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We accept donations at 518 1st Avenue East, Spencer on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11-6.  Inquire at the main office if you are not able to come up the stairs.

1. What types of items do you accept?
2. What types of items are you looking for?
3. What types of things do you NOT need?
4. What do I need to do to prepare my donation?
5. Are donations tax deductible?
6. What do you do with the donations?

What types of items do you accept?

• At this time, we accept all items.  Items that are 1950's and earlier, condition is not as much of an issue, but if you have items that are post 1960, please only bring in items that are in good repair.  Clothing with considerable mold, mildew, staining or rips or holes is really the only thing we ask you not to bring in. 

What types of items are you looking for?

• We especially need men's dress pants and dress shirts, and anything (men's or women's) in large or plus sizes.  Anything very unique is also always welcome.  We LOVE vintage.  We try to use as little vintage clothing as possible onstage, but do use it for research, study, basing designs on, and as a fundraising opportunity.  We also feel it is our duty to help save and pass on fantastic vintage pieces to wherever it is that they will be used and loved the most.  PLEASE don't throw away anything pre-1960's if it is in good condition.

What types of things do you NOT need?

• Surprisingly, some of the items that you may be led to believe are the most valuable items, are really more sentimentally valuable.  Furs and wedding dresses both fall into this category. 
  • Furs can be donated to the Humane Society.  All of the furs received by The HSUS are sent to wildlife rehabilitators, who use the furs to warm and comfort orphaned and injured wildlife.
  • Furs can also be donated to PETA.  They donate many of the furs to homeless people who can't afford to buy their own coats.
  • Wedding dresses (post 2000) can be donated to the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation.  Information can be found here.

What do I need to do to prepare my donation?

• Please check to make sure the items that you're bringing aren't moldy or have excessive rips or tears.
• No need to wash or dry clean your items.  By state and federal law we MUST launder or dry clean any items we accept and keep.  We appreciate the thought, but don't want you to take the time or money to clean the items.
• Please contact the costume shop to let them know you're bringing in some items.  Because of our small staff and fluctuating seasons, we need to prepare for the items to arrive by making room and time to go through them.

Are donations tax-deductible?

• Yes.  The Spencer Community Theatre is a non-profit organization.  We will give you a letter stating that you donated items to our shop, but do not normally take an inventory of the items.  Inventory and determining value is up to you, we can not do that for you.  If the items are sold online as part of our fundraiser, we can send you documentation of what they sold for if you ask us to do so. 

What do you do with the donations?

• Many items stay at the shop.  If we choose to keep them we will launder them or dry clean them and then do one or more of the following:
  • Use them as they are as rental items--all proceeds go to the theatre.
  • Use them as a base of a costume, take pieces or parts from the clothing to design a new costume from it.
  • Some items are sold each year at Halloween time.  These are usually easier-to-find items that we sell for one-time costume use.  The sale is a necessity for our space issues.
  • Some vintage pieces we save for fashion history displays.  Usually this is slightly damaged vintage rare items from the 40's and earlier.
• Some items are donated to other organizations such as:
  • Stephen's College Vintage Fashion Collection (Okoboji Summer Theatre)
  • Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation (wedding dresses)
  • The Humane Society of the United States (fur coats)
• Some items are sold.  ALL proceeds from sales go to the Spencer Community Theatre.  Some vintage fashion should not be used onstage, so we document the items (photographically) and then sell them to:
  • Folks on eBay.  Click here to view items for sale now.
  • Vintage dealers from around the state who will clean, repair and then sell the items to collectors.
  • Sometimes special items are consigned on Dorothea's Closet Vintage.  If we do consign your item we will be able to give documentation of the value of the item if you request it. 

Please contact us if you have any questions.  We would love to hear from you if you want to donate your vintage items or costume items to benefit the Spencer Community Theatre.  Thank you to all of our patrons for the donations they've made over the last several decades!