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MANSFIELD — Sally and Arthur DeThomas knew they wanted to carry a variety of merchandise at their surplus and thrift store.
The owners of the Blue Tag Company at 303 N. Trimble Road, Sally said they have sold items from furniture to clothing, reading glasses and plumbing parts.
“It beats hauling everything to the flea markets,” Arthur said. “We’ve got a wide variety, a good amount of it for $5 or less.”
The store is cash-only, which Arthur said helps keep prices low.
“We try to keep out prices under regular retail prices,” he said, “and we pay the sales tax … so if something says $4, you only give me $4.”
The DeThomases are from Lodi and have been running a surplus and thrift store on Trimble Road since March 2024.
Sally said they’ve had steady traffic and she sometimes sits outside and waves at people driving past.
“I just like to make people smile if I can,” she said.
Arthur and Sally are both retired and live in Lodi with their terrier mix dog Shadow.
They buy items from auctions, markets and more. Arthur said he expects to get new items in the store on a weekly basis.
Sally also sells her handmade jewelry at the Blue Tag Company. She is currently organizing a display for Father’s Day and 4th of July-themed jewelry.
Sally said she expects to sell more fans and clothing in the summer, as well as repair parts for home projects.
“We’ll see what’s doing the best and try to get more of that,” she said.
The Blue Tag Company is at 303 N. Trimble Road near the Moto Mart on the West Fourth Street intersection. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
The store can be reached at 216-386-8743.
