Deals on Wheels-Valley’s newest thrift shop brings deals to customers

The Mat-Su Valley’s newest thrift store, Turner’s Turnaround Thrift, provides deals on wheels for new and gently used items at an affordable cost. Owner Sharla Turner opened her “thrift bus” earlier this year and has been making appearances throughout the Valley, bringing the business to the customer.

“It’s done amazing. I’ve met a lot of cool people,” Turner said. “Who doesn’t want to dig through a bus? You never know what you’re going to find.”

The thrift store operates out of a 1989 Thomas Transit Bus. Turner purchased the bus at an estate sale and initially planned on using it as a camper or rv for her family before deciding to renovate it for her business. She said the bus was operable when she purchased it and only had 165,000 miles on the diesel engine. With a background in operating heavy equipment, Turner said driving the bus has been a breeze.

From changing the engine oil, to completely gutting the interior and renovating the bus to fit her needs, Turner celebrated the grand opening of her business on May 17 in Houston after eight months of hard work.

“I just had a vision in my head,” Turner said. “I’m pretty strong willed. Once I want to do something and set my mind to it, I’m going to do it.”

The bus is currently open Monday-Friday and can be found anywhere from Talkeetna to Big Lake and beyond. Turner said the ability to move her business around and the overwhelmingly welcoming communities that have supported her so far means her opportunities to travel are nearly endless. Customers looking to shop at Turner’s Turnaround Thrift can follow along on the Facebook page. Turner encourages people to check there first to find out what her schedule is and where she will be located throughout the week.

Customers can peruse a variety of new and gently used goods, including pottery, cookware, wood decorations, glassware, clothing, antique books, jewelry, outdoor gear and much more. Turner also sells baked goods for a friend in Big Lake and has desserts for sale a couple of days each week. She has refined the setup and takedown process of her inventory on the bus to 35 minutes or less.

Turner accepts donations of items that she can share with others. She is open to suggestions on where she can take her bus next to better suit her customers needs. Her favorite part of operating the business is meeting all of the people that walk through her bus doors to check out her shop.

“I love conversations with people, meeting new people and seeing their faces when they find a cool deal. That makes my day,” Turner said.

Born and raised in Alaska, Turner said that looking for good deals at garage sales and thrift stores was something that she learned from her father. Her sister owns and operates the Willow Rose Thrift Store. Providing that same opportunity for someone to appreciate a good deal runs in her family, Turner said.

“I’m a people person,” Turner said. “I love to go out and find a good deal and turn around and make it an even better deal for someone.”

The support from the community has been a huge part of her success in the first month of operation, Turner said. She has received many compliments on the bus and has happily accepted many donations. New customers are often referred to her by previous customers and much of her marketing is by word-of-mouth. Turner said many people that visit her thrift store say they’ve been on a school bus, but never a thrift bus. She said that people of all ages enjoy the unique shopping experience.

“It’s fun,” Turner said. “My goal is to have fun items… it's a fun thing for people.”

Not only does Turner operate the thrift bus, she is also known for her work as The Alaska Bigfoot Lady. Since 2018, Turner has created and sold over 640 custom Bigfoot cutouts for customers across the state of Alaska. She has one of her eight foot cutouts on the side of her bus. Turner said she can customize the cutouts however the customer wants and sells them in three, five and eight foot sizes. More information on her custom cutouts can be found on her Alaska Bigfoot Lady Facebook page.

Turner’s Turnaround Thrift has something for the whole family to enjoy in places that are most convenient for them. Turner said she is accepting suggestions on new places where she can park her bus for even more people to enjoy.

“Who doesn’t want to dig through a bus?,” Turner said.