Tips to Do Resale Right

Tis the season to put away the summer clothes and pull out the fall and winter stuff.  If, by chance, you or your children have changes sizes, you may opt to do some shopping at thrift stores to help ends meet during the most expensive time of the year.  Hopefully at least a few of these tips for resale shopping will help you make the most of it all.  Keep your eye on the prize and remember that shopping resale saves money, encourages recycling, and you're most likely helping a charity.

* Thrift stores stock shelves with donations so you never know what to expect.  Make several shorter trips vs. one big trip hoping to find everything you want.

* Items are sold "as is" so always carefully inspect your finds before taking them to the register.  While Goodwill offers a 10-day return policy, the Salvation Army does not take returns of any kind, so you may or may not get your money back if you discover a problem later.

* Not all thrift stores have fitting rooms.  Wear clothes that let you work around this, such as a loose t-shirt and a loose skirt with an elastic waistband that'll allow you to slip pants on underneath.

* Take along a measuring tape and use it to measure clothing that don't have measurements or sizes on the tag.  It would also be best to take along your own measurements for easy reference (and those for anyone else you might be shopping).

* Try the neck-waist trick (this cracks me up - can you imagine doing this?): to gauge if a skirt or pants will fit your waist, wrap the waistband around your neck as if tying a cape.  If it fits your neck, it will probably fit your waist (this trick doesn't apply to low-rise jeans).

* Be smart about designer labels.  Don't buy an item just because of it's label if it's likely to be out of style next season ... or worse: not worn very often.

* Resist temptation ... you're more prone to make an impulse purchase at a thrift or resale shop because the prices are so much lower, but you don't want to clutter your home with items you won't use simply because they were cheap.  You also don't want to waste money on stuff you won't wear or wil regret buying later.

* If you're considering the purchase of a small appliance, don't be afaid to ask that if be pluged in and observed for a few minutes.  Also check the cords for frays.

* The Salvation Army often has a certain day of the week when certain colored tags are 50% off.  Locally here in Delaware, Friday is the day and the tag color changes weekly.  Last week, the "blue" tags were on sale ... and since the blue tags usually signal Gap, Levi's, Mudd, Bongo, American Eagle, and Aeropostale ... I spent more time than usual shopping for the kids.  As mentioned in another article, I bought a magenta REI fleece Thinsulate vest for my daughter, sales tags intact, for just $9.  She loved it and she'll be darned warm on our winter walks!  Sorry - had to brag a little.  :)  Anyway, if you have a Salvation Army near your home, find out which day is discount day and plan to shop on that day rather than any other.

* Red, White, and Blue Thrift Stores, which we don't have here in Delaware, are megastores restocked daily with goodies.  A friend reported that she'd found a pair of Rock & Republic jeans, which normally retail upwards of $150, for just $35.  Certain color-coded items are marked down 50-75% every day.  Plus if you're 55 or older, shop on Wednesdays for a 50% discount!  Worth it to check it out!

* Make it worth the trip ... have items in your home to donate?  Most stores also accept your donations.  Clean out the closets before you go and kill two birds ith one stone.

* If you choose to shop at a consignment store rather than a thrift store, take along gently used items that can be resold.  You can earn a little back on your items instead of taking the regular tax deduction by donating items to a thrift store.  This can help relieve some of the expense involved in buying other items.

* Make friends with consignment shop owners.  They may be willing to contact you when an item you'd like becomes available, saving you lots of money and doing some shopping for you!

* End-of-season cleanouts are the best times to find great stuff, but it's when experienced shoppers also hit the stores.  Shopping ahead of the season is always a great way to save money on items you'll need soon as well.  For example, people donate a lot of summer items in the Fall and Spring (when they realize they may not fit into them!) so you should snatch some denim shorts and/or solid capris that won't really go out of style during these seasons.

* Find a thrift store anywhere!  TheThriftShopper.com lists more than 7,300 charity-driven thrift stores nationwide.  Where you shop CAN make a difference!  Shopping at thrift and consignment stores near affluent neighborhoods can get you a nicer selection of designer brand merchandise as well as clothing that is less used since those with a greater disposable income purchase more clothes and wear them less than the average person.  Get to know the zip codes of affluent areas near you in which to search for thrift and consignment shops.

* Try to locate thrift stores that cater to YOU.  Prefer clothing that's not more than 3 years old?  Want a store that offers plus-size clothing exclusively?  They DO exist.  The question is: do they exist near you?  Sometimes the yellow pages and a few hours of research is worth finding your favorite stores.

* Are you striving to make more of a difference with your purchases?  Don't be shy - ask the store employees or owners where the proceeds go.  Some stores that are privately-owned do donate a portion of proceeds to charity while others may donate goods and merchandise to women's shelters or rehabilitation efforts.