This thread inspired me to go to GW on my way home today. I got two really nice, and needed lamps. We had our house painted and had the wall mounted lights in each kid room removed…needed something to replace them.
Got a gorgeous blue and white Chinese jar type lamp for one too, and a simple blue painted wooden one for the other. Total cost $14. That’s for both…nor each.
I can’t do pre-worn shoes. They don’t make it through the wash 
@mom23travelers, my response to any statement beginning with “Well, no one told me to…” is “When you are an adult, no one ever tells you anything again. You just have to figure it out for yourself.”
Before I even consider buying a pair from RealReal, I study the photos of those shoes under a magnifying glass, lol. Only go for things that are new or occasionally next to new. Fungus lurks in dark, moist places. Open strap sandals are usually safe after cleaning.
I think pumps could be a problem because they are worn on bare feet. Sneakers can be washed, plus, they are usually worn with socks, but you can never be sure how much mileage is still left in the shoe (even the shoes that look new and clean can be at the end of its useful running life).
Even bigger issue with pre-worn shoes is that the shoes usually adapt their shape to the wearer’s feet - even after a few wears. To combat that, you need to resole the shoes and get new insoles, and by the time you are done, the savings are not worth it.
Not at the goodwill, but I love thrift store shopping. We have some great ones in our area. Lots of brand new clothing at very cheap prices. I also like the new stores that sell gently worn name brand clothing that are popping up.
This thread has me intrigued…I donate to GW frequently (honestly, they’ve made it easiest) but I’ve only shopped there when we needed costumes for kids, either for Halloween or when they were in local theater productions. The ones around me, as well as the one Savers I know of, smell, are messy and, honestly, have a vibe that makes me not want to be there. Having said that, I live in a suburban area with many high end towns which makes me wonder where those boutiques or other thrift stores are that are the recipients of goods from these people…I’ve yet to find any of them but they must be here somewhere! Not sure I’d become a purchaser of second hand clothing or shoes but I’m a bargain hunter at heart and would enjoy the process of finding out if I ever saw lightly used higher end or new items!
Are there names I should watch out for or do you really just have to visit every one to see what it’s like (not really up for that latter option).
One of the docs I know bought a lovely practically new leather coat at a Maui thrift shop–GW or SA. She said it was perfect for her trip to Japan, where she was guest speaker.
I’ve never looked much. We are really working on decluttering at this point.
I’m the OP. I do actually frequent much more the high end consignment stores, and typically find a lot. Items usually cost 2 to 4 times more for tops and skirts, but the clothing has been weeded through when chosen, so everything is in current Fashion. It does make looking around much easier. I still am quite happy paying $8 to $15 on average for a top…but it’s not as thrilling as .99 cents.
@collage1 wrote “Are there names I should watch out for or do you really just have to visit every one to see what it’s like (not really up for that latter option).”
At first I read this as what labels to hunt for (when I’m looking for jeans I’m looking at Se7en 4 All Mankind, etc), but then I realized you meant what kind of stores. It’s really random.
There’s a consignment store about an hour away from us that we usually hit first when we’re looking for dresses. It smells bad and is skeevy, but you can occasionally find some great dresses there.
Then there’s another consignment shop that had the Tony Bowls dress I mentioned earlier. That store is sparkling clean with a high-end feel to it, and excellent customer service (think Say Yes To The Dress level good). That’s our second stop because we know we’ll usually find something awesome there, and we’ll enjoy the experience. The dresses there aren’t “cheap”, but they’re clean and in perfect condition (the consignment rules state the dress must be in like-new condition and have the dry cleaning tags on it).
You can usually tell from the website what kind of place they are-look for what the consigning rules are; the more stringent, the more likely the place will be nice to shop at.
Clothing thrift stores just are skeevy; it’s the nature of the beast. There’s no incentive for them to clean their clothing, so it gets hung up in whatever condition it was received. I always donate clean clothing, but I’m super fussy with stuff being clean. I wear a lot of perfume when I shop in those places-it’s the only way I can get through it without being overcome by the “thrift” stank.
The stuff I buy from thrift stores goes directly from the bag into the wash-we NEVER try it on first (I’m good with knowing what fits just by looking at it for me and the girls).
I should add I don’t need to shop at thrift stores-we’re middle class. I like shopping at them because, like Macklemore says “that’s fifty dollars for a t-shirt, yo. I call that being swindled and pimped by the business.” 
I literally can’t pay full price for anything.
Those higher end thrift/consignment shops…as compared to Goodwill…share some of the prices you pay for things. @conmama mentioned $10-$15 for a top - so like what kind of brands???
I do like name brands but do not need exclusive name brands. I’m just curious to know the “mark down” for name brand items at high end shops vs. Goodwill (where yeah, as far as I know its “skirts - $5.99” - no matter if it’s from Old Navy or J Crew.
The summer tops run about $8…j crew, Ann Taylor, Chicos, Vera Wang…etc. sometimes if it’s really cool, it’s $10. Fall and winter run more like $12. There have been some brand new Soma tops for $22. The reason I like these are the styles are still in Fashion, and you have a variety of styles all in one place…not spread out through the department store or mall. It’s just easy!
“Those higher end thrift/consignment shops…as compared to Goodwill…share some of the prices you pay for things. @conmama mentioned $10-$15 for a top - so like what kind of brands???”
It depends on the shop. Most of them have online inventory you can surf, though, with prices and label names.
I bought a wonderful Brooks Brothers women’s black wool cable knit turtleneck sweater – slightly used – for $25 from our GW. $25 is a lot for a used sweater, I’ll grant you, but I figure it was originally at least $100. I’ve had it and worn it for several years now.
I usually buy housewares from GW, not clothes. I’ve bought a replacement lid for a frying pan, a Villeroy & Boch serving dish, and a nice chip and dip serving piece.
“Those higher end thrift/consignment shops…as compared to Goodwill…share some of the prices you pay for things. @conmama mentioned $10-$15 for a top - so like what kind of brands???”
I was at the one I frequent just yesterday. I came out with 3 items that just all happened to be Kate Spade (just coincidence, really). I don’t have the receipt on me, but one was a sleeveless silk summer top to wear with white jeans, one was a cute t-shirt that could also be a beach coverup, and one was a pair of striped espadrilles that looked brand new. Each was about $35-40 which is a great price for Kate Spade.
This is a local upscale resale store with 3 locations. The one near me has the best merchandise as it’s most closely located to ladies who lunch and discard 
Here is a tip for shopping RealReal. When you see something you like but the price is too high for your tastes, add it to the favorites list. If the item gets discounted further before it sells out, you will be notified via email.
As if on cue - D just sent me a message, she just hit up GW in NYC - wasn’t looking for anything in particular (she’s crazy for vintage) and stumbled on a new with tags Cynthia Rawley spring weight rain coat, tag is from the CR boutique, $698, Ds cost $19.99.
I had fun going to GW when visiting colleges with D3. The one in Marion, Ohio is pretty good. The one in Flagstaff, AZ is even better. I got a leather belt with a spinning spur on it!
D3 was mainly looking for “grandpa sweaters” and she came home with at least five of them.
Ha, ha about the “grandpa sweaters”. That is exactly what appeals to my D. I will now call them that.
I found a wonderful pair of brand new Manolo Blahniks (flats, not heels) at our upscale consignment shop for $85. Well worth it.
You should all know that some consignment store owners get some of their stock from Goodwill and other thrift shops, then spiff them up and double, triple or quadruple the price. There was a cute kids’ consignment store where I used to get D some of her clothes as it was right across the street from her preschool. Then one day I was at Goodwill on a Monday, which was when, at the time, certain color tags were only 99 cents. She had two carts loaded to the brim. Sure enough, the next time I went into her store, there were some of those items marked in the $5-20 range. I never shopped there again. I also knew a lady who ran a women’s high-end consignment store and she did the same thing. So don’t kid yourselves that you’re skipping the skeevyness of a thrift store by going consignment.