Rachel Dove-Baldwin
Staff Writer
WILLIAMSON — It didn’t take a Florida resident with roots in San Juan, Peurto Rico, very long to develop a vision and a plan after arriving in Mingo County, and has sprang into action to provide a service to the community he feels was not currently available. The Gallery Thrift Store located at 223 Pike Street in Williamson opened its doors on Feb 1, and the owner is hopeful the public will take advantage of his line of products and reasonable prices.
David Solano, who was employed as a graphic artist in Florida, made the move to Mingo County to act as a support system for his mother who resides in the Tug Valley area and who had gone through a difficult divorce. She found herself living on the street with nowhere to turn and no one to help, and contacted her son to see what could be done.
“I took the first flight available after I spoke with my mom to help her in whatever way I could,” stated Solano. “She was living in a shelter and after going through the proper channels, I got her moved into an apartment here in Williamson. Once that occurred, I quickly realized that she had absolutely nothing she needed to set up household, such as appliances, furniture and household items.”
Solano remarked that without traveling at least 50 plus miles, it is extremely hard to acquire good quality used items at a reasonable price, since there are a limited number of second-hand stores in the area. While on his mission to purchase the things his mother needed, the thought of opening a store in Williamson that would carry a line of merchandise including a variety of furniture, appliances, dishes, cookware, baby furniture, etc. gave him the ambition to put his plans into motion.
“Williamson isn’t a large city, but there’s still a lot of people here that are looking for items such as what I sale, and they have difficulty traveling elsewhere to find them and can’t afford to buy them new. I’m expanding my inventory each and every day and if someone is searching for a particular item that I don’t have, I’ll be more than happy to attempt to find it for them,” stated the owner.
Solano also buys gold and silver at a fair-market price, and will also appraise antique items or collectibles for local residents. He is striving to create a warm, inviting atmosphere that has a vintage feel, and is hoping to get in contact with local artisans who would be willing to sale memorabilia and original works of art to him that that could be resold in his shop, and invites anyone that is interested to stop by and visit with him.
The Gallery Thrift Store is open Monday thru Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., closed on Sundays. For additional information, you can reach Solano by calling his cell phone, 407-591-6277.
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