As the saying goes, one woman's trash is another woman's treasure. For Christy Fogarty, turning trash into treasure is a way of life. As properties master at the Clarence Brown Theatre, she uses and restores things people would normally discard every day.

When she started work at CBT three and a half years ago, she decided her properties department needed to expand. Fogarty implemented a rental process with the props, which are the items used by actors in a production. Many large theatres use this process as another form of revenue, and it was a new business venture for CBT.

"There's a demand for it and many people don't have storage for many different items," Fogarty says. "We're the biggest theatre around here, so we can help."

For Christy Fogarty, turning trash into treasure is a way of life. Fogarty primarily rents furniture, large hand props and oversized props, like Milky White, the cow from "Into the Woods." All these props are stored in the Prop House, which is literally a house on 22nd Street near the UT campus. Storage is free because everything is university-owned.

"Our stock increases with every production and people donate things to help increase it," Fogarty says.

For instance, if people have old things sitting in their basement, they could donate them to the theatre. Fogarty rents CBT props to theatres, church groups, high schools and pretty much anyone staging something in need of props. The rental distance also ranges from New York to Florida. It just depends on where the need is coming from.

"We don't really advertise. Everything is done by word of mouth. People spread the word just fine, " Fogarty says.

Word of mouth seems to be working. She enjoys lots of regular rentals and business even picks up around Christmas time.

Fogarty usually charges a pick-up and return fee of $10. She then charges per item per week. The cost is based upon the value she assigns it. For example, if clients rent a few crates they won't have to pay as much as if they rent a couch or an antique vase.

Fogarty has two full time employees and three working part time.  If she's not at work, they usually handle the pick-up and return, but Fogarty is the only one who prices items.

Because CBT is a part of the university, she often lets students borrow props for free.  

"Students can borrow whatever they want. They don't get charged for anything unless they break it."

Fogarty knows that this business venture will continue to grow. Last year, Fogarty and her staff uploaded the entire stock to Photobucket, a photo-sharing Web site. Here, possible clients can access, with the password, the entire stock to decide if they would like to rent a prop. By renting props to those in need, Fogarty is making one person's trash everyone's useful treasure.