Consignment Stores

Ian is out playing indoor ultimate, so no fun cooking blog tonight because I'm feeling lazy and decided to make guacamole for dinner (the secret is cumin). Instead, I'm going to talk about consignment stores!

Shopping for Less Around Montgomery County, MD

I realize that there is a stigma associated with "gently-used clothing". Many people enjoy buying new clothing, ripping off that price tag and stepping out in their new duds to impress the world. Guess what...clothes are not an investment. Like cars, the second you buy that shirt, dress, whatever, the value of that item drops drastically. So why not let someone else make that mistake and buy clothes that have been stripped of inflated prices?

For those of you who are willing to give it a shot, consignment stores are a fantastic way to stretch your dollar farther than you ever thought you could.

If you could pick up a Citizens for Humanity jeans  for $20 instead of $160, would it be worth that quick rinse in the washer to you? Or a barely used pair of cognac brown knee high leather boots from Brooks Brothers for $50 instead of $200? How about a bronze purse from Cole Haan for $25 instead of $250? I own all these items...and nobody knows I didn't pay full price...shhhhh.

When I go thrifting, I come across Banana Republic, JCrew, Via Spiga, Cole Haan, Ann Taylor, Burberry and more. The list is endless. If you live near larger cities, you are especially lucky, as there are usually a number of thrift stores in the area, and they cater towards different shoppers. I have a list of stores in the Montgomery County, MD area that I frequently shop at and will explain a little bit about each.

Mustard Seed is a great starting place for people still iffy on the used clothing deal. This shop is located in Bethesda, and is part-consignment and part-boutique. The front section of the store is always decked out with brand new funky dresses and mod style jackets. The back of the store is the consignment section and ranges from dresses, shoes and shirts to a men's section of pants and shirts.

Chic to Chic is located in Gaithersburg (with a second store in Frederick) and only accepts very stylish, recent labels. Check this place out if you adore fancy purses, as they have a steady supply of nearly brand new purses from Coach, Luis Vuitton, Prada and more. The shoes here are simply to die for, with brands such as Jimmy Choo, Stuart Weitzman and Fendi. With all these designers in one store, the prices are definitely higher than your average store. However, I found a Burberry trench coat here for $150 by going to their After-Christmas sale one year. Now that's a damn good find! A similar store is Second Chance Boutique, which is located in Bethesda.

Carousel Consignments is a similar store to Chic to Chic, but is located in Rockville. They have a great evening section, where you can look through designer dresses for a quarter of the price. They also have an extensive jewelry section for those that want a little more dazzle in their life. I mainly go here for the shoes and to check for incoming designer jeans that I like.

After you've dipped your stores in consignment...you can check out the stores that are the true goldmines, but are less glamorous. 

Tina's Consignment Shop is located in Gaithersburg and is my personal favorite. I have found barely used shoes here from Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Nine West, and Tony Lama (yay cowboy boots!). One time, I even came across Via Spiga pumps with the price sticker still on them...they'd show the original price being $180, an initial mark down to $90 and then the thrift store price written on the sole...$8 bucks. Yeah, that'll do, pig. I also came across a killer red cocktail dress that I wore with the pumps (Ian definitely appreciated that particular find). This is the store where you can find buried treasure for dirt cheap. 

Upscale Resale, located in Rockville, is a good place to go for furniture, books and cooking gear. Their inventory changes very quickly, so if you are looking for a pool table, buffet table or any other large furniture item, check here often and you might luck out on a great deal.

Those are the places I visit with regularity. Go check them out and save some moolah!!