CL’s Guide to Consignment Store Shopping

I’m sure lots of you love to shop—and if you’re like me, you’re always longing for those expensive, designer clothes that you can’t afford.  However, there is an alternative to spending tons of money on great clothes—and it’s not shopping online.  They’re called consignment stores.  They’re spreading through cities like wildfire and it’s easy to see why.  Consignment stores are like thrift shops—except they’re a lot more likely to carry name brand items.  In fact, some stores will only accept certain clothing if it was created by those on their “Accepted Designer List.”  You can find gorgeous Kate Spade pumps (I have) for only $30, or a nice Free People shirt for only $15. Here are some tips to keep in mind on your first (or second, or third) trip to a consignment store.

• Scavenge: This might sound strange, but there is literally no other word that best describes how to search through a consignment store.  You never know what you’ll be able to find when you go through literally almost every item the store has.  Sometimes the best treasure is buried treasure.
• Don’t buy things just because they’re cheap: If you see a name brand item for next to nothing—make sure that it’s actually an item that you’re interested in.  Even if it’s a Prada bag that only costs $50, if it’s an ugly bag, it’s still an ugly bag.  No matter what brand it is.
• Make sure you’re getting what you pay for: Since the items in a consignment store have most often been worn or used by someone before you, sometimes the items are a little worse for wear.  Don’t buy something that you won’t be able to get a lot of use out of.
• Wash before wearing: Even though people are supposed to clean their items before selling them to the store, still make sure you wash or dry clean your new clothes before wearing them.
• Don’t get discouraged: There are definitely times when I’ve left consignment stores empty handed.  Try not to get discouraged if you don’t find something perfect every single time.  Often, it is just luck of the draw—which is why scavenging helps to ensure you find fantastic new clothing.
• Be sure to come back another time: Finally, since it’s not designers that consignment stores get their merchandise from, rather, people just like me and you, they get new clothing in all the time.  You might be unsuccessful one week, and then find tons of things you love the next, so be sure to visit your local consignment store as frequently, and as fiscally, possible.

Located in many different states along the East Coast, this is the link to my favorite consignment shop, Second Time Around: www.secondtimearound.net

Lana Schwartz is an intern at College Lifestyles (TM).  She is going to be a senior at the University of Delaware and she loves to shop.