Clothing Resale Shops

We were taking a stroll downtown today and checking out what stores were on the main drag. Fairly new to the collection was a clothing resale store and we went in for a quick look-see.

Not impressed.

Think as little as five years back, when the economy was stronger. Retail stores were almost out of seasonal items well before the season...and resale shops were you best bet to get gently used merchandise at a bargain. Maybe you took a special trip to the outlet mall.

Times have changed. Name brand stores like Macy's, Sears, Kohls, etc practically give the stuff away now with the constant string of sales in hopes to get the customers in the door and part them with a bit of cash. You can buy a brand new item for less than what a consignment store sells it for - and often, for a lot less than you could even buy the fabric for!

Why pay $30 for a used dress when you can get a new one for $20? I have gotten dress suits for $15! Add a few $3 dress blouses to change the look of the outfit and you have a professional wardrobe for under $30.

As I was perusing the racks, I looked at used Gymboree T-shirts for $10, Osh-Kosh denim jumper dresses for $12 and Children's Place dresses for $15. I know those stores and what the items should cost new. Gymboree has summer deals often and you can get a Tshirt for $7.50 while Children's Place dresses are often $12 new, when NOT on sale. I am a bit out of touch with Osh-Kosh but remember buying a similar dress for Sarah around the $10 range - and it came with a shirt.

Some resale shops reduce prices monthly (this store wasn't one of them) - so the longer an item is in their store, the less expensive it becomes. This is good for the patient shopper but not the consigner as they usually only get 50% of what the item finally sells for. take in an expensive suit and you might only see $5 come back to you.

Just remember - it pays to shop around!
Until next time...