Friday, August 28, 2009
This year, the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops expects college students to spend upwards of $618.12 on back-to-school materials, including electronics, clothing and school supplies, but there is one quick and easy way students can make a few extra dollars: resale shops, more commonly known as thrift stores.
Lily Boyce, Lawrence junior, said she visited Lawrence resale shops two to three times a year to sell her old or unwanted clothes. Last year, she said she went to Plato’s Closet, 3514 Clinton Parkway, and left with $80 in hand.
“I used it as spending money when I went to Chicago to visit a friend,” Boyce said. “Resale shops are great because they provide a good selection of alternatively cheap clothes for people because they don’t just buy anything.”
According to NARTS, the second-hand shop industry is growing by five percent every year, even as the economy continues to dwindle.
Dena Hodges, JCCC junior, Lawrence, frequently trades in clothes for cash or store credit at Arizona Trading Company, located 736 Massachusetts St. “I come here two to three times every two weeks,” Hodges said. ATC is one of the many places around town where customers can turn used items into cash.
The resale trend is not only beneficial to students, but also for local businesses.
Corey Sievers, Manager of Arizona Trading Company, said they were staying open with steady sales.
Nearly all the merchandise in Arizona Trading Company comes from trade and Sievers estimated that half of their business came from students.
“It’s an easy way to make a few extra bucks or to make a trade for something you do want,” Sievers said. “People bring in a few things to sell and, on average, walk out with $10 to $15. Some can get up $50 or $60, depending on what they bring in.”
Trade stores in Lawrence give anywhere from 30 to 40 percent of what the item is worth in cash for items people bring in to sell and upwards of 50 to 60 percent in-store trade.
There are other stores in Lawrence, however, that deal in more than just clothing trade.
The Dusty Bookshelf, 708 Massachusetts St., is yet another trade option in Lawrence. All of its inventory comes from sales from the Lawrence community.
Matt Kelly, Charlotte, N.C. senior, said he was a regular customer before he began working at The Dusty Bookshelf.
“We get quite a few students in during the year because we have a lot of literature that’s read in classes,” Kelly said.
Sievers said stores use a variety of criteria when deciding what they will buy from people who bring in merchandise, such as the brand, style, condition and a basic idea of what sells well.
Similarly, Game Guy, 7 E. 7th St., looks at the condition of the video games and DVDs they buy, as well as how old a game is and its market price.
“We give the best price we can,” said Havana Mahoney, Manhattan sophomore and employee at Game Guy. “It’s great if you need to buy a textbook or need some extra money for rent one month.”
Juan Requenes and Oscar Gutierrez, Kansas City freshmen, said that they began trading video games at Game Guy and other gaming trade stores when they arrived in Lawrence for school to make a few extra dollars.
“There’s not really any point in keeping a game once you beat it,” Gutierrez said. “So we might as well trade it for another game or use it to buy some ramen.”
More than 10 trade stores are open within the city to buy and sell from students in addition to Arizona Trading Company, Game Guy and The Dusty Bookshelf.
Mahoney said she also shops at Wild Man Vintage and Arizona Trading Company because it’s not only easier, but a lot less likely that someone else will have it.
“We have arrived,” said Gail Siegel, NARTS Director of Membership Services, in a press release on August 10th. “Inclusion in the National Retail Federation survey proves how notable the resale industry has become in retailing.”
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