Second- hand style - Online Shopping
Smart shoppers can find everything from boutique children's clothes to designer handbags at area thrift stores and consignment shops
By CASANDRA ANDREWS
Staff Reporter
Long before talk of a looming recession and belt-tightening became the norm, those looking to save a few bucks, or a few hundred, shopped in second-hand stores. These days, businesses that sell used goods aren't just for folks stocking up on work shirts or college students looking to furnish a first apartment.
Even a few stylishly dressed ladies who lunch have been seen browsing the racks of local thrift stores and consignment shops. That's likely because they know there are some excellent deals to be had on brand-name apparel if you're willing to shop often and early. On a recent trip to a Goodwill in West Mobile, the children's section was stocked with several barely worn smocked outfits, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren sleepers, sweaters and shorts, plus separates from Gymboree -- all priced at 99 cents each.
Spotted on another rack was a men's cashmere sweater for less than $4. Formal gowns were priced at $17.99. Besides saving money, people have another reason for shopping at second-hand stores. It's also good for the environment, since you're recycling when you purchase clothes that have already been worn. Besides, where else can you get a wedding dress for $19.99 or less? And spending money in stores that benefit charitable institutions helps the community and the agency you do business with.
From Fairhope to Tillman's Corner, there are dozens of thrift stores and consignment shops in the area, selling everything from boutique children's clothes and barely touched toys to designer shoes, handbags and suits. Carol Shoemaker, 45, of Mobile, has made a hobby of scouring area thrift stores with her husband. He looks for collectibles and clocks. She's picked up a fully-beaded wedding dress for $1, plus many pairs of trendy shoes her children love.
"My teenagers freak out when I bring home Timberlands for 50 cents," she said of the nearly new footwear she's purchased for pennies. Standing inside the back room at Penelope's Closet last week, Shoemaker said she's been hunting for great deals at second-hand stores for at least eight years. "It makes your money go further," she said, "And it's a good way to furnish your home." Shoemaker said Penelope's Closet is one of her favorite places to hunt for bargains because it supports a worthy cause. Money raised in the midtown store supports Penelope House, a home for battered women and their children in Mobile. "It's fun and you meet people," Shoemaker said of her shopping experiences. "There's something new every time."
While most second-hand stores stay open year-round, other businesses confine their sales to particular seasons. Several groups in Mobile and Baldwin counties present children's consignment sales twice a year, in the spring and fall. At those events, hundreds of sellers bring in their children's gently used clothing and then share the proceeds with the group or individuals hosting the sale.
There are also more than half a dozen consignment shops in Mobile and Baldwin counties that strictly sell clothes and other merchandise (toys, bedding, books, shoes, nursery accessories) for children. Lori Fuller owns Pass It On, a children's and maternity boutique in Daphne. She opened the business almost four years ago and has more than 600 clients who sell merchandise in the store.
"Kids just outgrow stuff so quick, so they don't wear it out," she said of clothes for youngsters. "And you don't want to pay full price for something." Another benefit to buying clothes that have already been laundered, Fuller said, is that you know the item probably won't get smaller: "They've shrunk to whatever size they're going to shrink to so you know it's going to fit your kids." Rebecca Teel, a frequent customer at Pass It On, said she couldn't believe how much items for children cost when she began preparing for the birth of her son, Zane.
"I had sticker shock," she said, placing a used Bob the Builder book on the counter as she began to check out. "It was overwhelming." Teel said what surprised her most was that children's clothes cost just as much as outfits for adults. These days, she and 19-month-old Zane are frequent customers at the consignment shop, searching through mounds of toys, and racks of shoes and clothes at least once a month. "I come in here regularly," Teel said. "I buy a little bit of everything."
Labels: luxury handbags and accessories, luxury vintage, LuxuryVintage, second-hand stores
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