NYC's 5 Best Consignment Shops For 2015
As the seasons change, so too does your wardrobe. But how to stock up without breaking your budget, all while getting rid of the out-of-date clothes currently cluttering your closet? Answer: consignment stores. Here are five we adore. By Jessica Allen.
Locally owned and operated, with four stores in two boroughs, Beacon's Closet features rad clothes for men and women. In addition, the company offers a living wage, paid paternity and maternity leave, and 100% health insurance to its full-time staff. Awesome clothes, awesome business practices. Get thee to browsing! Or to dropping off! You can get store credit or cash or make a trade for your clothes; check the website to see what they're looking for.
Fisch for the Hip offers both men and women a highly curated selection of designer duds. For those who can't quite afford the price point (and it is high), the store has a generous layaway program for its clothes, handbags, shoes, and accessories. Indeed, Hermès bags are something of a specialty at the store. In terms of consignment, you might be able to get as much as 75 percent back. The owner, Terriann Fischer, has been in the consignment biz for more than 25 years. A side note: celebrities love it here. No joke!
Here's something cool: you can schlep your stuff to any of INA's six locations in the city, or you can consign online. (Shipping costs are reimbursed as part of your first sales check.) INA handles both men and women's fashion from the past five years, including clothes from places like Express and Anthropologie (call the location nearest you to verify what the buyers are buying). INA also recently launched its own label, so consider getting your check in store credit and stocking up on always-in-style basics.
High-end is as high-end does. If that's not a slogan (and we're pretty sure it's not), it could be at this UES emporium. Michael's stocks the best, and only the best. This means that everything must have a designer label to make it through its doors and onto its shelves. No second tier, no third tier, and definitely no cheap-o stuff. Michael's wants, and sells, women's clothes in excellent condition from the past two years.
For more than 35 years, Second Time Around has lived and breathed its motto: Resale Goes Upscale. The various locations around the United States, including several in NYC, share a common goal: to buy and sell "designer clothes and accessories in great condition, creating a world of unique wardrobes with a smaller carbon footprint." You get bonus credit (or cash) if you bring in seasonally appropriate, not-too-old items with the tags still on.
