A bin of shoes sits at Mother’s Secret in Orange, a one-stop shop for mothers through their child’s upbringing. (Photo by Jonathan Winslow, staff)

Mother’s Secret in Orange boasts an impressive inventory – to the point that the owner has signs outside warning customers what they’re in for. (Photo by Jonathan Winslow, staff)

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Authors signatures are on display in Book Carnival on Tustin Street; the shop is known for hosting major authors of mystery and suspsense. (Photo by Jonathan Winslow, staff)

Shelves of “previously enjoyed” books await new homes at Book Carnival in Orange. (Photo by Jonathan Winslow, staff)

Copies of “The Western Star” by Craig Johnson rest on a shelf in Book Carnival on Tustin Street. Johnson was at the shop for a book signing earlier this month. (Photo by Jonathan Winslow, staff)



An electric organ sits in a corner at the Salvation Army store on Tustin Street. (Photo by Jonathan Winslow, staff)

The Lutheran High Thrift Shop on Tustin Street has seen a surge in popularity for their vinyl selection recently. (Photo by Jonathan Winslow, staff)

The Lutheran High Thrift Shop on Tustin Street has seen a surge in popularity for their vinyl selection recently. (Photo by Jonathan Winslow, staff)

This late 17th to early 18th century Mongolian sword, adorned with jade and other gems, awaits a new owner in a back room at the Orange Pawn Shop on Tustin Street. (Photo by Jonathan Winslow, staff)

Just about a mile away from the heart of Old Towne Orange, a wonderland for antiques shoppers, lies a lesser-known mecca of second-hand shopping: Tustin Street.

Where the street stretches through Orange, more than a dozen thrift stores, pawn shops and other hidden treasures are in business, often overlooked by people hurrying to or from the freeway.

For folks looking to shop on a budget, or for aspiring treasure hunters, Tustin Street has a little of everything: from books, furniture and clothes to guitars, guns and swords.

Here are a few things you might be surprised to find along Orange’s second-hand street:

A one-stop-shop for moms

A mother of six and grandmother of five, Orange resident Kathy Baker knows plenty about being a mom.

Raising many of her kids as a single mom, Baker said she hunted through thrift shops to get a lot of what was needed – and she’s turned her treasure-hunting experience into a shop to help other moms in similar positions.

Opened in 1996, “Mother’s Secret” has grown into a one-stop shop to equip mothers and their children from pregnancy all the way to high school. The store’s inventory is staggeringly big – to the point that Baker put signs outside warning folks what they’re in for. In its packed aisles, shoppers can find clothes, toys, carriers, shoes and much more.

Much of the store is supported through trading – many parents have traded their way up for outfits all throughout their child’s upbringing, and some of those children have now returned as regular customers with kids of their own, Baker said.

A hall of mysteries – and the writers behind them

Specializing in mystery and suspense, Book Carnival isn’t strictly a second-hand shop, but it does offer more “previously enjoyed” books than mystery fans can shake a magnifying glass at.

Book Carnival opened in 1981. Since long-time book lover and frequent customer Anne Saller bought the shop and gave it a make-over in 2010, it has become especially known for bringing major authors to Orange for book signings.

This month alone, the shop is welcoming 10 authors, including last week’s guest, Craig Johnson, whose works have been adapted into the show “Longmire” recently picked up for a final season by Netflix.

The store also holds two monthly clubs including a Saturday Morning Shakespeare reading group.

Oddities and rarities

Part of the fun of thrift store shopping is never knowing what might be around the next aisle.

With so many shops on Tustin Street – including a Goodwill and a Salvation Army store – there are plenty of chances to stumble on unique curios.

Just last week at the Orange Salvation Army shop, an electric organ sat in one of the store’s corners, ready for someone to take it home. Not long before, a vintage washing machine came in and was quickly swept up by an enterprising shopper.

Peppered throughout other stores on the street, old-fashioned boomboxes, VCRs, curious statues, china sets and more sat on shelves, just awaiting the right bargain hunter to take them home. Orange Salvation Army staff said what you’ll find at these kind of stores really depends on when you come – so don’t be afraid to check back and see what’s been stocked since your last visit.

Old sources for new trends

Sometimes all you need for a new trend is to dig up something most folks have forgotten about – just ask the staff at the Lutheran High Thrift Store.

The shop has a vinyl section the staff said has been surging in popularity as millennials get interested in listening to records. Classic rock favorites such as the Beatles, AC/DC and the Beach Boys fly off the shelves shortly after being stocked, but you can get old favorites at a bargain if you show up on the right day.

Even items workers aren’t sure will sell can take on new life when the right person walks in. In the case of a particularly garish, almost neon couch, staff thought they wouldn’t be able to find it a home. But after a Chapman University student bought it to liven up their living room, a swath of other students came within the week clamoring for similar couches, thinking it a stylish choice.

The Lutheran High Thrift store is largely run by volunteers, from students to passionate community members more than 90 years old. Proceeds from the shop go to support scholarships for the high school.

Forgotten treasures

The Orange Pawn Shop is a microcosm of Tustin Street – it has a little bit of everything, from trinkets you can buy with pocket change to jewels worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A quick glance around the store shows fishing poles, busts, weapons, jewelry, guitars and much more. Some of the most fascinating items aren’t kept out front, though – the most valuable are kept out of sight but can be brought up for customers looking for a particular item.

Pulling out a case last week, the shop’s owner opened the lid to reveal a blade thought to date back to 17th or 18th century Mongolia. Concealed in a silver sheath adorned with jade, turquoise and other gems, the blade is thought to be a presentation sword – one the emperor would have bestowed as a gift or a reward.