In 1947, Rich Gillingham and Bill Jones joined together to open Yard Birds in a tent in the lot of a gas station in Centralia. Jones had been in the Merchant Marines traveling the world. Every place he went, he brought back trinkets. Realizing these trinkets sold very well, he thought of the idea of selling war surplus and import items. The name Yard Birds is a name given to Air Force staff who don’t actually fly, but work in the airplane yard doing maintenance.
From that simple beginning, the vision continued to grow. The store moved a couple of times, into the building that now houses Sunbirds Shopping Center, then into the 310,000 square foot building in its current location.
Some people refer to Yard Birds as the big box store of its time, but it stood out because of its wide variety of products that often couldn’t be found anywhere else, fun events they were always putting on and the giant black bird outside. It was so well known that people from across the country knew about it.
Then in 1976, Gillingham and Jones parted ways, with Gillingham retaining the store he renamed Sunbirds, and Jones keeping Yard Birds. Later that year, Jones sold Yard Birds to the Pay ‘n Save corporation. That was also around the time that the original 60ft. standing Yard Bird stature was destroyed by fire caused by a car backfire.
Finally, the business closed for good in 1995, but no one wanted to lose what Yard Birds was to the community. Thankfully, there are always entrepreneurs looking for ideas. Darris McDaniel and Ray Caldwell bought the property in 1998. And the idea of the Yard Birds Mall, an indoor vendor space, was born.
Jason Mattson explains that the perimeter of the building typically houses the businesses that are more established. The interior locations are perfect for smaller, independent flea market dealers.
“The majority of tenants are from Lewis County, but we have a few from Longview and Olympia,” reports Mattson. “For some vendors, this is a full time gig. For others, they are retired and want to make extra money. It’s a big family here and they all get to know each other and watch out for each other.”
Most vendors only sell at Yard Birds, but a few travel to the big shows such as toy and record conventions and the Packwood Flea Market.
Mattson gets excited when talking about the variety of sellers in the building. “We have a great diversity of vendors,” he says. “Three hair stylists, two mechanics, Shankz Black Light Miniature Golf, furniture, antiques, clothing, jewelry, some who focus on vinyl records, DVDs and Blu-ray movies. We have about 50 vendors right now.”
One of the largest vendors is Cool Classic Toys, located in the southwest corner of the building. Cool Classic Toys has video games from 1980s to present and many collectible toys. Silver Eagle Audio carries everything from vinyl records to home stereo equipment. Earth Treasures has jewelry, lapidary, and collectible knives. Community Thrift, located next to Shop’n Kart, has great prices on books, DVD’s, collectibles, and housewares.
Other businesses are located upstairs such as Cornerstone Clothing Bank, which is open every Thursday and gladly accepts donations. True North Counseling Center and Specialized Activities and Recreation in the Community (SPARC), for individuals with developmental disabilities or special needs, also have homes upstairs.
Some of the notable vendors on the main floor include Rick’s Relics with eclectic items, and AKA Eclectic with some fun art pieces and found objects. Dunnies Espresso and Boutique serves up tasty cookies, coffee, and a nice selection of jewelry.
The vendor space continues outside. Los Costenos, the taco truck, is a local favorite. “They have great prices and the food is amazing. I eat there too often,” says Mattson with a laugh.
Currently there is room for about 10 to 15 more vendors depending on the size of the space they want.
“The smallest space is about 8 by 20 feet,” Mattson says. The requirements to be a vendor are pretty simple. The business must pass a background check, obtain a state and City of Chehalis business license and be open at least Thursday through Saturday. “The biggest benefit for the vendors is the square footage they get for a low cost – $120 a month for the small space. Plus they get to be their own boss,” explains Mattson.
“There are some really fun and interesting people here,” Mattson says. “They really make it their passion.”
Yard Birds is really the same kind of place that it always was. While it may have been one big store with a huge variety of new products, it is now one space with a huge variety of vendors. Where you could find just about everything you needed at the original Yard Birds, you will likely be able to find just about everything you need, new or used, at one vendor or another.
Yard Birds always looks to give back to their customers, with events such as Kid’s Day coming up August 13th, Trick or Treating in October, pictures with Santa in December, and candy for the kids on Easter. Not to mention attending every local parade with Miss Yard Bird proudly attending.
Rich Gillingham and Bill Jones were entrepreneurs in every sense of the word. While their particular version of Yard Birds eventually ended, this new one housing many individual entrepreneurs continues on. Gillingham and Jones would probably approve very much.
Yard Birds
2100 N. National Avenue
Chehalis, WA 98532
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