Second-hand stores are filled with bargains you can use

  • By Kyle Valentini
  • October 23, 2011
  • 271
                        
Summary: Include thrift and consignment shops in your weekly search for bargains. You might be surprised at the many useful and even necessary items to be found in near new condition at local resale shops. Sending less money on items you need is smart and keeps perfectly good items from being needlessly tossed in a landfill. Supporting local resale merchants also keeps money in your community where it does the most good. Are you too cool for thrift stores or consignment shops? Think again. There are bargains to be found, savings to be had and in many cases, it just makes sense to purchase items second or even third hand so they don’t end up in a landfill before their usefulness is spent. When you buy new items you have to ask yourself, what am I really paying for? The cost of the materials and the labor it took to create it, package it and ship it to a retail outlet is usually considerably less than the price on the tag. In a society that has rapidly become known for throwing everything away when it shows the smallest amount of wear, shopping at thrift store and consignment shops doesn’t make you destitute. It makes you smart. John Ritenour owns Seconds Resale at Heritage Square Shopping Center at Dover. “My customers vary from day to day. Generally women shop, but recently we've been seeing whole families, couples and men shop,” said Ritenour. Thrift and consignment shops have an ever-revolving selection because much of the merchandise comes from donations or from consignments, where the original owner makes money by allowing the shop to sell the product and sharing the profit. “Because the items change from week to week, we have a lot of regular customers,” said Ritenour. “There are a lot of people who take advantage of our agreement program. We currently have over 60 clients on contract. 80% of those are returning clients,” said Ritenour. With Seconds agreement program, the store pays the customer once their items have sold. Seconds also accepts donations and can be a great way to get rid of unwanted items that are still in good condition. Kids often grow out of clothes before they have a chance to wear them out. Special items like holiday dresses or items that have only been worn a few times can be purchased for a few dollars at a thrift store. The same goes for prom and homecoming dresses that cost hundreds of dollars when purchased new from a department store. High dollar items like wool sweaters, sports coats and winter jackets come in styles that last despite the current trends. A classic navy sweater can be dressed up or down with jeans or a skirt, depending on the occasion. The traditional trench coat is timeless and can be worn three seasons out of the year. Thrift stores often carry these items for under $10. Jewelry from thrift stores can range from modern to retro. Creative types might even enjoy repurposing strands of beads and baubles into new pieces they make with pieces and parts they find. Thrift stores are a great place to find purses and handbags. Most women have several purses and will donate them to a thrift shop so they can justify buying a new one before the old one has even worn out. Look closely and you might find well-made, brand name bags for pennies on the dollar. “I think people in general are looking for ways to save money. They shop for everything from clothes, toys, kitchen accessories, knick knacks, light furniture, movies and books,” said Ritenour. You never know what you might find inside a thrift shop. The old saying, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure certainly holds true. Some things you see as worthless might be of value to someone else or simply might be a practical way to save money and reuse items that might otherwise get thrown away.


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