Thunderbird LLC embraces community through second-hand items and events

Named after the mythological bird of Indigenous American culture, Thunderbird LLC. began in 2016 as a salvage business. Owner George Mathes would go to houses and closing businesses to collect items like furniture, clothing and other items. 

Now, Mathes has expanded Thunderbird LLC to two functioning business ventures, hosting seasonal and recurring events and special sales, all to bring the community together. 

Thunderbird Salvage’s storefront opened in 2017. The flagship retail store is located in an old church on the corner of Frankford Avenue and East Letterly Street. The store's exterior decor, which includes large plants and art pieces made from salvaged materials, catches the attention of passersby. The store’s logo of a thunderbird hangs from a flag post right in front of the entrance way, leaving an unmistakable impression on interested eyes.

Inside, customers can walk along the store's long pathways and find vintage treasures like suitcases, tapestries, lawn chairs and collectible watches. They may even be greeted by one of the store's cats, Vader and ReyRey.

Elizabeth Bennett has been shopping at Thunderbird Salvage since September. She said that she enjoys the items curated there and the environment that the staff have cultivated.

“They just have a lot of really quirky things with a lot of personality,” she said. “I think these days, a lot of people who go thrifting see that a lot of thrift stores have a lot of fast fashion in them or stuff that's just indicative of an economy that mass produces a lot of slop, for lack of a better word. But here I feel like you can get some really beautiful pieces that are priced really fairly, and you really feel like this place is part of the community.”

Thunderbird Hall, opened in November 2023, is located at 2856 Frankford Ave. Before it was “Thunderbird Hall,” it was called “The Best Little Wigwam in Kensington" by Hidden City Philadelphia and was the meeting place for The Improved Order of Red Men, a fraternal organization established in 1813. While the building has indigenous imagery on it, the organization says it’s “devoted to inspiring a greater love for the United States of America and the principles of American liberty,” not indigenous culture.

Now, Thunderbird Hall primarily serves as a warehouse to store excess merchandise. But it is also used for events and pop-up shops. Tara Barbehenn, staff member of Thunderbird Salvage and Event Coordinator at Thunderbird Hall, manages events on the second floor. 

Walking up the stairs inside, there is a large hall, decorated with animal heads and framed wall paintings. Every year, that same hall is home to events like a vintage fashion show, concerts and Christmas parties open to the public.

Barbehenn initiated the idea to use Thunderbird Hall as an event space after discovering the hall upstairs. And, with Mathes’ blessing, she began planning.

“I like planning things, so when I took the first look around, I was like ‘there's a stage up there,’ and immediately wheels started turning,” she said. 

In 2023, Thunderbird Hall held its first event, a talent show named “Kensington’s Got Talent.” According to Barbehenn, it was the most successful event she’s run in the space. 

“I like bringing people together. I feel like almost every single time, I'm like, ‘What if nobody shows up?’ for some reason. And then when you see a bunch of people come and have a good time, that's cool,” she said. “Kensington can be fun too.”

According to Mathes, the community shows up for Thunderbird Hall and Thunderbird Salvage in more ways than just attending events and shopping for vintage items. The team has faced similar challenges that other business owners in Kensington face: having to clean up trash outside of their building, general safety concerns and the impact that homelessness and the drug epidemic have on the neighborhood. But Thunderbird’s customers have been understanding, and the staff build relationships with people experiencing homelessness and addiction by offering free items. 

“If they’re being respectful, then we’ll be respectful to them,” Mathes said. “They've come in here, we’ll give them some clothes or something, just because they need.”

Thunderbird LLC. is facing a specific challenge with the church that houses Thunderbird Salvage. Mathes and the team are currently fundraising to buy the entire building to be able to repair the roof, which has been deteriorating over time.

Mathes says that he plans to keep Thunderbird LLC. going for the long-term to continue serving the community.

“At this point, it's been successful, and I will not allow it to fail. If I'm going to name my business Thunderbird, which is one of the most important ancient symbols, then it has to succeed. The people want it to succeed,” he said.