Karen Levin knows antiques, she says.

“It’s because I am an antique,” she jokes.

Levin uses her expertise in antique appraisal and restoration to help the community. She has volunteered at the Mercer Island Thrift Shop for more than 20 years, first in the clothes department and now in jewelry.

But in addition to working behind the jewelry counter for five or six hours a day, she keeps an eye out for treasures that come through the shop, hoping to restore and resell them.

“My biggest goal is to bring in as much money as I can each week,” she said. “My great escape is coming here and working.”

The Mercer Island Thrift Shop was created to generate financial support for social programs at Youth & Family Services. It brings in more than $1 million a year and employs 40 volunteers, said Thrift Shop coordinator Suzanne Philen.

“When Karen started spending more time on our sales floor, our jewelry sales increased by $20,000,” Philen said.

Levin said she’s always had an eye for bargains, and that when she was a kid, she would go diving for golf balls and sell them back to the course near her house.

At the Thrift Shop, Levin color coordinates the jewelry display to help customers quickly find what they’re looking for. Some of the prices don’t exceed a few dollars, but some donated items turn out to be extremely valuable.

Logan Ens, thrift shop supervisor, asks her to show off a gold necklace as an example of a “Karen project.” The necklace is still in the process of being restored and priced.

“Anybody buying gold from here gets the steal of the century,” Levin said.

Levin has taken on many projects in her life, from fixing old wedding dresses by hand and restoring sterling silver to making ice skating costumes for her daughters and repairing her own car.

Levin grew up in the north end of Seattle and moved to Mercer Island in 1961. Her 100-year-old mother also lives on the Island.

She credits her family with sparking her love of antiques, as her grandparents would bring porcelain dishes and other treasures home from their trips to Europe.

Her grandmother worked at Nordstrom until she was 90 years old.

“She kept getting called back for every sale,” Levin said. “But she didn’t care about sales, she cared about quality.”

Her own mother had different tastes.

“My mother would disregard it, these things that have lasted hundreds of years,” she said. “She thought it was old, and if it was old, she didn’t like it.”

Levin said she learned to appreciate the beauty in all things, even if they’re aging or chipped.

“We all have chips. If you’re older than 10 you have chips,” she said. “I overlook those things, or I take things no longer in use and create with them. Everything has potential. I don’t like throwing anything away.”

Levin, a mother of five and former interior designer, also worked at the renowned Lakeside School Rummage Sale for 31 years.

Levin said she always enjoyed art and antiques, but studied biochemistry and physiology at Pomona College. She would take classes on criminology or Shakespeare when she was home on school breaks.

A “perpetual student,” she said she’s recently taken up plumbing and auto repair.

“My favorite thing to do is to restore things to their original state,” she said.

She said that the Thrift Shop volunteers – some who have been there as long as she has and some who are just starting out – are a tight-knit group.

“I enjoy working with the kids here,” she said. “They’re great, and fast learners.”

Mercer Island Thrift Shop, 7710 S.E. 34th Street at the southeast corner of Mercerdale Park.

(206) 275-7760

Hours:

Monday – Saturday

10 a.m to 8 p.m.