Thursday, March 13, 2008
For college students looking to make a quick buck for spring break, consigning their clothing is an easy option. Plato’s Closet joined the list of second-hand clothing stores in Lawrence in January, and it celebrated its grand opening on Monday.
Students can bring their clothes they don’t wear anymore to secondhand clothing stores, which sell them for cash and buy other used clothing at discount prices.
John Nichols, owner of Plato’s Closet, 23rd and Kasold streets, said he usually paid students about 40 percent of what the clothes were worth. That price is determined by a computer program that takes the condition, brand and style of the clothes into consideration.
“College students are always looking for a way to raise quick cash to cover entertainment, rent or whatever,” he said. “I see a lot of kids on Thursday nights who come in looking for a few bucks to party.”
While Plato’s Closet uses a computer to assess the value of its clothing, other secondhand clothing stores such as Arizona Trading Company, 736 Massachusetts st., and Wildman Vintage, 939 Massachusetts st., train their employees to make their own judgments.
Erica Voetsch, Leawood junior and employee at Arizona Trading Company, said she saw a wide variety of students and styles.
“We get the artsy kids looking for something unique and the fratty kids looking for their polo shirts,” she said.
Nichols said Plato’s Closet got clothes from all over the world.
“KU is a melting pot of students, therefore it’s a melting pot of fashion,” he said. “It’s a place where different styles converge.”
Both Arizona Trading Company and Plato’s Closet try to avoid buying clothing that are out of style.
Nichols said that Plato’s Closet carried mostly name-brand and designer clothing. Corey Sievers, manager of Arizona Trading Company, said only 10 percent of what his store carried was older than two years.
On the other hand, Wildman Vintage strives to buy vintage clothing from as far back as the 1940s.
Tom Kimmet, a KU student who’s worked at Wildman Vintage for three and a half years, said the store’s owner traveled all over the world looking for the most outlandish clothing out there.
“What differentiates us from the other two is that we pride ourselves as being kind of laid back, mellow and just having a good time,” he said. “We get a lot of students that come in looking for stuff to wear for theme parties.”
While Wildman Vintage deals mostly with vintage clothing, it also buys clothing from local designers.
Kimmer said the store gave designers 70 percent of what their merchandise sells for.
Like Plato’s Closet and Arizona Trading Company, Wildman Vintage paid people 40 percent of their clothes’ resale value, but unlike the other two, it will not take name-brand clothing, Kimmer said.
—Edited by Madeline Hyden
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