Take Advantage of Your Local Consignment Shops: Part 1

One great way to recycle clothing is to frequent your local consignment shops. Not only will you find some fantastic bargains, but you will also benefit from selling all those unwanted pieces in your own closet. Here are a few tips, though, in order to ensure a promising venture:

1. My number one rule is to take only name brand items because you have a greater chance to get top dollar for those; donate all non-name brand items to stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army because I can all but guarantee you that you will see almost no money for them. (You can also claim these donations on your tax forms so the credit that you receive for them outweighs what you could get by handing them over to consignment.)
2. Most consignment shops see so much clothing that they have become incredibly picky so please stay away from pieces that are damaged in any way or stained. You will be turned away and run the threat of damaging the relationship that you have established with the staff.
3. Take items such as shoes, jewelry, belts, handbags, scarves and other accessories as well as clothing...they are less common and you may get a better return on them. Just remember that it is a huge no-no to take in undergarments so do us all a favor and just throw those in the garbage once you have no further need for them!

So have fun with it and get started right away! Go to your closet, pick out some items that you need to dispose of in order to make room for newer, more exciting items (I know you need some of these with Fall being right around the corner!) and head to your nearest consignment shop...oh yeah, and read Part 2 of this post so that you know where to go!