This Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., Retake-Remake will reopen their doors to the public with a small ribbon-cutting and endless smiles on all of the volunteers’ faces.
“Retake-Remake is here to stay. We are not going anywhere,” proclaimed Barbara Korein, founder of the creative reuse nonprofit located in The Hat Factory in Peekskill. “We really love Peekskill, the community and the Hat Factory.” That is why Korein and her group of now 27 regular volunteers decided, after three years in business, it was time to revitalize and renovate the store.
Since the end of December, Retake-Remake, an art supply thrift store, has been closed, undergoing a complete overhaul and remodel. “We knew that in order to grow and expand, and make for a better customer experience, we needed to reorganize and reconfigure to use every bit of space we have in the 1700-square-foot store,” said Korein. “It’s a way of showing Peekskill, the community and our shoppers that we wholeheartedly appreciate their love and support and are staying put right here at The Hat Factory.” The remodel includes fresh coats of paint on the floor and walls, new shelving and displays, a remodeled and expanded free foyer, hyper-organized aisles and places for every kind of art supply you can think of, and with even more products than before.
Even better, Retake-Remake is expanding their days and hours of operations. “Thursday is a new day that we have added for the store to open. We never had that before,” said Korein. The new business hours are Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from Noon to 4 p.m.
Retake-Remake is the only art thrift store in Peekskill and the surrounding area. The store is chock full of everything you can think of, including a large paper section, cards, rubber stamps, trims, wire ribbons, embroidery floss, buttons, threads, zippers, glues, paints, crayons, colored pencils, paints, scissors, zippers, jewelry, postcards, art and crafting books, baskets, a large holiday section, games, fabrics, bolts, the largest yarn selection in the City of Peekskill, and more. All of the items for sale cost between a quarter and a few dollars. In addition, if you are looking for something specific and do not see it in the store, just ask. The store has a fully stocked storeroom, where they can easily find whatever you may be looking for. “For example, if you are looking for Christmas items for a Christmas in July event, we most likely have it in the back room,” said Korein.
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The store’s business model is very simple: art supplies get donated from people who would have otherwise thrown them away, then the creative reuse organization sells it to people at a highly discounted rate, keeping stuff out of the waste stream, and people make beautiful art with it.
“What I did not expect when we first opened was the gratitude that people who donate would have for this place and the appreciation that the shoppers get when they shop here, knowing it is all for a good cause,” Korein said. “There is a special relationship between the donors and the shoppers I see that regular stores don’t have. Those who donate are grateful that their items will be used by someone who could really use them and that they stay out of the trash, while the shoppers are extremely grateful and appreciative in the same way. It serves a purpose on both ends and we here get to see that and are grateful for it.”
Donations are accepted the first Tuesday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The next donation day is Tuesday, February 4. However, if you have one or two small bags of donations, you can bring them in on whichever day is convenient for you, and the store will accept them.
Since its inception, Retake-Remake has salvaged over 56 tons (108,000 pounds) of art supplies from going to waste. Profits are used to help cover the store’s operating expenses. “The first year, we ran the store entirely with volunteers but we now have one full time employee and two part time employees who work together to manage the operation of the store. I am so grateful to have this very dedicated team of 27 volunteers help guide our mission of Creative Reuse,” said Korein.
“That is how the store is able to stay open and expand our hours,” Korean stated. “Over the past month, we have received emails about volunteering. I try to email them back as soon as I can, [but] this complete overhaul has been all-consuming.”
Retake-Remake accepts cash, card and tap to pay. For more information about the store, how much waste they have salvaged, upcoming donation days, or classes they host such as card making, crocheting, jewelry making, paper crafting, junk journaling, and more, visit the Retake-Remake website and like them on Facebook and Instagram for the most up to date information.
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