Resale Shopping and the Thrill of It
By vintage chic
You might be lucky enough to find some classy Audrey Hepburn Styles for a bargain!
How to find good clothing at affordable prices
From the moment I walk in the door, it’s always the same dilemma. Where do I start? When I go into a clothing resale shop, I’m like a kid in a candy store. The rows and rows of undiscovered treasures are waiting for me. Polo, Abercrombie, Ann Taylor.. any number of designers just waiting to be reclaimed by a lucky explorer.
When I was young, I never considered buying second hand clothes. I only wanted new clothes, with the tags still attached. But after college, I realized that paying for my own clothes wasn’t as easy or affordable as I had imagined. I found myself considering the options of resale clothing. Once I found the stores, I was hooked.
Shopping resale has its advantages. You can find nice clothes at very affordable prices. For someone just starting a career, it’s a great way to build a wardrobe. It’s also a great way to shop when you find yourself between clothing sizes. After the birth of my child, I needed to find some transitional clothes to get from one size to the next. Buying resale was an affordable way for me to get a few pieces without a lot of added expense.
What you can find at a resale shop depends on where you go. It also depends on how much you are willing to dig through piles of clothing. Some stores have the clothes organized by racks; others might have shelves, and it might be a little more of a challenge to find what you’re looking for.
When you are shopping at a resale store, it’s very important that you try on the clothes. If an article of clothing has been worn, and washed, it might have shrunk a little, and may no longer be the true size that is printed on the label. It’s also important that you check the article of clothing for rips, tears and stains. When you look at a jacket, check the underarm on the lining for staining. Keep in mind that different resale shops have different guidelines on the conditions of the clothing they accept.
To learn about the differences between consignment shops, and thrift or resale shops, read my article entitled “The Difference Between A Resale And Consignment Store.”
Understanding the difference between the two will make your treasure hunt for clothes a lot more enjoyable!
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