After nearly 70 years, upscale resale shop Miriam Switching Post, a staple in St. Louis’ second-hand shopping market, will close its doors to the public on November 1.
Driven by donations, profits from the sale of furniture, home decor, collectibles, art, and jewelry, provide financial assistance to families who attend Miriam School, a school for students with learning differences.
Get a weekly dose of home and style inspiration
Subscribe to the St. Louis Design+Home newsletter to explore the latest stories from the local interior design, fashion, and retail scene.
The decision to close, or to take a hiatus, was not an easy one. “The decision is gut wrenching because it is such a St Louis institution of goodness,” says Meg Bamford, head of Miriam School and Learning Center. “When I go there and I see all these people coming together to raise money for kids, it’s one of the most special places I’ve ever experienced, personally.”
According to Bamford, the cost of operating the shop, in particular rising rents in Brentwood’s Hanley Industrial Court, is the primary reason for the decision to close. Earlier this year, the shop’s landlord alerted Miriam that the cost of the lease would increase by 40 percent in January 2026. The Board’s Facilities Committee, which is a part of the Finance Committee, spent about a year examining local neighborhoods and doing demographic studies, knowing that the lease was coming to an end, and that neighbors had seen significant increases in rent.
The hope is that a hiatus will give the Board the time it needs to reimagine the shop’s next chapter. “In my heart I believe one-thousand percent that we can resurrect it, and keep it going. We just have to think about how we can reduce expenses so that those revenues can continue to provide financial aid for students,” says Bamford.
The shop is run by a group of 48 dedicated volunteers and three staff members, who will be losing their jobs. “We’re trying to figure out job placements for them, if that’s what they would like. But that’s been really, really hard,” says Bamford.
Farewell sales will begin in mid-October and the last day for donation collection will be October 4. The plan is to donate unsold inventory to other local charitable organizations.
