a valuable work of art, all at rock bottom prices? At The Barn, of course! Tucked modestly into a corner of Devon Springs Road in Devonshire, the unpretentious pre-fab structure gives little hint of the treasures within.

And, as the regulars will tell you, there's excitement a-plenty when the doors swing open on Saturday mornings to reveal the latest additions to the ever-changing inventory. In fact, the Pink Lady who opens the doors can't get back in for the surging tide of humanity! Run by the Women's Hospital Auxiliary (WHA), The Barn has been a major money-spinner for the registered charity for 28 years. Its whimsical name is derived from a wooden structure which the late Sir Henry and Lady Tucker offered on their South Shore Road, Paget estate as the thrift shop's first permanent home.

But The Barn's roots stretch back further than that -- to the early '60s when the annual Christmas fair in Hamilton Hall was the WHA's main source of income, and the white elephant stall one of the most popular, selling everything from jewellery to kitchen appliances, clothing and furniture.

In 1963, so many items were donated for the stall that there wasn't room to display them all at the Fair, and the Tuckers suggested using a barn on their property to hold a pre-Fair rummage sale.

Such was the success of the event that in addition to turning a 200 profit for the Auxiliary, the Tuckers were moved to offer the site as a permanent home for a rummage sale operation.

With a lot of elbow grease from the Pink Ladies (as WHA volunteers are popularly known), the spruced up Barn officially opened for business on April 4, 1964, drawing bargain-hunters from all over the Island.

The thriving operation continued on the Paget site until the ravages of age forced a move to its present, modern location in Devonshire. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the then-Public Works Department, Casemates prisoners and the Bermuda Regiment, the grand opening took place on September 13, 1986.

Today, it takes approximately 60 Pink Ladies to operate The Barn, with responsibilities divided between receiving, sorting, pricing and displaying donated goods, manning the store on Saturday mornings, and keeping the books.

A lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into what finally appears on the racks and shelves. All donations are carefully sorted and examined, and where an item is deemed unsatisfactory -- a broken electrical appliance, for example -- it won't be offered for sale.

Which is not to suggest that the Barn is picky -- very little goes to waste.

For example, a single earring isn't considered useless.

"We have a customer who is always looking for one earring for her son! One earring is a saleable item,'' Barn committee member Mrs. Sally Godet remarked.

Two volunteers are solely responsible for toys, which are washed, clothed and repaired where necessary before reaching the shelves.

"If a toy has pieces missing, the volunteers will hold on to it until a similar one comes in so repairs can be effected,'' Mrs. Godet explained.

"It's a lot of work.'' The fact that, on any given Saturday, shoppers never know what the shelves will hold is part of the Barn's magic. Certainly, there are always rows of books and records and racks of clothing for all ages, shapes and sizes, as well as costume jewellery, drapes, linen, sporting goods, puzzle, games and household bric-a-brac.

"A lot of records are coming in now because people are switching to compact discs,'' Mrs. Godet noted.

Among them could be valuable treasures, such an original Beatles album. One never knows.

Indeed, stories abound about unexpectedly valuable items which have found their way to the thrift store. They include three Harrington paintings, three Japanese prints dating back to 1835, gold sovereigns, and more recently a donation from the present Lord Mountbatten whose mother, the Marchioness of Milford Haven, was the former Miss Janet Bryce of Bermuda.

While most of the items arrive via private donation, local stores are also generous contributors, so it is entirely possible for shoppers to find brand new goods among the second hand.

As expected with an operation of this kind, stories abound of extraordinary "finds'' and unusual shopping experiences.

"One lady bought a beautiful evening dress and wore it to a formal ball. She looked like a million dollars and it only cost her $5!'' Mrs. Godet related.

Another Saturday a man rushed in demanding a complete outfit for the wedding he was due to attend immediately.

Within 15 minutes he went on his way wearing a three-piece suit, new shirt, tie, shoes and socks -- his work clothes tossed firmly in the trash, and presumably minus the statutory bath! The next week, it was a lady rushed in looking for an instant "funeral hat.'' "A few minutes and a little ingenuity produced a stunning wide-brimmed hat decked out with a black silk scarf, and off she went,'' Mrs. Godet noted.

Sales are so brisk, in fact, that if you put something down you could lose it.

One volunteer bought a straw hat for $1, only to be confronted minutes later by a very distraught customer looking for her missing chapeau. On discovering that it had been sold for such a low price, she said to the volunteer: "If they thought it was only worth a dollar, you keep it!'' Over the years, The Barn has contributed thousands of dollars to both King Edward and St. Brendan's hospitals through the Women's Hospital Auxiliary, but its use goes beyond that.

"It has helped a lot of people out as well, particularly now when there are people hurting,'' said Mrs. Jane Jackson, chairman of the facility. The Barn is open for purchases on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Goods may be dropped off Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 12 noon only. The public is urged NOT to leave goods at The Barn when it is closed because they will be stolen or vandalised.

COME AND GET IT! -- Barn chairman Mrs. Jane Jackson (left) and committee member Mrs. Sally Godet model and display some of the many wares available at The Barn.