Karen Dillon

Karen writes about the people and places of Smith Mountain Lake in "Shorelines," published bi-weekly.

Recent columns

• Park offers new ways to learn about old days
• Community Chorus tuning up for holiday performances
• For paddling and picking
• Bramlett is back; this time he's targeting plastic

These days, as recycling has become more in vogue, one person's trash really can be another's treasure. Maybe that explains why Clay Phillips has been staying so busy operating his lake area consignment shop.

Located in what was once Dick's Food Center at the corner of Burnt Chimney and Brooks Mill roads, Westlake Consignments is part flea market, part antiques store. On any given day, passers-by will notice an array of items for sale outside the store enticing them to stop and take a look.

Navigating through the store's packed aisles and perusing shelves filled with knick-knacks may take the average shopper a while. But lake residents Jim and JoAnn Harllee were up for the challenge recently when they came into the store looking for a lamp.

It was JoAnn's second trip to the store and her husband's first. She decided to come back to search for a lamp because Phillips had given her a good deal on a picture she'd previously bought.

"I like places like this where you recycle things," said JoAnn, browsing through a stack of video tapes in a room that was once a beer cooler. "I love the idea of reusing stuff."

That stuff most likely can be found at Phillips' store. He has everything from antique furniture and porcelain figurines to children's toys and costume jewelry. There are Boyd's Bears, Spode and Wedgwood pottery, Red Hats of Courage, Snow Babies and All God's Children, among other brands of collectibles.

"Everything is clean," said Phillips of his merchandise. "I don't put out anything that's cracked or has chips in it."

Each collection is carefully arranged by category. Phillips also has designated rooms off the back of the store for other items such as videos ("Titanic,"anyone?), CDs, home furnishings, plastic toys, pillows, lamps and other accessories.

It's been nearly a year since Phillips opened the shop at the busy lake intersection. In that time, he's steadily built a regular customer base, including Laura Saxton, who moved to the lake from Ohio. She stops by often as do her parents, Robert and Mary Ann Temple.

"He has some very nice things," said Saxton. "I just like coming in every once in a while to see what he has. And he's great because he works out a deal with customers."

Even as Phillips and his partner worked to unload a truck of fresh finds, Phillips still managed to greet each customer warmly.

"Just make yourself at home," he called out as he darted in and out of the store.

Of all the items that have come through Phillips' store, one of the most unusual was a cobalt blue hooka pipe. And while smaller items are usually the norm, sometimes Phillips acquires bigger things, including automobiles and most recently, a Honda motorcycle.

"Whoever gets this is getting a steal," said Phillips as he showed off the bike that has matching helmets with built-in microphones. "You just never can tell what's going to come in."

A Roanoke native who now lives in Bedford, Phillips got the bug for bargains from his late grandmother, Melba Duncan, who'd once owned and operated an antiques store in Georgia. He said he enjoys running his own business and interacting with his customers.

"My thing is I try to make sure everybody leaves with something," he said.

So, what if the price isn't exactly right? All people have to do is ask Phillips to make them a deal.

"Everything's negotiable," he said. "I will wheel and deal with you."

And that's exactly what Jim and JoAnn Harllee did when they found the right lamp at just the right price.

Clay Phillips' Westlake Consignments is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is located at the corner of Virginia 670 (Burnt Chimney Road) and Virginia 834 (Brooks Mill Road). (540) 719-1979.