A supplement to the Daily Journal Section D I September 27, 2013
LAUREN WOOD | DAILY JOURNAL
Addison Carter, 16, of New Albany, sports Corral boots, an Innovation dress and a Jessica Simpson purse, from Peace of Mind. The store’s owner, Lisa Rakestraw, estimates the outfit would cost about $340 in a department store, but would cost about $197 at Peace of Mind.
THOMAS WELLS | DAILY JOURNAL
Brittany McCain, owner at Resale Therapy, wears 7 For All Mankind jeans, a Free People top and a Hobo Purse, and her own jewelry. Her outfit could retail for more than $350 in a boutique but sells for about $115 at her shop.
LAUREN WOOD | DAILY JOURNAL
Brandi Turner of Tupelo is wearing jeans by Hudson, BCBG Girl boots, Desigual top and a Kavu bag, all found at Love Me Do. Christy Bell, who works at Love Me Do, estimates the entire outfit would retail for nearly $700, but the entire outfit would sell for $145 at Love Me Do.
‘One man’s trash, another man’s come-up’ Resale shops offer trendy finds at low prices
BY SHEENA BARNETT DAILY JOURNAL
TUPELO – Trendy, affordable styles with a bit of history are a must-have this season. Rapper Macklemore scored a surprise hit single in 2013 with “Thrift Shop,” an ode to digging through thrift shops, saving money and looking cool, inspiring audiences to check out shops they may have otherwise overlooked. “I’m gonna pop some tags, only got $20 in my pocket/I’m hunting, looking for a come-up,” he raps, and adds later, “Imma take your grandpa’s style/No, for real, ask your grandpa/Can I have his hand-me-downs?” Resale, thrift and consignment shops all sell previously owned clothes at discounts, but they each work a little differently. Resale stores have popped up across the area lately, and they offer something just a little different from other used clothing shops.
HOW IT WORKS
Three Tupelo resale shops, Resale Therapy, Love Me Do and Peace of Mind all said they look for trendy, name-brand clothes in good condition. At a consignment shop, a person will
get money back for their clothes only if the clothes sell; at a resale shop, they’re paid for their clothes right away. Some stores may require an appointment or may take clothing only on certain days, while others will take clothes at any time. “It’s a lot less paperwork, and it’s a lot nicer for the suppliers who don’t want to wait a week or a month to get paid,” said Brittany McCain, who owns Resale Therapy. A few name brands spotted at Peace of Mind, Love Me Do and Resale Therapy include 7 for All Mankind, Kavu, Miss Me, True Religion, The North Face, Polo, Uggs, American Eagle, Banana Republic, Michael Kors and Coach. Each of the stores said they generally price items at least half of what the retail price is, and if they’re unsure, they’ll check online to see what those items are selling for on sites like eBay or Craigslist. “We want to price it where people can afford it,” said Joe Haynes, owner of Love Me Do. A pair of $150 jeans at a department store could sell for anywhere from $4050 – and less, if they’re on sale, and they often are – at Peace of Mind or Resale Therapy, said McCain and Peace of Mind owner Lisa Rakestraw.
A Polo shirt that retails for $69 is $16 at Love Me Do. All of the stores offer specials, too: There’s always a sale at Resale Therapy and Peace of Mind, and Love Me Do has a room in which nearly everything in it – shoes, jeans, tops and more – is $2.
STYLES AND STANDARDS
Because the clothes come from all sorts of folks, there are various styles and sizes. “We have double zero to size 26,” Rakestraw said. “We don’t buy things with holes, and we wash a lot.” Many folks also bring in items they purchased but never actually wore, so they still have the tags on them, said Christy Bell, who works at Love Me Do. “No stains, no rips, and it has to be in a current style,” Bell said. Right now, the shops are looking for fall and some winter clothing. “People are looking for jeans, jackets, boots, things like that,” Rakestraw said. “We do have to go with how the weather is,” McCain said. “We go by Mississippi weather.” Although the shops sell men’s clothes, the selections aren’t quite as large as it is for women’s clothes. “Men usually wear their things out,
and women’s fashion changes so quickly,” Rakestraw said. “Their style doesn’t change a lot.”
WORK IT
But one thing resale shops have in common with thrift and consignment shops: If you see something you like, snap it up. Because these shops don’t carry different sizes of the same item, there’s a chance what you want may not be there the next time you shop there. “You have to shop it regularly,” Rakestraw said. “You can’t stop.” The stores said they’ll hold something for someone, but only for a very limited time. Peace of Mind does a lot of business through its Facebook page, where they post pictures of the latest arrivals. Each of the stores sell something a little more than adult clothing. Resale Therapy offers purses, wallets, accessories and children’s clothing. Accessories and purses are also sold at Love Me Do and Peace of Mind. Love Me Do offers art, magazines and books – select items from Hayes’ entertainment resale shop, Greatest Hits. Peace of Mind sells furniture and DVDs, too.
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Fall Fashion