In second-hand news, apparently a midtown-Manhattan H &M was discarding and destroying clothing that went unpurchased. This practice has ceased, thanks to a CUNY grad student and some investigative journalism.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/nyregion/06about.html?bl
Friday, January 8, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
What makes a thrift store great?
I'm often stopped on the street and asked, "Oh mighty and beautiful one, what makes a thrift store great"? Over the years I have experienced many fantastic and many more not so fabulous second-hand shops, so I have compiled a list so as to give the people what they want--the truth. This list is, of course, just my humble opinion, so I look forward to reviewing the opinions of my loyal readers--please leave a comment!
Traits of the greats:
1. Low prices; this has to be number one. If I wanted to spend $10 for a Janet Evanovich book, I would do that at Border's where the bright lights and sweet smells make it worth the extra price--but I don't do that, I go to thrift stores for the fun and the good deals. I love nothing more (and my boyfriend probably hates nothing more) than responding to a compliment on a garment by stating, "Oh, thanks, I got it a thrift store for a dollar."
Regardless of how popular a thrift store becomes, the prices should always stay cheap. In my mind, cheap means that t-shirts should be no more than two bucks, long sleeve blouses and sweaters around four dollars, dresses around five, and shoes at three dollars or less. Books should never be more than a dollar, especially paperbacks, and all the houseware nick-nacks should definitely be less than three bucks. I went to a thrift store yesterday which was clean and well organized, but the prices were ridiculous: $15 for an outdated sweater with pits tains, and that was the norm! I actually heard one of the women pricing in the back complaining that the frame that had been donated to them already had a price tag of $1.50 (perhaps from a yard sale), and she just didn't know what do to because there's no way she could sell it for that cheap...why not? You work at a thrift store not Crate and Barrel, after all.
Thrift stores should be cheap, and that's my bottom line; otherwise the whole essence is lost.
2. The thrill of the hunt; this goes hand in hand with low prices because one of the best parts of thrift store shopping is thinking I could find a Betsey Johnson jacket or pair of Seven jeans for two bucks (both of which have happened to me at the same store!). Therefore, organization is important (I don't want my dresses with my breadmakers), but a store need not be so organized that the thrill is sucked out of the experience. I do not like it when stores pull out the fancy shoes, purses, and clothes and keep them in a special section: those things were just as free to them as the stinky sneaks with the mud stains, so why should they suck more money out of shoppers? Plus, by doing that, they take away the adventure in the possibility of finding something great.
3. Friendly, perhaps even crazy, workers; my associate and I once learned that the checkout clerk was gay with a history of anorexia all in the course of ringing up three items (for which he gave us an extra 50%discount "just 'cause." We have also learned that you can tell if a pair of jeans will fit by wrapping them around your neck (fodder for another post, I suppose), and the detriments of leaving children unattended for even a moment in a store. I like knowing that if I make a little small talk, learn a little about the person, and share something about myself, I may just squeeze an extra two bucks out of an already discounted item--is it cheap? perhaps, but it also adds to the thrill of the hunt and the opportunity to keep some extra money in my pocket. Listen, I like my thrift store workers like I like my cheese: unusual, flavorful, and a little stinky. (Ok, I know that comparison didn't really work, but I was stretching...)
4. Cool stuff; Now 'cool' is a very subjective term, and an elusive one at that, but in general I mean the store has to have things that are worth taking home even if they are only a quarter. When I go into a shop, I want to see a large variety of clothes with a wide range of styles, colors, and sizes. Of course, high end brands are appealing given that the garments may be a few years old already, so quality matters to ensure that you can get a little more life out of the piece. And I like to find brands I've never heard of before to know that the piece might be a little more unique than what I could find at the mall. The 'cool stuff' that most interests me, personally, is great dresses, fabulous sweaters, decent shoes and accessories, and lots and lots of books. But like I said, that's just my definition of cool.
5. Non-profits with a good cause; Some of my favorite shops meet all of the first four criteria, but are just businesses making a profit. There's nothing wrong with that, and they are still some of my favorites (I'm thinking of Village Thrifts and Red, White, and Blue shops in particular), but a truly ideal shop would also the opportunity of free donations and low overhead to do something meaningful with the money. Perhaps my favorite thrift store of all time is completely volunteer run by Kiwanis members; it's only open one day a week for three hours, but they gross over $250,ooo a year and that all goes back into the community to support a variety of programs. While it is not essential, the purpose driven thrift store gives the shopper a sense of meaning in their hunt. Further, it creates a sense of community and tradition among those who shop, donate, or volunteer at the store something akin to a farmer's market. It just makes the process even that much more pleasant; but all shops at least aid us in reducing waste by reusing others unwanted goods, so any thrift store shop is an ok shop by me!
So, let's hear what you think!
Traits of the greats:
1. Low prices; this has to be number one. If I wanted to spend $10 for a Janet Evanovich book, I would do that at Border's where the bright lights and sweet smells make it worth the extra price--but I don't do that, I go to thrift stores for the fun and the good deals. I love nothing more (and my boyfriend probably hates nothing more) than responding to a compliment on a garment by stating, "Oh, thanks, I got it a thrift store for a dollar."
Regardless of how popular a thrift store becomes, the prices should always stay cheap. In my mind, cheap means that t-shirts should be no more than two bucks, long sleeve blouses and sweaters around four dollars, dresses around five, and shoes at three dollars or less. Books should never be more than a dollar, especially paperbacks, and all the houseware nick-nacks should definitely be less than three bucks. I went to a thrift store yesterday which was clean and well organized, but the prices were ridiculous: $15 for an outdated sweater with pits tains, and that was the norm! I actually heard one of the women pricing in the back complaining that the frame that had been donated to them already had a price tag of $1.50 (perhaps from a yard sale), and she just didn't know what do to because there's no way she could sell it for that cheap...why not? You work at a thrift store not Crate and Barrel, after all.
Thrift stores should be cheap, and that's my bottom line; otherwise the whole essence is lost.
2. The thrill of the hunt; this goes hand in hand with low prices because one of the best parts of thrift store shopping is thinking I could find a Betsey Johnson jacket or pair of Seven jeans for two bucks (both of which have happened to me at the same store!). Therefore, organization is important (I don't want my dresses with my breadmakers), but a store need not be so organized that the thrill is sucked out of the experience. I do not like it when stores pull out the fancy shoes, purses, and clothes and keep them in a special section: those things were just as free to them as the stinky sneaks with the mud stains, so why should they suck more money out of shoppers? Plus, by doing that, they take away the adventure in the possibility of finding something great.
3. Friendly, perhaps even crazy, workers; my associate and I once learned that the checkout clerk was gay with a history of anorexia all in the course of ringing up three items (for which he gave us an extra 50%discount "just 'cause." We have also learned that you can tell if a pair of jeans will fit by wrapping them around your neck (fodder for another post, I suppose), and the detriments of leaving children unattended for even a moment in a store. I like knowing that if I make a little small talk, learn a little about the person, and share something about myself, I may just squeeze an extra two bucks out of an already discounted item--is it cheap? perhaps, but it also adds to the thrill of the hunt and the opportunity to keep some extra money in my pocket. Listen, I like my thrift store workers like I like my cheese: unusual, flavorful, and a little stinky. (Ok, I know that comparison didn't really work, but I was stretching...)
4. Cool stuff; Now 'cool' is a very subjective term, and an elusive one at that, but in general I mean the store has to have things that are worth taking home even if they are only a quarter. When I go into a shop, I want to see a large variety of clothes with a wide range of styles, colors, and sizes. Of course, high end brands are appealing given that the garments may be a few years old already, so quality matters to ensure that you can get a little more life out of the piece. And I like to find brands I've never heard of before to know that the piece might be a little more unique than what I could find at the mall. The 'cool stuff' that most interests me, personally, is great dresses, fabulous sweaters, decent shoes and accessories, and lots and lots of books. But like I said, that's just my definition of cool.
5. Non-profits with a good cause; Some of my favorite shops meet all of the first four criteria, but are just businesses making a profit. There's nothing wrong with that, and they are still some of my favorites (I'm thinking of Village Thrifts and Red, White, and Blue shops in particular), but a truly ideal shop would also the opportunity of free donations and low overhead to do something meaningful with the money. Perhaps my favorite thrift store of all time is completely volunteer run by Kiwanis members; it's only open one day a week for three hours, but they gross over $250,ooo a year and that all goes back into the community to support a variety of programs. While it is not essential, the purpose driven thrift store gives the shopper a sense of meaning in their hunt. Further, it creates a sense of community and tradition among those who shop, donate, or volunteer at the store something akin to a farmer's market. It just makes the process even that much more pleasant; but all shops at least aid us in reducing waste by reusing others unwanted goods, so any thrift store shop is an ok shop by me!
So, let's hear what you think!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
