Bits 'N Bobs Thrift: Where Community Meets Affordability

A Mother-Daughter Duo Creates a Boutique Thrift Experience in Downtown Harlan

When Laurel Klenda walked into a small thrift store in Elkhorn for what she thought was a job interview, she never imagined she'd leave as a business owner in the making. But that chance encounter set in motion a whirlwind journey that would bring a new thrift store to downtown Harlan just weeks later.

"It was very odd for me," Laurel recalls of the moment she spontaneously asked if she could buy the entire business. "I stepped outside of my comfort zone and said, 'Hey,' and it worked out."

From Opportunity to Opening Day

Bits 'N Bobs Thrift and More opened its doors on March 1st, 2024, but the sprint to opening day began less than a month earlier. After finalizing the purchase on February 8th, Laurel and a team of nine friends and family members packed a 26-foot U-Haul truck from floor to ceiling with inventory from the Elkhorn store.

"We filled that 26-foot U-Haul from front to back, side to side. Looking back on it, it was kind of funny that we accomplished that," Laurel laughs.

With the inventory secured, Laurel rented a storefront at 516 Market Street, just off the square in downtown Harlan. The team had roughly two weeks to transform a space filled with piles of clothing and merchandise into an inviting retail environment.

A Donation-Based Thrift Store with a Boutique Feel

Bits 'N Bobs is exclusively a thrift store operating entirely on donations, not a consignment shop. This distinction is important to Laurel.

"We are a thrift store. We're not a consignment store," Laurel emphasizes. "This is all based on donations. I think my whole idea has always been to make it not look like a thrift store. Let's make it look a little bit more like a boutique because thrift doesn't have to look like thrift."

The clean, well-organized space features carefully selected merchandise at remarkably low prices. With women's tops priced at just $3 and even lower during color-tag sales, the store offers significant value while maintaining a boutique shopping experience.

"These are good quality clothes. They're clean, very name brand—Gap, Children's Place, Ann Klein—all kinds of really high-end name brand clothing in here," Laurel explains. "You don't have to look at icky clothing to shop and get a good deal."

Community Impact at the Core

For Laurel, Bits 'N Bobs is more than just a business—it's a way to serve the Harlan community while supporting important causes. The store has established partnerships with West Central Development and Wings of Refuge, an organization in Ames that helps women coming out of trafficking and exploitation.

"We're going to be working together with West Central Development and partnering with them in different ways," Laurel shares. "Sometimes they have means that can help me, and I might have something they need to take care of."

Her commitment to community support extends to local schools as well. When asked if she would donate to the school's emergency clothing program, Laurel didn't hesitate: "Absolutely. I would absolutely donate to something like that. This isn't just my own personal little project here. This is a community thing."

Family-Friendly Shopping Experience

Bits 'N Bobs is designed with families in mind. A small play area with toys and pillows allows children to play while parents shop, and Laurel—a mother of five and grandmother—is happy to keep an eye on little ones.

"I have a tiny little play area for the babies if moms need some time to set their kids down. I've got some little toys and pillows they can sit on, and I'll be happy to watch them because I'm a grandma," she says. "I was a mom of five kids, and I get that kids can be hard to shop with."

The store also offers free chapter books for young readers from second grade through junior high. "I want to encourage young readers," Laurel explains, "so chapter books for those younger readers are free."

A New Chapter

For Laurel, who co-owns and operates the store with her daughter Eden, opening Bits 'N Bobs fulfills a long-held dream. "It was something that I really wanted to do for a long period of time, but the timing was always wrong," she explains.

Now, despite initial anxieties about starting a business, Laurel is embracing the adventure with enthusiasm. "I just couldn't be more excited to be doing this," she says. "I want everyone to feel like when they come into this store that they're welcome to be here and I'm happy to see them. Life is really short, and you just don't ever want to live it with any regrets."

Laurel sums up her business philosophy simply: "Thrifting just makes sense."

Visit Bits 'N Bobs Thrift and More at 516 Market Street in downtown Harlan (next to Mi Casa), Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. Follow them on Facebook or call 712-304-3858 with questions about donations, merchandise, or their charity partnerships. Donations of clean, good-quality clothing and small household items are welcome during business hours.