apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

You might want to try Tokyo 7 or maybe Ina Men, though Ina doesn't have a lot of merchandise.

My friends and I have a swap every so often - someone brings some wine and cheese and we open up our give-away bags. I usually get rid of everything I didn't want, and return home with just a few new things. Anything left over is taken to Housing Works.

beacon's closet in williamsburg and park slope gives cash or trade credit for men as well

You could just have a single eBay listing with all of the items you want to get rid of. You won't make as much from selling the pieces individually, but I bet you'd at least match what any store would pay.

Not exactly what you asked for but another route you could go -

If you have a lot of clothing you could donate it to a charity and get a pretty nice tax deduction simply by using the thrift store value of calculation. The salvation army has a guide on the back of its donation sheets and I'm sure others do also. You can deduct somehwere around $40 for a suit, $10 for a pair of dress pants, $5-$7 for a shirt. Each item has a price range dependent on condition. I know ppl that produce close to 20 garbage bags worth of clothes each year. You could easliy get about 30 items in each bag with an average value of $7 per item = $210 per bag. That comes straight off your AGI. If you have enough bags then it could push you down into a lower tax bracket.

Speak to your CPA/tax person about documentation required for this etc.

Save yourself some time and call ahead to whichever resale shops you intend to hit and ask them what types of clothing they are buying on that given day.

Generally, these types of shops buy seasonally and will only buy items that are ready to go out on the sales floors for immediate sale. Calling ahead will save you the time and effort of lugging over heavy Fall/Winter items that they won't need right now. (Best to hold onto those pieces until late September/early October.) Cycling out your unwanted clothes seasonally will reap you more money.

Make sure your clothes are presentable and not balled up in wrinkled mess. Whatever pieces are bought generally go straight onto the sales floor once they are priced by the buyer.

If you are an average size--30"-33" waist and 40"-44" jacket, shoe size 9-11 your pieces will sell a little more easily. But if you are of smaller stature (like me), best to go to resale shops that are frequented by gay men or Japanese tourists--bigger demand for Size Small items at these places.

Denim is tricky. Most resale shops will only buy collectible Levi's or higher-end lines like Evisu, Andrew Goldschmeid, Paper Denim and Cloth, etc.

Some shops will buy men's accessories, but generally only if they are designer and in good condition. (A beat-up Prada shoe is still a beat-up shoe that no one will want. The exception seems to be Cowboy boots.) A good buyer will spot a knock-off a mile away.

Finally, when you're standing with they buyer going over your pile of clothes, be friendly. Remember, they are not judging you or your taste in clothing. They're just doing their jobs and looking for items that will sell off their floor. Oftentimes, they'll ask you for the price paid when determining a resale price.

Thanks for all the advice so far!
I didn't know you could write so much off!

Anyone else know of good secondhand stores?

BTW, my sizes are 36" waist and tops are mostly XL

Cory--

You can deduct the amount of donated goods to places like Housing Works, so that would be a win-win, since that's such a great cause.

Hi Cory,

I have a resale/consginment shop in Atlanta and I am always looking for men's clothing. Where are you located?

Check out the American Cancer Society's Discovery Shops. They're about the most upscale resale you're likely to find and the money support research, patient services and education. Find out where they are located via their website - www.cancer.org, or by calling them at 1-800-ACS-2345.