Simon's blog

Our New Store Front (east)Our Store Front circa August, 2007NAACP Building Fire Next DoorOur New Store Front (west)

-----> This October, we will be celebrating our 2nd year in business as a radical thrift store. In summarizing this time (which seems longer than 2 years!), I'd say that we as a collective have faced and met many challenges - 4 fires, one of which destroyed the front of our building and one which destroyed neighboring buildings - and received great support from the neighborhood/local communities.

Our initial mission was to give financial support to 2 or 3 radical projects in town that were always underfunded. Instead we have given material support to over 30 local organizations, and also to hundreds of individuals through the Really Really Free Market in Chestnut Park. Since January of 2007, we have provided space for the Yellow Bike Project to run a neighborhood community bike shop and support an after school program at Kealing Middle School. The store also hosts regular free events such as skill shares, movies, fashion shows, music, and helped to established the Really Really Free Market.

And during this whole time we have managed to stay the most affordable thrift store in Austin...

Footnote: the East 12th and Chicon area is still over-shadowed by historic and deliberate neglect from the city, police and slumlords, exploitation by speculators/developers and a lack of basic services, such as a grocery store or bank. Sadly most visitors to the area see drugs as the problem, rather than a symptom of this neglect.

But there is a new positive feeling around that isn't due to an influx of boutique stores, condos or increased police harassment. The solutions for this area run deeper than simple law enforcement - they are all long-term (i.e. longer than a political term) and require your participation. Rebuilding community ourselves is a damn good place to start.

Links:

Volunteer at Treasure City
Really Really Free Market
25c Sidewalk Sales
Yellow Bike Project, Treasure City Shop
Inside Books (books to prison project)
Skillshare Austin at Treasure City
Groups We Support

We will be closed Thursday, May 1st in celebration of May Day, and so we can attend the Immigrant & Labor Rights March that day.

Where: South Steps of the State Capitol. Look for the NO BORDERS banner.

When: 4:30pm, March at 5.30pm

Why: On May 1st, 2006 millions of migrants and their supporters took to the streets of major US cities including Austin to demand respect for their human rights. Stop the Workplace Raids! No Border Wall! ICE Out of the Travis County Jail! Demand dignity for immigrant workers! Demand the right to live without fear of deportations that divide families! For a World Without Borders!

A Brief History of May Day

May Day is International Workers' Day, an official holiday in 66 countries, but rarely recognized in this country where it began. In the 19th century, workers were struggling for the 8-hour work day, when it was very common to work 10-16 hour days in unsafe conditions. By the 1880's organized labor, inluenced by socialism, was strong enough to demand the 8-hour workday.

Tens of thousands became disillusioned with the political process and rejected it to created new, anarchist groups. Anarchism sought to end hierarchical structures, emphasized worker-controlled industry and valued direct action over bureaucracy.

On May 1, 1886, at least 300,000 workers in 13,000 businesses across the United States walked off their jobs. In Chicago, the epicenter, 40,000 went out on strike just with the anarchists, later swelling to 100,000. Two days later on May 3, the first violence broke out between police and strikers and a public meeting was called for May 4th in Haymarket Square. About 3000 people showed up, including families, children and the mayor of Chicago, who later testified that the crowd was calm and orderly.

As the meeting ended, police marched on the crowd and a bomb was thrown killing one officer and wounding seven more who later died. No one knows who threw the bomb, but speculation ranges from anarchists to a police agent. The police then fired into the crowd, killing about seven or eight civilians and wounding forty. As a result, the government, business and media conducted the very first "Red Scare". Anarchism became synonymous with bomb throwing and socialism became un-American.

Eight anarchists were arrested for murder, though only three were present at Haymarket and in full view when the bombing occurred. The world watched as they were convicted, not for their actions, but for their political and social beliefs. On November 11, 1887, after many failed appeals, four were hung, one took his own life and the remaining three went to prison and were pardoned after six years.

May Day is a reminder that people were shot so we could have the 8-hour day and that child victims of industrial accidents marched in the streets protesting working conditions only to be beaten down.

So many people have asked us about the origins of the Mount Blackmore mural on the side of our building that I decided to blog about it. The mural was created in 2007 by kids from local schools mentored by local street artist J Muzacz and was funded by a grant from the City of Austin and Doherty Arts Center's Totally Cool, Totally Art Program.

More photos: Mount Blackmore 2 / Mount Blackmore 3

J also created the mural that is on the side of our neighbor, The Black Butterfly and the trailer for Deloney Street Community Gardens, which is currently on our lot.

Photos: Black Butterfly / Trailer 1 / Trailer 2

from Austin Craigslist

Treasure City Volunteer, Saturday 3.22 - w4m

Reply to: pers-616653096@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-03-24, 9:23AM

You were volunteering, and possibly (i hope) flirting with me a little. You said you were in the solar industry, and teased me about keeping my records seperate from yours... you have sandy colored hair, and awesome eyes. I have dark hair, had on a strapless top and cutoffs, and was sort of sweaty and dirty from a day of yardwork... otherwise I would have asked if you were attached.

* Location: 12th/Salina
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Original URL: http://austin.craigslist.org/mis/616653096.html

Some of you may have noticed that construction work has finally begun on the front of the building where it was damaged by the August fire. This may result in some irregular store hours between Monday, October 14th and Saturday, October 20th, so we recommend that you call the store on 512-524-2820 to see if we're open.

Here's what happened - "Treasure City Thrift Catchs FIRE" blog entry

What is being repaired? - well, our two side doors are being closed up and we are getting double glass doors installed at the front of the store as our new main entrance. White stone facia is replacing the existing brown plastic stone and the building interior and exterior are being brightly painted. It's a welcome face-lift.