The Los Gatan’s Dinah Cotton recently visited the Happy Dragon Thrift Shop, which is known within the local community as a treasure trove of vintage clothing, housewares, jewelry, collectibles and more. Proceeds benefit the children, adults and families served by Pacific Clinics in Santa Clara County.
The article highlights the shop and its rich history, some of the reasons its volunteers love working there and the overall benefits and growing popularity of thrift shopping.
Ming Quong Guild has operated The Happy Dragon Thrift Shop in Los Gatos since 1958. The guild was founded by mothers and daughters of nearby Los Gatos High School who organized rummage and yard sales to support the Ming Quong Home, another heritage name for what is now Pacific Clinics. To achieve a steadier source of income, the guild rented a small shop in downtown Los Gatos, but after a few years, more space was needed and a down payment of $7,000 was made on a former supply store by redeeming green stamps collected by Presbyterian Mission, an early supporter of the shop. The building has since been enlarged to twice its original size and remains one of the most popular places in Los Gatos to purchase used and vintage clothing, housewares, jewelry, collectibles, old records and cassettes, books, children’s toys and games and other items.
