DON’T REPLACE IT…REPAIR IT!

Should I toss out my broken items? No way! Instead, come out for SCARCE’s 2nd Repair Fair! Experts will be on-site to perform simple repairs on household items. While you’re here, you can also browse our re-used jewelry pop-up shop, or look around our onsite SCARCE-LY Used Books & Records Resale Shop. Stop by this free event to see how a simple and affordable repair can make treasured items feel like new!

Repair experts can help with:

Lamps & Light Fixtures: Safety inspections, rewiring, replacement switches, other small aesthetic modifications.

Kitchen Knife Sharpening: Straight edge and serrated knives.

Handheld Tool Sharpening:

• Scissors: fabric scissors , kitchen scissors, utility scissors, & flat back hair shears
• Small manicure tools: cuticle clippers, nail clippers, etc.
• Small blade garden tools: pruners, loppers, and snips only. Hedge shears will be evaluated but sharpening may need to be performed offsite
• No shovels, mower blades, hollow ground hair shears, or clipper blades please.

Costume Jewelry Repair/Modifications: Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, clasps, chains (fix or shorten/lengthen), and more! Restringing might need to be performed offsite. No watches or rings please.

Crystal, Glassware, & Porcelain Repair: Broken or chipped glassware (glass, crystal, china, porcelain, pottery, etc.). Glue and bonding jobs can be performed onsite. Any chipped items, or other items that require grinding, can be dropped off at the event and picked up at a later date.

FAQ’s

When is it?

Saturday, January 27th, 2024 from 9:30am-11:30am

Where is it?

The Repair Fair will take place in the Education Center of SCARCE’s facility located at 800 S Rohlwing Rd (Rt 53), Addison, IL 60101. Please enter through the doors on the north side of the parking lot under the blue awning.

What can I do if there is a wait?

SCARCE will also be hosting a pop-up jewelry sale during the Repair Fair! You can shop for shiny things if you’re waiting on repairs, or browse our onsite SCARCE-LY Used Books & Records Resale Shop, open to the public and perfect for all ages. We have books, records, holiday items, crafting supplies, puzzles, activities, and more.

How much does it cost?

The event is free but there will be a small fee for repairs. Cash is strongly encouraged. Other forms of payment will be accepted at the discretion of each vendor.

Do I need to sign up ahead of time?

Items will be evaluated and repaired on a first-come first-serve basis.

Is there a limit to the number of items I can bring?

Limit of 2 items per family for each vendor (unless time permits for more).

What if they can’t fix my item?

If a vendor is unable to fix an item onsite for any reason, they might ask you to leave the item with them to be completed and returned to you at an agreed upon date.

We will continue to update this page with details as the event draws nearer. Please check back if you have questions, or call SCARCE at (630) 545-9710. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook & Instagram for the latest news and updates from SCARCE!

Meet our Vendors!

Dave Harms, Lamp/Light Fixture Repair – Dave is a retired electrical engineer and former professor of engineering at the University of Minnesota. Over the course of his career he has worked at: IBM, Bell Laboratories, Ace Hardware, and Carlson True Value Hardware. He also designed safety systems for the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. Nowadays he puts his expertise to good use by repairing lamps at Jubilee Furniture in Lombard.

Bill Storm, Knife Sharpening – Bill is self-described, “father and home-repair handyman who likes to fix things”. As such, he recognizes that it can be difficult to keep knives and tools sharp enough to get the job done. His son started training in the art of sharpening knives and tools 10 years ago and used those skills to start a successful sharpening business. 7 years later, he trained his father to continue in his place and help people get back their “edge”.  Bill has sharpened more than 2,000 knives and 2,800 other dull things. He works out of his Naperville home and enjoys helping at Repair Fairs. 

Grant Lauinger, Tool Sharpening & Repair – Grant is the founder of Custom Edge Sharpening, a professional sharpening service in Glen Ellyn. He realized his passion for sharpening 10 years ago when, as a woodworker, he needed sharp tools to do his projects well. He began studying and learning the art of sharpening under the tutelage of some of the best sharpeners in the country. As he developed his technique and honed his craft,  he started to invest in more and better equipment, and extended his sharpening skills to kitchen, lawn, and garden tools. Nowadays he is proud to use all of his knowledge and skill to make people’s  knives and tools look and cut at the highest level possible. Visit www.customedgesharpening.com to learn more.

Lisa King, Jewelry Repair – Lisa King has been designing and creating jewelry and other adornments for more than 25 years. She particularly enjoys refurbishing vintage jewelry, wire wrapping & weaving, and cleaning & repairing the jewelry sold at SCARCE. Her newest passion is permanent jewelry! You can learn more about her permanent jewelry parties and pop-ups at www.alwayslinked2.com.

Mary Lou Gates, Crystal Repair – Mary Lou Gates of Mary Lou’s Crystal Repair in Joliet has been fixing chips, cracks, and breaks of people’s crystal, china, and porcelain for 55 years — 40 of them at The Little Traveler in Geneva. For 30 years, she and her husband made their living by traveling in a motor home to antique shows all over Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Eventually they were included at mall department stores such as Carson’s, Bonwit Teller, Yonkers and Bergner’s — and at shopping malls throughput the western suburbs of Chicago. Mary Lou started repairing glassware in her parents’ Joliet antique shop as a teenager. 50 years later, she is now in her 70’s and has no plans to hang up her grinder any time soon. For inquiries about repairs, Mary Lou can be reached at (815) 726-5554.

This event is made possible with generous support from the DuPage Foundation. If you’d like to support community events like this one, consider making a donation to SCARCE at www.scarce.org/donate. If you would like to be involved as a repair-person for this event (or future events), please email Emily at [email protected] for more information. Thank you!