Resale Clothing for Adults
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Consignment shop for larger sizes
Sept 2012
I have some clothes that I would like to consign (or sell) at a resale boutique - mostly business casual clothes. They are all on the larger side (in the XL/1X and 14-18 range). None of the shops I know of (Rockridge Rags, Sola Lucy) have a good selection of larger sizes so I am guessing that my pieces wouldn't be a good match. Any recommendations for a resale or consignment place that would take items for the curvy gal?
I'm in the same size range as you and have found that Rockridge Rags will take some of my clothes, so I would try there first. Otherwise, I'm at a loss for other places and would caution you against consigning at All the More to Love in Alameda. Read their Yelp reviews for the reasons why- they are unprofessional to say the least. Cece
One reason why I never go to consignment shops is that there is never anything in my size. If you do take your clothes somewhere, please post and let us know where you decide. I might just have to go check them out. Big girl
Never been in, but you could try 'Seams to Fit' on Telegraph, above Alcatraz. L
Check out 'Seams to Fit' (it's the consignment store for the new-clothing store 'Says Who'). They're on Telegraph in North Oakland. A great, convivial place with lots of good stuff; good place to take your (gently) used clothing, too, for resale. Website is http://www.sayswho.com/seams Large-size Berkleyan
Try L'Armoire Consignments on Solano (527-8026). They take seasonally appropriate clean & 'ready to sell' clothing up to a 1X. Also, there is a large size consignment store in Oakland(?) called Seams to Fit. Andrea Kean
Seams to Fit 6527 Telegraph Avenue Oakland, California http://www.sayswho.com/seams 510.428.9463 Hours: 11-6 Monday-Saturday 12-4 Sunday
High-endish local consignmnet stores?
Feb 2010
Wondering if anyone can recommend local, high-endish consignment stores, similar in personality and quality to Rockridge Rags and its sister store in Walnut Creek, Main Street Rags? We have some things we'd like to consign and need a couple of other options. Many thanks, Wardrobe makeover time
I have taken some of my nice clothes to Sola Lucy on 803 Delaware St (right by 4th St) in Berkeley and was very happy about their efficient service and how friendly and helpful they were. Highly recommend it. You can check them out on Yelp: they have lots of good reviews: http://www.yelp.com/biz/sola-lucy-berkeley. Rosie
I love Sola Lucy, in the 4th street area. It is in the little strip of stores I think on Delaware, between 6th street and 4th street. Very cute little shop. They just opened a new store in Montclair as well. Have fun! Consignment Store Junkie
I really like Urbanity. It's on the north side of Solano near The Alameda. The owner (Angela?) is really great to work with and it seems like stuff moves pretty quickly. Good Luck:) Barbara
2007 - 2009 Recommendations
Consignment stores with larger sizes
Sept 2008
I'm interested in hearing women's recommendations for used clothing/consignment stores that have good selections for larger women. I know the term 'larger' is relative-- I'm a size 12-14. I'm finally tired of my totally sparse, schlumphy clothes, but really don't have much money to spend and am looking for fun, casual, cool and sometimes funky clothing. I've read the range of used/consignment stores from previous BPN recommendations, but wonder if any of the stores in particular are good for larger women. In the same vein, can anyone recommend online resources for picking clothes that are flattering when you're on the larger end? thanks! tired of my same old clothes
Try L'Armoire Consignments at 1487 Solano in Albany. They sell seasonal women's clothing, accessories,& jewelry, in a boutique setting. Half of their clothes are 12 or up. Andrea
Try Seams to Fit on Telegraph Avenue, right above Alcatraz. plus sized consignment shopper
Thrift stores for adults & babies
April 2008
Just wondering where there are some good consignment shops and thrift stores for adults and babies. I am looking for gently used kids clothes and casual and career clothes for mom. thrifty
check out Thrifttown in El Sobrante on San Pablo Damn Rd..it is i think the biggest thriftstore around and i have found some nice kidsclothes there thrifty as well
Dressed Best for Less on Piedmont Ave. in Oakland is great. They also have a ''marking room'' up the hill near Piedmont High where they process all the incoming donations, and there are great deals on clothes for all ages, toys, books, and housewares. Thrifty Too
Try Bearly Worn in Walnut Creek.
Goodwill on San Pablo just below Ashby: not much for kids, but good stuff for adults.
Crackerjack just off Piedmont Avenue: plenty for kids, nothing for you.
If you feel like making the trip, Thrift Town in San Leandro is HUGE. Plenty for both of you.
The best consignment/resale store for women in Berkeley is Sola Lucy on 5th Street (in the 4th street shopping area). There is also Crossroads (Shattuck Ave) and Buffalo Exchange (Telegraph) for men's and women's but I think for the younger crowds (I haven't shopped there for myself since my daughter was born over 6 years ago). If you prefer Vintage, my favorite is Dolled Up Vintage on San Pablo at Dwight Way, and Twisters is just down the street.
As for kids stuff, the absolute best selection is at a relatively new store on MLK called Grove Street Kids. They have baby stuff all the way up to size 10 or 12 I think. And a friend just told me that they are now selling used maternity! They also buy/sell shoes. There is still Hannah's at the top of Solano which is smaller but still a good selection. Solano Kids in Albany (also on Solano, obviously) has a lot of baby gear (strollers and such) and toys.
Of course, if you are looking for traditional Thrift Stores, Salvation Army on University has kids through adults, but there stuff is not what I call bargain basement priced. In fact it doesn't seem their clothing is much less than the aforementioned resale stores. The Good Will is cheaper but the selection is not as good. I've heard Thriftown is a great but so far away (El Sobrante) that with the price of gas it hardly seems worth it.
Happy hunting! thrifty but fashionable too!
Consignment store that buys nice men's clothing
May 2007
Hello, My husband has some really nice suits, slacks and shirts that mysteriously got too small for him. Many are in great condition and we were hoping there was a place in the Bay Area where we could re-sell them. All the consignment stores I know about are for kids or women. Does anyone have any recommendations? Also, if this type of place were to exist, where would we donate the items that the store rejected - specifically an organization who helps people get back to work with nice looking clothing? Thanks
GoodByes on Sacramento Street in SF sells higher end, used men's clothing on consignment. The men's store is separate from the women's. http://goodbyessf.com/contactus/ Good luck! anon
In Oakland, donation of professional attire for men and women trying to go back to work. They also provide career prep advice and training. Excellent, well known organization. http://www.wardrobe.org/ anon
Try Rockridge Rags on College Ave in Rockridge. I have bought some nice used men's things there - they will probably buy your clothes. Seth
My husband has had very good luck selling some of his better clothes at GoodByes in San Francisco. They've sold most of the suits/slacks/sweaters he has taken over. 3464 Sacramento is the address for the Menms Store & 415-346-6388 is the phone number. van
2004 - 2006 Recommendations
Where can I sell nice womens' clothing?
Dec 2006
I'd like to clean out the closet of my ''professional'' and ''fashionable'' life - armani, tahari, theory, prada, tse, donald pliner, max mara including coats, suits, shirts, sweaters, skirts and lots of shoes. It's more conservative and classic than trendy but doesn't withstand baby poop or drool very well. Where's the best local east bay resell shop to consign? Anyone else have any recommendations on selling my precious stuff? I'd like to work with a nice process and nice people as well as recover as many $$ as I can from my prior ''investments'' Ha! Thanks!
I almost don't want to give this secret away, but Sola Lucy on 4th Street is wonderful: http://www.4thstreetshop.com/pages/sola_lucy.html
..the sales personnel have great taste, as well as a friendly and positive attitude. I always enjoy shopping there--in fact it's the first place I check before going anywhere else. (And if you are a size 4 dress or 8.5 shoe, I would be interested in buying suits/shoes--email me at redbird_429 [at] yahoo.com) :) frequent consignment shopper!
Ebay! seller
On Ebay, you need to follow a kind of protocol, state all known tears, stains, repairs, etc...PHotos should include front, details, back, preferably on a dress dummy or manikin. You may like to give the year bought. That's how my SIL sells vintage and she does quite well. seller
Crossroads Trading Co. and Rockridge Rags are conveniently close to each other and Rockridge bart on College Ave. Crossroads pays you on the spot so you don't have to hassle with consignment and they will probably take your ''younger'' stuff. For more ''mature'' things try Rockridge Rags. I think they are an actual consignment place and the prices are relatively high so I think you will get paid decently. Both places get a lot of traffic. anon
Thrift stores, both kids & adult clothing?
Feb 2006
Hi all, I've looked at the web site but find only very old postings. I'm looking for decent (well-priced, nice brands) thrift stores or consignment shops, etc., in the East Bay selling kids and/or adult clothing. Several of the kids shops mentioned on the web site are out of business now. Where do you all go for nicer quality previously owned clothing, for your kids, or yourselves? Thanks so much. Budget minded, but want good quality Thrift Town in San Leandro is a great store. Clothing, household items and more. On E 14th at 162nd. It is a large store with stuff coming in all the time. The prices are good and they are always having 1/2 price days depending on the ticket color on the item. Sometimes I find great deals, sometimes nothing, so go a few times to check it out. I believe there is also one in El Sobrante but I have never been to that one. Tina
For adult clothing, there's a consignment shop on Solano (near Santa Fe I think) called L'Armoire that has nice quality women's clothing. For kids, I go to Hannah's further up Solano, or Darla's on San Pablo in El Cerrito. jennifer
A good friend of my husband's runs www.customink.com, a company that does custom tshirts and stuff online. I've never ordered anything from them, but the website is easy to use, and we've gotten some of their goofups, and the printing looks pretty highquality to me (ie the ink isn't just sitting on the surface of the fabric - something I never thought about until hearing this guy talk obsessively about printing shirts). They have a wide variety of makes and models - from Fruit of the Loom fat- man-shirts to American Apparel sexy-model-tanktops. anon
Thrift Town! There are stores in San Leandro and San Francisco, and they have super-cheap kids' clothes (mostly around 1-3 dollars per item), lots of toys and books and household stuff, and adult clothes priced slightly cheaper than Goodwill. The stores are better-organized than most thriftstores. The kids' clothes range pretty much from hideously chintzy and ugly to BabyGap - a great place to get your wardrobe staples on the cheap, as long as you're not too picky about fashion. Also a great place to get things like riding toys, bouncy seats, etc. East Bay Miser
There are several consignment stores around. My favorite is a new one on Solano next to the post office called Solano Kids. Super friendly helpful people, good selection, good prices. I've been shopping consignment since before my child was born and I've got her trained now that she's 7. When she's outgrown things she asks me to ''trade'' them in for new things, which I do. There's also ''child's play'' on College in Rockridge and Laura's Closet on College in Elmwood. The prices seem too high to me at both places and they are very picky about what they will buy from me. Anyway, happy shopping. Anon
For adults, try Rockridge Rags or Maribel (the best!) Depending on your kids' ages - these may work for them as well. There's also a place called Plato's Closet that's resale for junior sizes - in Dublin? (I've only been to the one in Ft. Worth, TX - they're franchises.) Little kid places = Crackerjacks, Child's Play, Making Ends Meet, Silver Moon - all in Oakland. -Resale shops rule.
I buy 90% of my and my family's clothes at Thrift Town. I shopped there for myself when I was single, and haven't slowed down since. When my kid outgrows her pants, it's a great feeling to get her a half-dozen pairs in the next size for five bucks. I also get kitchenware, linens, books, toys, and furniture there. Not to mention the uncategorizable treasures, like the Japanese porcelain scotch-tape dispenser decoratively glazed with tropical fish, and the wooden wind-up jewelry box that plays ''La Vie en Rose.''
I have the best luck at the San Francisco Thrift Town, on 17th and Mission (very convenient to BART), but others swear by their stores in San Leandro and El Sobrante. heidi
I shop at Lauren's closet. They have an older side & a kids side. I find their prices afforable, but there you can always sale your clothes and use that to purchase what you want. They are located on Park Street in Alameda. Shelly
Where to sell gently used, quality women's clothing
March 2005
The consignment store that I used to take my clothing to on Solano Ave. is no longer in business. I was hoping to get some input from fellow subscribers on good places to take gently used, good quality women's clothing. I was hoping for recommendations on places that take a wide variety of items. (For example some stores take only designer labels while others still, opt for trendy fashions....) julie
Rockridge Rags on College Ave near the BART station takes nicer clothes. There is (or used to be) a few places near the UC Berkeley campus (Aardvarks, Buffalo Exchange, Sharks) that catered more towards the college crowd.
2003 & Earlier
Want to sell clothes that are a few years old
Oct. 2002
I would like some recommendations on consignment shops to sell women's clothing. The clothes are all in new condition, and most are brands such as Gap, Nordstroms, etc. However, they are all a few years old. I saw a few recommendations on the website, but I wasn't sure how old the listings were and was hoping for some more information. Any tips would be appreciated. Also, any additional ideas of places to sell such clothing? Thanks! - Laura
There are many good places to sell your clothes in Berkeley. Probably Crossroads Trading would be one of your best bets. There is one located on College Avenue and one on Shattuck near Durant. Also, you can try Buffalo Exchange on Telegraph Ave. Keep in mind that all of these places tend to get really crowded on all of the obvious times, like weekends midday. Another thing to do would be to call ahead of time to find out when a buyer is working, since it really is no fun to lug all of your things down there only to be told to come again. Good luck, hope that helped! :0) Nicole
There is a store on Solano, I think it is called the Solano Clothing Store, or something like that. I have been there a few times, and they are really nice and have nice clothes. It is down towards the lower half of Solano. Maria
I have had good luck reselling clothes at Solano Ave.Consignment (SAC)(near Domino's Pizza) and the Sophisticated Lady on Piedmont Ave. The later goes for more for fancier and designer clothes (Armani, etc.). I have gotten a couple good things at SAC by Land's End, etc. kl
In Walnut Creek there is a place called Main St. Rags that you might check out. I don' t know offhand if it's related to Rockridge Rags in, of course, Rockridge. ;-) Lori
Best Prices for Quality women's clothing?
I am wondering if anyone can recommend the consignment store in Berkeley or Oakland that gives the best prices for good quality women's clothing. I have a number of trendy linen, rayon and cotton clothing in that I'd like to sell. Has anyone had experience with either Rockridge Rags or Sola Lucy? Other ideas? Thanks
I had the following experiences recently....Sola Lucy only accepts designer clothing and Rockridge Rags only accepts clothing that is less than one year old and still in style. Lisa
I am one of the owners of Rockridge Rags and have been at the same location for the past 23 years. I just wanted to correct something that I read on your web site today. We ask that clothing be no older than 2 yrs. We hope to serve the mother who is not returning to work by selling her useable items. and being able to shop for other items in good condition that she can use. We also take mens items and are one of the few stores that do. We would rather not take vintage items as sometimes they are fragile and hard to protect. Shopping for clothes should be fun, not something that you cringe when you see the price tag. What more fun than picking up a check for items sold ( a 50-50 split) and finding a real bargain in clothing from forever young to Armani couture with a few suprises on the way. Our store in Walnut Creek also carries contemporary items for women. Thanks so much for reading this. Sincerely Joyce Suess (Oct 2004)
Dorene
Can anyone help me weed through the many consignment shops in the area? I'm looking to sell both my husbands and my clothing (don't need kids consignment just yet). I've been to Rockridge Rags and a shop on Solano and found their styles very different. In particular, which shops take men's clothing as well as womens, which take dressier vs. casual clothing, which are really picky vs. those that will take anything, any with great resale success, etc. I've heard some even take old jeans no matter the condition (as well-worn is very cool among the students). Any ideas out there?
Heike
Plumeria Consignment on Shattuck Ave at Berkeley Way (845-9044) is a great consignment store. The very nice woman, who owns the store, also takes regular (not limited to the latest hip or designer stuff) good looking clothes, shoes and jewelry. None of the restrictions I've experienced at Rockridge Rags or Buffalo Exchange. Plumeria has taken 95% of the clothes on consignment I had to offer and over 50% sold. I have also become a good customer over there. The owner creatively changes the window displays quite frequently and you can tell that she just loves what she is doing. A pleasant place to go to!