the Economy Shop, Oak Park's own answer to Nieman's on a budget.

Established in 1919 and originally located at the corner of Lake Street and Kenilworth Avenue (the current site of the main post office), the Economy Shop moved in 1924 to its present location, a stately Victorian home on the corner of South Boulevard and Grove Avenue, where it offers gently used treasures and necessities, separated into 15 "departments."

A recent sunny Saturday afternoon found the place hopping and the bargains popping.

"I'm looking for a dress to wear to a wedding in Scotland at the end of the summer," said frequent customer Sally Simmel as she browsed the racks in the first-floor Women's Career and Formal Wear room. This department boasts upper-tier labels like Jones New York, Talbots, Banana Republic and Chico's, as well as the occasional designer piece. Recent bargains have included an Armani jacket for $300 - a mere wisp of its original price - although most prices are in the $5-$25 range.

Volunteers Linda Fitzner and Ella Gruenberg man the cashbox in Women's Career and Formal Wear. "Ella's worked here since before '89. She's one of the older volunteers," says Fitzner. "I've only worked here since 2006, so I'm fairly recent. It's a lot of fun. You meet interesting people who are all looking for bargains. We get great stuff, so it's really nice to see people's reactions when they find something really good. And you get people who come back and tell you how what they're wearing they bought years ago. It's really enjoyable."

Open one Thursday and two Saturdays each month from September through June, the Economy Shop supports six Oak Park and River Forest charities: Day Nursery of Oak Park-River Forest, Infant Welfare Society Clinic of Oak Park-River Forest, Family Services and Mental Health Center of Oak Park-River Forest (newly renamed Thrive Counseling Center), Hephzibah Children's Association, Senior Citizens Center of Oak Park-River Forest, and the Animal Care League.

The mission of the shop is "Let others give so these local charities may live."

Each of the six charities benefited by the shop staffs a department. The other nine departments are staffed by non-agency volunteers.

Not enough volunteers

Though once run entirely by volunteers, the shop struggles these days to find enough help, and a small staff is now paid to help maintain the building and grounds and do the heavy lifting.

We found employee Melvin Coleman working outside where furniture was being displayed in the yard.

"I've been here close to two years now," he said. "The president of the company asked me if I knew anyone who wouldn't mind working a few hours a day accepting donations and doing some sales, and I said, 'You're looking at the guy!' So I left the building I was managing and came into the Economy Shop to see what I could contribute."

Does he enjoy working at the Economy Shop?

"Oh, absolutely. Just the people you work with - everybody's just natural and easy to get along with, and nobody's behind you with the whip. We get things done because everybody helps everybody and we make it work."

Ron Shepard has been working here for five years.

"I was looking through the garbage can one day, and they said, 'Hey, you need a job?' I said, 'Yeah!' and I've been here ever since. I love it."

No more children's department

Anaya Grushkin, 9½, of Oak Park, was shopping with her mother, looking for toys - "cool dragon toys," to be exact.

Unfortunately, children's products can no longer be found at the Economy Shop. In February 2009, new requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) took effect, mandating that thrift stores must verify the lead content of anything that might be handled by children, age 12 or under. Unable to afford the expensive equipment necessary for lead testing, and unwilling to risk prosecution for unwittingly selling any item that turned out to contain unacceptable lead levels, the shop has been forced to discontinue sales of toys, baby equipment and clothing. Even children's books, if produced before 1986, may contain unacceptable levels of lead in the ink.

"What's very sad about the whole thing, especially in this economy right now, is that we've always had people who need our shop to clothe their kids," says Cathy Lund, president of the Economy Shop's board, adding that 10 percent of the shop's sales have historically come from sales of children's products.

"When they designed the [CPSIA] law, they were well-intentioned, but it just was not written properly. They're trying to have resale shops exempt from the law, which would be great."

Something for everyone

But unless you're looking for bargains for young children, there's something for everyone at the Economy Shop.

"We come once every two months or so. I've found so many good things here," says Oak Parker Veronica Fremont. "I have an art studio, so I've bought a lot of tools and a lot of found objects for art projects." When asked what her greatest Economy Shop find has been to date, Fremont answered: a cello. Does anyone in her family play the cello? "No, but I wanted to learn, so now I'm learning!"

Mary Stonesifer of River Forest presides over the counter in the Basement Emporium, where customers can find housewares, electronics, lamps and furniture. Mary has been volunteering at the Economy Shop for 25 years. Talking about some of the more unusual items she's seen for sale here, Stonesifer points to a light-up clock for a home bar that features a faux-neon martini glass. Her River Forest neighbor and fellow volunteer Donna Patterson, a 15-year Economy Shop veteran, one-ups her by whisking a box out from under the counter.

"We don't show this to everyone," Patterson confides, "only people with a sense of humor." The box contains another home bar accessory, the "Little Whizzer," a dispenser in the shape of a naked male cherub that dispenses liquids by the same means that, shall we say, male drinkers of said refreshment will presumably relieve themselves as the evening wears on.

"It's amazing to see what other people will give away brand new," adds Patterson. "Our society is such a throw-away society. But a new generation of people are learning to recycle. They come with their parents and when they grow up, they come back."

The downside of working here? Being tempted by irresistible bargains every time you work. We spy volunteer Lisa Polk, a former Oak Parker now living in Park Ridge, leaving work with a bag of purchases that includes a backgammon board and ... wait, isn't that the bar clock with the light-up martini glass? It is! She's planning to give it to her neighbor.

Only one sale remains this season - on Saturday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. - before the Economy Shop closes down for the summer. Sales resume in September, which is also when the 90th birthday celebration will be held.