Broken Pots Thrift Store, located at 678 Mississippi 35 in Sandy Hook near the state line, is under new ownership and has a wide collection of items that would make big corporate stores jealous.
Owner Marilyn Reagan Payne has worked at the shop for six years and only purchased it to be her own four months ago. It used to be a flea market where Payne had a booth, but when it was closed she had nowhere to go. The owners still had inventory there so Payne asked them if they would let her take it over, finishing out selling their stuff and slowly move in her items. Now it’s all hers, and there are no booths for other vendors.
“I have collected all my life, and I was running out of space at my house just from collecting,” she said. “My (late) husband had a business in Bogalusa when we married, and I would bring stuff up from his place to my home and my buildings at my house. It was just overrunning so I asked if I could take it over.”
She eventually was able to secure a loan to buy the property, and she credits God for allowing it to happen.
“I said, ‘Lord, if you want me to buy it when I go to the bank they’ll tell me right off.’ And they did. So I knew this is where God wanted me at.”
Payne, who is a member of the Mount Carmel Church of God, decided to name her store Broken Pots because we are all broken pots, but Jesus is the potter and he can use all of our broken pieces. She added it’s her way of opening up to her customers and ministering to them.
Payne said she loves bidding on storage units and has been collecting since she was a teenager. The inventory at Broken Pots is indicative of that with myriad items available. They include dishes, glassware, books, pots, wall décor, painting, blankets, quilts, clothes and jewelry of all kinds. She even has hand-knitted clothing for children that she made herself. Payne is also starting to move in a lot of her Christmas inventory, which includes both gifts and decorations.
For Payne it’s not about making money whatsoever. It’s about meeting people and having the opportunity to shed some light into their lives.
“He has blessed me with so much, and I like blessing people, too,” she said. “I have met some very wonderful, close people through here. And you find some amazing stuff here.”
She has even given away some items to the elderly, and any time she sells or gives away anything she says, “Lord, bless that person.”
“I couldn’t tell you how much I’ve spent on this (business). To me I’ve spent nothing on it,” she said. “It has not taken away from my pocket. The more I give, I feel like I never run out. I feel like God blesses me that much.”
Payne has plans to host classes at Broken Pots, ranging from art and painting to crochet and knitting.
“If anybody wants to come on down now and learn how to knit, I’ll teach you. I’m here,” she said.
Broken Pots is open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday. It can be reached at (601) 341-2710.
