Tour of Utah: Deseret Industries

Chel Owens

Today’s episode of “Sites to Visit in Utah” features a retail store most of the world is not familiar with: Deseret Industries.

The next question on your mind is So, what is Deseret Industries?

D.I. Closed

Currently closed, due to COVID-19.

Started in 1938, Deseret Industries (D.I.) is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint’s goodwill store.

But, why would we want to visit there?

D.I. may be a place to sort through and pay for donated ‘treasures,’ but it’s also much more!

For one thing, the LDS church uses D.I. as a job training resource. Those needing skills work in receiving moccasins someone’s been walking in, sorting some Pro Wings, pricing a fur fox skin, stocking the shelves with flannel zebra jammies, and even ringing up your purchase of your grandad’s clothes.

I …am a D.I. addict. I love going there. At least, I loved going there. Once The Scary Coronamonster drew closer, I eschewed my thrift shop stops. Before that point, however, I was a regular.

Mostly, I use D.I. to feed a gnawing bibliophile appetite. Sometimes, I find signed copies.

Besides books I’m interested in, I also uncover valuable literary treasures.

1800 Books

This is one of many valuable antique books in the locked case that day.

…And, less-valuable, less-literary discoveries.

Pizza!

Yes, this is a plush pizza.

I shop for luggage, lunch bags, bicycles, fake ficus trees, antiques, Halloween costumes, VHS and DVD films, tools, furniture, toys, vases, decorations, banana split dishes, and random crap I didn’t even know I wanted.

It’s similar to what I’ve heard flea markets are like. I think.

D.I. is all over the place in Utah. I even have my favorite locations, depending on what I’m searching for. It’s not just me, either; my former sixth-grade teacher used to show up at our lunch dates (when I was older, naturally) with her latest book finds from her favorite D.I.

It sounds crazy; but if you’re in the area, you should hit one up!

For no cost to you, here’s what I donated to the internet last week:
Wednesday, May 13: A virtual tour of Capitol Reef National Park.

Thursday, May 14: “Dear Teacher,” after reminiscing on my school/home experiences.

Friday, May 15: Announced that Charles won the Weekly Hilarity Contest.

Saturday, May 16: Announced this week’s Hilarity Contest. Write a response to the quote from good ol’ Kephart.

And, another update on the Coronavirus Home Life.

Sunday, May 17: “What’s in a Name?” for Carrot Ranch’s prompt.

Monday, May 18: Shared a quote by Norman Cousins.

Tuesday, May 19: “Going Postal, X.”

Wednesday, May 20: Today

I also posted on my motherhood site. I wrote “Sleep, the Unattainable Dream.”

 

©2020 Chelsea Owens, including pictures (excluding the front image of Deseret Industries and YouTube’s video).

36 thoughts on “Tour of Utah: Deseret Industries”

  4. I read something the other day that thrift stores and anything second hand might go the way of the dinosaur because of the virus and worry about infecting others

    Liked by 1 person

      1. My friends daughter is selling a wedding dress from a broken engagement…(broken like ten years ago so why now is question) and there’s all sorts of disclaimers on the post about reusing things. But the cdc just reversed course and said highly unlikely you catch it from surfaces, so yeah….

        Liked by 1 person

        1. There’s some truth in that. Someone with the virus would need to spread a live sample on the material, then another person would have to breathe that in. Moral of the story: don’t sniff packages from China -or, wear a mask and wash your hands and boxes. 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

      1. Yeah we just took a lookylou. Big store we hadn’t been to before. And I amend that. We just went to one; the other one was closed. I’m trying to find a chalkboard to frame and decorate for my writing room.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I hope so! They received some criticism a few years back for raising prices to cover their own building costs. The LDS church has annoying waste and idiot managers like other large organizations but, on the whole, makes organized, humanitarian, and financially-solvent decisions.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yeah… my spouse is Catholic, and some of the Catholic charities are really, *really* good – but then I look at the diocese’s new cathedral and I’m like “Who the h*ll needs that much marble!?” So any organization has issues like that.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. And here I realized that I was misreading ‘Deseret’ as ‘desert’ and expected a place that set up tours through deserts…

    Thrift shopping’s pretty fun, though. And possibly safer than camping in the desert.

    Liked by 1 person

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