For those of you (like us) who are eager to trade an overstuffed closet for some cold hard cash (this is the Cash for Clunkers era, after all), we're instituting a little special on how to get the most money for your clothes. First up: Buffalo Exhange, that bastion of fast-paced resale.
We got kinda excited when we saw that exclusive selling tips from an ex-staffer at Buffalo Exchange had been offered on Cheap Jap. While the advice isn't necessarily mind-blowing, it is enough to stave off pilgrimages (of which there have been many) in which you arrive with a heavy bag and leave with barely enough cash in our hands to replace an old t-shirt. So we assume we could take a lesson or two from the mouth of one who probably bestowed our wardrobe destiny.
The informant goes into quite a bit of detail about the buying process but we'll break it down for you in layman's terms.
1. Is it trendy?
2. Is it designer?
3. Is it polyester? (We were confused about this one as we're quite sure the majority of fabrics in the store utilize synthetic materials. After all, it's cheap vintage. Not that there is anything wrong with that ...)
4. What season is it RIGHT NOW? Are people currently wearing items like this? (I.e. NorthFace ain't selling in July like it will in November.)
And after you answer all these questions correctly (yep, there's definitely right answers here lest you didn't notice), the savvy informant finally points to the most valuable and important point:
"Basically, if you wouldn’t give the stuff you’re selling to your sister/cousin/friend/mom to wear right now, some random girl shopping at Buffalo Exchange isn’t going to want it either."
So take a cold hard look at what's in that suitcase before you lug it over.
Buffalo Exchange is located at
504 Driggs Avenue @ N. 9th St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
and
332 E. 11th Street (bet. 1st and 2nd Avenues), East Village, NY
