As I mentioned in a previous post, I am attempting to create a working closet, with fewer items that can be mixed into multiple outfits. When going through my closet, I determined that I have a lot of clothes that I will likely never wear again. I wondered if I could sell some of these to help fund future clothing purchases. I asked my niece, who has sold clothes at Daisy Exchange and Plato’s Closet, for advice. She advised me that both stores can be picky about clothes that show any wear. And they most likely won’t take clothes from Target. I also checked out their websites and found that, in addition to the popular teen clothing stores, Gap and Old Navy are brands that they are looking for. I was a little unsure as to whether my clothes were “trendy” enough. Both companies make a big deal about that on their website. As my niece said, “It’s worth a shot.” So I packed up my clothes.
Daisy Exchange
I decided to go to Daisy Exchange first, only because it was in the vicinity of other errands I needed to run. When I walked in the door, I wondered if they would take any of my clothes. They had a lot of “trendy” stuff, most of which, I thought, were trends from several years ago. There was a man already there to sell his clothes, so I entered my information in the computer and looked around. When I sensed the clerk was looking at my clothes, I wandered over. She told me that she was really looking for bright colors and blue jeans. She said that she took some of my skirts from The Limited but did not take some of the older ones (which I found humorous since she took one I bought several years ago and left one that I purchased more recently). Then she pointed at the clothes on the counter and offered me $25. I accepted. After leaving the store, I discovered that there were at least two items (probably my most valuable items) that she kept that were not on the counter when she made the offer. Had I known this, I might not have accepted the offer.
Plato’s Closet
A few days later I was in the neighborhood of Plato’s Closet so I took the clothes that Daisy Exchange didn’t want plus a pair of boots. I was again apprehensive about whether my clothes were trendy enough. The sign on the door said, “We Buy Teen Clothing”. Since I’m in my 30’s, I thought that might be pushing it; but, reminded myself that it doesn’t hurt to try and went inside. At Plato’s Closet they have a form you are required to sign. It states that you will stay on the premises while they look at your clothes and you will take with you any clothes that they do not buy. I looked around while I waited and discovered that there were a few Target brand items and also a pair of Steve Madden shoes that I own that are at least 5 years old. The clerk called me over, showed me the stack of stuff she would buy and offered me $35. She also showed me two items that she did not take and explained that the Old Navy shorts were from several years ago (true but I wonder how she knew that, I did not wear them very often, and I saw similar shorts in Old Navy last summer). She also declined to take a pair of pants that I had cut the pockets out of. When I left, I discovered that those two items and 3 Tulle brand items were the only things she didn’t take. This surprised me a little because Tulle is probably more trendy that most of my other clothes.
Conclusion
I will go to Plato’s Closet first in the future. I believe they would have purchased almost all of my clothes and saved me a trip. I felt that the clerk at Plato’s Closet was friendlier and more helpful. Keep in mind both store’s teen demographic. Both stores bought several skirts that I wore to work. While these items were worn in a professional environment, they were all washable, not dry clean only. I would not take any of my suits to either place. If you have a professional wardrobe that you want to sell, I suggest you do some internet research and see if you can find some other consignment shops that specialize in professional wardrobes. Both stores purchase girl’s and guy’s clothing; you might want to call before going to the store because that can vary by location. I recommend that you verify what they are buying before accepting the offer. Just because you can’t see an item doesn’t mean they don’t intend to purchase it.
Leave a Reply