Consignment vs. Thrift store

I thought I could explore the differences between consignment and thrift stores, and just in case some of you don’t know I will start with the basics. A consignment store is a private business, run by the owner who ‘consigns’ clothing from clients. The process is simple and if you ask me, quite brilliant, there’s no investment in inventory, it almost works like an art gallery where the gallery picks the pieces and gets a commission for showing the work. So in the consignment model, the owner gets to decide what garments she’ll take from the client, and then gives the items a determined time period. In some stores, the longer the item sits on the floor, the cheaper you can get it for, as the price decreases per week. If it’s sold the store keeps a commission and the client gets the rest. It usually works on a 60/40 split with the store keeping the 60 percent –hey they have the overhead right?

A thrift store is usually run by a charity such as the Salvation Army or Good Will. They depend on donations of clothing that gets dropped off to their door and then sorted through in order to go on the floor.

Here are some of the pros and cons of Consignment vs. Thrift stores:

Consignment store Pros:             

1.       Quality: Because the store owner wants to get the best bang for her buck, they are generally quite picky about the quality of the garments she takes in.  Garments that are soiled or worn out won’t be accepted and in some cases they won’t even accept garments that are cheaper made sources. So you are assured that what you buy will be well made and in good condition

2.       Designer brands: Often a consignment store will focus on providing only higher end designer brands. They won’t accept fast fashion sources such as George or JOE. The designer brands that they provide will be available at a fraction of the cost that they would be brand new, so you are getting great quality and fit at a bargain.

3.       Merchandising: Some consignment stores pride themselves in their merchandising and style, their focus is in making the experience feel more like a regular retail boutique. Some great local examples are ‘Frock’ and “The wardrobe” both these stores cater to a funkier clientele and also carry some new items that complement their consignment side.

Consignment store Cons:

1.       Price: Because the point of the consignment model is for both the client and the store owner to make a profit, the price point of consignment is higher than a thrift store. Even at second hand prices you may have to pay $50 for a jacket or a dress, but if you consider that the dress originally may have sold for $200 then it’s still a deal. This is where you need to make a decision of whether or not the item is in fact worth the 50 dollars. Often I hear people say ‘Well for $50 I could go to the mall and get a new dress”. What you need to remember is that a 50 dollar brand new dress is more than likely not made with the same quality as the 200 dollar dress so in fact you’re not comparing apples to apples.

Thrift store Pros:

1.       Price: Because thrift stores rely on donations they can set their prices really low in order to move more merchandise through the floor faster.

2.       Surprise: Often during the sorting of the garments that make it to the floor, certain ‘gems’ get mixed in with the regular clothing, which means that you may find some designer piece marked at $5. Usually these pieces are marked the same price as anything else in their category so whether it was a pair of True Religion jeans or a pair of Reitman’s jeans, they would still be the same price because they are both jeans.

Also, Depending on the location of the thrift store you may get better garments than in other areas of town, simply because a higher income neighborhood will result in higher end donations.

Thrift store Cons:

1.       Merchandising: In a thrift store the main purpose is to get volume so the floor is often overcrowded and hard to go through. It is also not usually well merchandised either because the volume of items is overwhelming or because the workers are often volunteers whose job is mainly to keep things tidy and run smoothly.

2.       Unrealistic pricing: Some thrift stores, (who will remain nameless) have upped their prices so much that they are now competing with places like Wal-mart. The problem with selling a used t-shirt for $7 is that people automatically compare it to brand new. Again you have the question of ‘well, for that price I could get it brand new at Wal-mart’. And you know what? In this case, yes, you could. Because another thing that thrift stores do is they take any clothing as long as it is wearable, so yes it is very possible that the very t-shirt in question did in fact come from Wal-mart and it probably cost $7 to begin with!

So there you have it, I think I can sum it up like this: Consignment gives you the assurance that you get better quality and value every time, but you pay a higher cost. In a thrift store you pay a bargain price but you never know what you will find. You need to be able to make the time investment.

And on that note, I need to make some time investment and check out some of these second hand establishments… I need a new pair of ‘old’ jeans!

Thrifting 101

Lets set the record straight about thrifting: It is not gross! Thrifting gets a bad rap because often the stores that offer second-hand clothing are cramped, not well merchandised and lets face it…there’s a certain odor to them. But if we let go of this snooty attitude and look beyond the appearances, we might see that there are treasures to be found.

Fabulous red shoes I found at a local consignment store -I've worn them to death

I have to be the first to come forth and admit it: I was once a thrift store snob. When we first moved to Canada and were introduced to a second hand store, I did not like it at all. My mom was in seventh heaven filling up her cart with all kinds of goodies and I could barely look in the racks. I was a typical seventeen-year-old mind you and not much impressed me. Eventually mom did convince me and I ended up with a couple of large sweaters to wear over my stirrup pants…(any clue as to what decade I’m referring to?)

It’s taken a long time and some necessity for me to embrace the gift of thrift. I started going to thrift shops to find used furniture and gadgets. I also shopped for my kids, because baby clothes usually don’t get used as long and they were in great shape. In fact, at one of my baby showers one of my friends gave me a huge box of clothing which she decided to buy used, so that instead of buying me one outfit, she was able to buy a dozen! This changed my mind about second hand clothing.

Another great find from the consignment store.

So changing your perspective about the smell and the fact that it has been used is the first step. The second step is getting past the merchandising. Usually these stores are not organized like the box stores where there are outfits put together or many sizes to choose from and everything is in beautiful colour stories. Most second hand stores are simply divided by sizes and category and if you are lucky sometimes by colour.  I know a few people who have told me that they get overwhelmed by the amount of pieces and lack of direction. There’s no clear trend here. You are on your own. You must rely on your own style and flare. And I believe this is what fast fashion has stripped from us, it has taken our ability to decide what looks good on us and dictated what is in style this season or even this week; making it difficult for many to stray from a style that is not flattering or does not fit our personality at all.

In a thrift store, however, once you start really looking it’s amazing what you can find if you have a good eye. And I think that’s the trick. You need to figure out what is worth it and what’s not. You need to look for quality, style and fit. So here are a few tips to happy thrifting:

This one came from Value Village!

1.       Spend the time: First of all, when you are just starting make sure to give yourself plenty of time. Once you become a ‘seasoned’ thrifter you can go in and pick a garment without a second thought, but at the beginning you’ll need lots of time to look through, inspect and very importantly: try on! There’s no point in buying something that does not fit or even worse: does not fit right! 

2.       Look for quality: this is where learning the difference between a good or bad sewing finish or what a high quality fabric content is, comes in handy. Sometimes looking at the brand name will help because there’s no denying that something made by a designer brand is usually better made than a garment from a fast fashion source.

3.       Style: Insert personality here. This is where you get to decide what you shine in. What are you most comfortable wearing? And I do not mean comfortable sweat pants! We are talking fashion pieces here. Things like line and shape or colour and texture. It does not have to be limited to only pants or skirts or dresses, but if you do prefer one of this categories, that says something about your personal style too. So do you like long and lean or do you like flouncy and delicate? Or is it loud prints and bright colours? Dainty florals or basic pieces. You decide. And once you know what happy looks like for you, then make sure it is flattering.

4.       Fit and a flattering look go hand in hand. Proportion plays a huge part in the fit of something being right for you. Look for things that fit your shoulders, torso and waist. Remember that hems and sleeves could be altered and some side seams could be taken in, but unless you have a basic understanding of alterations, make sure that the garment fits before you buy it. Otherwise you’ll never wear it again and you’ll curse your experience.

5.       Bring a buddy: This only works if you like a second opinion. But if you are a ‘solo’ shopper this might backfire especially if your buddy is on a time limit.  So on this note, don’t bring someone who’s not interested in being there: i.e. your children or husband.

   Most of all, have fun with it. In the famous words of Forrest Gump: "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get!"