SECOND HAND CLOTHES, SECOND HAND
FURNISHINGS--FIRST CLASS BUYING!
by Patricia F. Doering, Editor, Second Hand News

        I drive a second hand car, wear secondhand clothes, read secondhand books and watch secondhand movies on a second hand TV. set. Everywhere I go, I see second- hand furniture, secondhand rugs, secondhand jewelry, secondhand utensils and secondhand treasures --the latter passed on and on from one generation to another. Even one of my cats is secondhand!

        How many people do you know who have never visited a garage sale, thrift shop or an estate sale? And when buying thrift store clothing in the fifties was frowned upon (who would want to wear someone else’s clothing?!), today it’s the chic thing to do. Not only is garage sale, estate sale, rummage sale and thrift store buying the in thing to do, it’s the best possible way to find treasures and save tons of money at the same time. Where else can you find name label clothing such as Donna Karan, Liz Claiborne, Armani or Escada garments for around 40% less than retail? But even at that, you may have to hunt to find expensive, name label items on sale. And what about those red-lined levis? You know, those rare collector levis that Levi Strauss stopped making years ago? While it is true that today’s thrift store managers seem to know exactly what they have (could that be because they use ebay as a resource--which we know several thrifts are doing?), one can still find valued clothing (and other items) in thrift stores. Yes thrift store clothing is usually far lower in price than what a vintage shop might sell it for. Yet... finding something vintage in thrift stores may be difficult, unless you go as often as you can or visit San Diego’s thrift store boutiques (the Salvation Army operates four boutiques in San Diego; Goodwill has one--go to bargainlink.com under thrift stores, to find them.) And check out our Vintage Store listings for some of the best vintage clothing shops in town. One of the advantages of shopping vintage stores is that some of them import items from throughout the United States. That means very high quality and certainly more items to choose from.

        What’s the difference between vintage, consignment items, thrift store, resale or second hand items? Vintage is apparel from Victorian times--the 1800’s) to the 1970s. Resale is generally used clothing or really anything for resale -- meaning it has been used one or more times. These items can be one year old or many years old. Consignment simply means that the owner of the item has decided to let a shop owner sell it for her (or him); the shop takes a percentage and the rest goes to the owner. Clothing sold on consignment can be very high quality depending upon the requirements of the shop. On the other hand, buying in thrift stores means buying used goods -- all kinds of used goods where some items may be only a few weeks old to those dating back to the 30’s or before. Quality depends upon the individual stores. The word "second hand" covers all of those categories. (For a listing of San Diego shops, see our Resale and Vintage , Thrift Store and Specialty Shop sections on our web site. We also provide links to Consignment and Vintage Books, Publications, and Newsletters plus Shopping Online where general and national information can be found. Check back often as we expand our links section in our next newsletter coming out in September, 2004.)

        Of course, those of you interested in national resale or vintage buying can find great stores online or in an auction. Because San Diego’s Public Administrator (see Auctions) liquidates the estates of people who die without a will or anyone to administer the estate, many very valuable items can be found in these auctions including antiques, old books, furniture, jewelry, knickknacks, vintage clothing and more. Some of these items are auctioned in large quantities (lots) while others are auctioned individually. Most cities have Public Administrators; check the yellow pages under county government or go online to find the administrator in your area.

Certain basic guidelines are recommended for novice buyers of vintage, resale, consignment, or second hand goods. These follow:

(1) Locate the best stores in your area: for clothing, this can be done online through a search of such words as resale shops, used clothing, second hand, vintage, retro or even a short description of the item you are looking for. Local yellow pages offer referrals under the words "used clothing" which refers you to "Used Clothes, Used Vintage, Second Hand Dealers and Thrift Stores." (You won’t find much under "Second Hand Dealers," though -- at least not in the clothing area.)

(2) Visit one or two stores in your area for a preview: choose a store close by (or find one in a "posh" area) that has the kind of quality you are looking for. Talk to the owner, find out how long the store has been in business, ask about where the clothing comes from (consignment, purchases, etc.). Ask about return policies. And perhaps most important, talk to some of the customers about their experiences there and ask for referrals to other stores.

(3) Recognize quality: if vintage shopping is new to you, pay special care to workmanship. Look for style and be aware of such special features as specially-made buttons, unusual interior seams--anything that makes the garment different than the ordinary. Learn to recognize the feel of a garment and how to identify quality fabrics.

(4) Buy because you love it: while the price is important, don’t buy solely because the price is low. Buy because you’re crazy about it and you love how it looks! Be sure to try everything on for size. But be careful -- vintage garments are often frail and may tear easily.

(5) Thrift store shopping: try to shop in thrift stores on Tuesday through Friday but seldom on the weekends. Why? Because the stores have more time to price and sort by the end of the week and secondly, on the weekend you’ll be in competition with weekend shoppers. Our favorite day is Thursday. Ask about special sales and discount days for students, the military and seniors. And check every item carefully before purchasing. Some thrift stores are often not as careful sorting as they should be. Believe it or not, one or two still staple price tags to garments! Imagine what that does to silk or satin blouses! Stains can also be hard to see in some of the moderately-lit stores. As a result, ask if the store has a return policy; some do and some do not. A geographic listing of San Diego thrift stores can be viewed on our website http://www.bargainlink.com

(6) Consignment shopping: if you are searching for top-of-the-line clothing, it again pays to pick a San Diego County store in a very good area such as La Jolla, La Mesa (yes, La Mesa) and even Escondido. We mention those three areas because there are three excellent stores there (see Resale shops.) But if you’re outside the San Diego area, use the same procedures as noted here. Wealthy women consigning clothes will probably choose the closest store to their residences. Go "off season" or halfway through the season when the owner may be tired of what she is wearing. For consignment furniture, you will need to visit several stores to find the kind of quality you desire. You can save lots of money in furniture consignment stores. And in many cases, the furniture looks almost brand new. Inventory changes often, so go often. You can find some of the best San Diego shops under Specialty Shops. And as persistent second hand shoppers say: "go early and go often." And tell these shops (please) that Second Hand News sent you! We would also enjoy hearing about your shopping adventures--you can register by topic our Discussion Group forum on our website. And, happy shopping--enjoy yourself (and all of those treasures)!