Thrift shop owner: ‘Why give back to just one charity?’

By Andrea Domanick

Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015 | 2 a.m.

On East Tropicana Avenue near U.S. 95 sits Dinosaurs & Roses, a 7,000-square-foot thrift shop that offers a trove of furniture, clothing, books, music and antiques. There are vintage gowns, paintings by local artists and new furniture from the World Market Center.

Truly a thrift hunter’s haven, the store also touts a negotiable pricing policy.

But what sets the shop apart even more than its variety and bargains is that 20 percent of each purchase goes to local causes customers choose. Dinosaurs & Roses works with almost 40 nonprofit organizations and campaigns, such as Three Square Food Bank, the Animal Foundation, Kiwanis Clubs of Southern Nevada, local schools, sick residents and more.

“We want to be everyone’s charity,” Executive Director Michele Morgan-Devore said. “What we like to do is reach out to different programs and find anyone who needs help and really, really share the love with them.”

Morgan-Devore, who works full time as owner of a specialty product printing company, was inspired to open Dinosaurs & Roses in the wake of the recession. Growing up in Brooklyn with a Russian immigrant father who often brought strangers home for dinner, Morgan-Devore said she was raised to understand there always are others worse off. With Dinosaurs & Roses, she sought to create a store where thrifting enthusiasts like herself could find quality items — “We don’t smell, and we don’t sell crap,” she says — but still negotiate for what they can afford.

“The more you buy, the cheaper it is,” Morgan-Devore said. “We’re very willing to work with anyone who wants a product. If you have an item that you love so much, we want you to be able to take it home.”

Frustrated by the limited range of nonprofits other local thrift shops support, Morgan-Devore wanted to create a place where shoppers could give back to causes they support and where both organizations and people in need could find help.

“There’s so much need in this town, why give back to just one charity?” she said. “I wanted to get rid of the red tape with all that. We have no executive salaries and are completely volunteer-run. Not a penny of what’s sold is siphoned off to anything except supporting these causes and the cost of upkeep.”

Morgan-Devore opened the original Dinosaurs & Roses in 2010 at South Jones and West Charleston boulevards.

“We take the dinosaurs lying around in your garage and turn them into roses waiting to be picked by someone else,” she said.

While the shop was successful, Morgan-Devore was forced to close it after she lost her lease. The store went on hiatus and reopened at 4310 E. Tropicana Ave. in January 2014.

Morgan-Devore said that although she receives plenty of donations, her base of customers and volunteers has dwindled. She said she needs volunteers for programs and events, such as the recent “Street Store” she hosted in November, when hundreds of local homeless people were invited to shop at the store for free. Dinosaurs & Roses also works with community mentoring programs to provide at-risk youths a chance to learn about retail and business ownership.

“We can’t give everyone everything, but if you have a need, we’ll find a way to help,” Morgan-Devore said. “I’ve had clergy call us to see if we can donate a suit to a congregation member. I’ve had a mom write us from jail asking if we can give her children Christmas presents. We can do a little something for everyone.”

Still, Morgan-Devore worries about how long the goodwill can last if the store continues to struggle to attract shoppers.

“We’re the best-kept secret in Las Vegas, and we don’t want to be anymore,” she said. “Every day, people come in to drop off stuff; we just need more customers. The more people who come, the more we’ll be able to keeping giving.”