Second hand stores

[HappyinHeels]

mlroseplant,

One has to check thrift stores often as the merchandise changes faster then regular retail. As I've said before thrift stores save money but also one isn't contributing to landfill issues or the slave wages involved in so much of clothing manufacturing.

Heelster,

Plato's Closet is based in Wichita, Kansas and is like Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul in that it offers inexpensive merchandise donated by the public. Where it differs is that the merchandise was often sold to Plato's Closet for a small sum of money. Typically one takes in clothing or shoes and a machine grades the condition and one is paid accordingly. They typically take in clothing or shoes that are not far outside the fashion cycle. While they normally pay something like $5-10 for a pair of shoes and sell them for $12-20 it offers soe incentive for people to donate there. There's one near me and I've gone there a few times and come home with something a few times. Of course wearing heels into the store just adds to the experience at least for me. HappyinHeels

[mlroseplant]

On 8/10/2019 at 6:35 AM, HappyinHeels said:

mlroseplant,

One has to check thrift stores often as the merchandise changes faster then regular retail. As I've said before thrift stores save money but also one isn't contributing to landfill issues or the slave wages involved in so much of clothing manufacturing.

Heelster,

Plato's Closet is based in Wichita, Kansas and is like Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul in that it offers inexpensive merchandise donated by the public. Where it differs is that the merchandise was often sold to Plato's Closet for a small sum of money. Typically one takes in clothing or shoes and a machine grades the condition and one is paid accordingly. They typically take in clothing or shoes that are not far outside the fashion cycle. While they normally pay something like $5-10 for a pair of shoes and sell them for $12-20 it offers soe incentive for people to donate there. There's one near me and I've gone there a few times and come home with something a few times. Of course wearing heels into the store just adds to the experience at least for me. HappyinHeels

We have one a them Plato's Closet stores up in West Des Moines. I have idly driven by it a number of times, but I've never until now thought anything of it. I might have to check it out one of these days, now that I know what it is.

[HappyinHeels]

Iowa just seems like an unpretentious place where residents enjoy life and one another and visitors make pleasant memories in some corner of the state. Major league baseball just announced they will have a game between the NY Yankees and the Chicago White Sox next year on the original site of the movie "Field of Dreams". That, in my mind, is one way of saluting this quintessential American state. Where deep black soil often is more than a metre deep, silos and grain elevators are the skyscrapers of the prairie, and a wallet dropped is a wallet promptly returned. It represents the best of the American character and is, in the minds of many, perhaps the first Midwestern state people think of. Time spent in Iowa will probably add to your lifespan. I love my Wisconsin but I salute our neighbour to the west. It really is a place worth seeing and experiencing for yourself. HappyinHeels

[mlroseplant]

4 hours ago, kneehighs said:

West Des Moines?  Tasty Tacos?  Roosevelt High School?  Debate Team antics....you're striking close to HS home there.  Almost want to run and set up my virtual reality machine to Google Earth my way to Des Moines for the memories.

Yes, indeed! And all of those things still exist today, probably even the debate team antics.

[Logjam]

This thread has taken an interesting turn! My dear wife is from Iowa, and I, with no prior association with that state, have developed a special fondness for the place. Though I especially love the western US, I always looked forward to visiting her family in Iowa. Entering the town where she grew up, I always felt that I had stepped into a sort of Norman Rockwell world.

[HappyinHeels]

I also adore the western United States and my yuccas and cacti are evidence of my fondness for that region. They grow rather well in Wisconsin actually. As to Iowa, I would add that while many homes and cars come with standard locks how many Iowans are actually using them is quite another story. It's a familiar story around Wisconsin. That's one measure of a high-quality place to be. No matter where one may later move  I think a part of Iowa is ever present in all Iowans no matter where they roam. Not surprising many Iowans choose to be buried in their native state. Must be a connection to the soil. I have read that 90%  of the most fertile and ph-balanced soil in the United States is within 300 miles/500km of Iowa. No wonder Iowans are of such good character  HappyinHeels

[Spikes]

I love to shop thrift stores for heels.  Savers is my favorite because they keep their shoes by size and prices are always in the $3-$10 range.  You all are correct, that the size I wear (10 women) is fairly limited in selection, but I have been lucky on occasion.

When I go in I look at all of the shoes from size 5 on up and always check out the highest heels.  What amazes me, is how unused most of these shoes are.  There usually is very little wear on the sole.  I don't know if it is because as others have said, they are just too high and uncomfortable and therefore, donated to second hand stores or maybe they were worn one time for a wedding and discarded.  I still like the second hand shoe aisles because I try to picture who bought the heels and how they looked on them.

[pebblesf]

34 minutes ago, Spikes said:

I love to shop thrift stores for heels.  Savers is my favorite because they keep their shoes by size and prices are always in the $3-$10 range.  You all are correct, that the size I wear (10 women) is fairly limited in selection, but I have been lucky on occasion.

When I go in I look at all of the shoes from size 5 on up and always check out the highest heels.  What amazes me, is how unused most of these shoes are.  There usually is very little wear on the sole.  I don't know if it is because as others have said, they are just too high and uncomfortable and therefore, donated to second hand stores or maybe they were worn one time for a wedding and discarded.  I still like the second hand shoe aisles because I try to picture who bought the heels and how they looked on them.

I love shopping at Savers up here in the northeast also!  A much better selection, properly displayed.  I have found a few size 10 boots there also....And, I always attempt to try on smaller sizes that interest me, hoping they were mismarked, or the sizing is off...

[hiddenheels]

On 8/16/2019 at 2:13 PM, Spikes said:

When I go in I look at all of the shoes from size 5 on up and always check out the highest heels.  What amazes me, is how unused most of these shoes are.  There usually is very little wear on the sole.  I don't know if it is because as others have said, they are just too high and uncomfortable and therefore, donated to second hand stores or maybe they were worn one time for a wedding and discarded.  I still like the second hand shoe aisles because I try to picture who bought the heels and how they looked on them.

Haha, so true. Same experience. A lot of these are probably "they look cool, must buy" and they never wear them. Most of the shoes I like, and I've bought there, have been almost-completely-new. 

[HappyinHeels]

It's great way to get clothes and shoes among other things at a fraction of their original cost when manufactured new. One adds nothing to a landfill when shopping at a thrift store and is also not adding to the problem of ridiculously low wages often paid to workers in many Asian and African countries manufacturing these clothes and shoes. HinH

[hiddenheels]

Had some luck again yesterday. Bought these guys for $15, a few signs of wear, but nothing big. Fit awesome, very comfortable.

 

https://www.tradesy.com/i/boutique-9-black-btstrut-leather-bootsbooties-size-us-8-regular-m-b/22036267/

[pebblesf]

Great find buddy

[hiddenheels]

On 9/17/2019 at 2:36 PM, hiddenheels said:

Had some luck again yesterday. Bought these guys for $15, a few signs of wear, but nothing big. Fit awesome, very comfortable.

 

https://www.tradesy.com/i/boutique-9-black-btstrut-leather-bootsbooties-size-us-8-regular-m-b/22036267/

haha, noticed my wording, "these guys" for a pair of 5" heels  ... :)

[Cali]

HinH, I was more surprise about the "Size 8".

And I'm glad you corrected the design by removing the 5th strap.

[hiddenheels]

3 hours ago, Cali said:

HinH, I was more surprise about the "Size 8".

And I'm glad you corrected the design by removing the 5th strap.

That ad is just a sample, it's not the exact shoe I bought. The one I bought is size 10, women's. Fits perfectly.

[jeremy1986]

Short story to add.  My wife and I took a day off work for some together time, left the kids in the care of their grandmother for the night. On the second day my wife wanted to browse a thrift store for some good deals, and indeed bought a couple of items.  I saw a few rows of ladies shoes and wanted to browse, and slowly worked on my courage to do so. The store was empty, but still was a little shy of the store keeper, but found my moment at some point that she was distracted.  Unfortunately, the pair of cute wedge sandals, stilleto boots and some other nice pairs were not a relevant size for me... they also were not priced so we'll.... Oh well.  Would have been fun to convince my wife i needed them!

One small step for many of you guys, one huge leap for me.  

[kanye2020]

My local thrift store's selection of female footwear ends at size 10 Female and I'm size 12 Female. Sad.

[ohnoberty]

I think that's one of, if not the biggest issue. You can search many of these places and eventually find an awesome pair, only to find that they're not your size. Doesn't stop you looking though, occasionally it works out.

[hiddenheels]

On 12/11/2019 at 12:18 AM, ohnoberty said:

I think that's one of, if not the biggest issue. You can search many of these places and eventually find an awesome pair, only to find that they're not your size. Doesn't stop you looking though, occasionally it works out.

I usually just search the sizes that I think will fit me. No point in getting envious. Having said that, I am well aware that the selection is much nicer around the size 7-8 mark. Oh well, it's still fun.

[DProud2700]

When I can get the chance I usually use the poshmark website.  As for in person Wasteland store is lovely.  I usually go to the one in San Francisco, but had the chance to go the Los Angeles store on Sunset Blvd. where I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  There were YSL, CL, Jimmy Choo and others.  Normally 3-4 digit figure shoes and boots for as little as $100 starting.

[RonC]

I found a second hand store in my area called Clothes Mentor.  They are somewhat more upscale (not necessarily label wise, but the shoes are in much better condition) than Plato's Closet and do a much better job of keeping sizes sorted.  This store actually has a fairly wide selection of size 11 and even a few 12s.  They made me feel welcome to shop there as well.  Not sure if that is a chain of stores like Plato's Closet though.

[Heelster]

9 hours ago, RonC said:

Not sure if that is a chain of stores like Plato's Closet though.

It's a chain. 

[mlroseplant]

10 hours ago, Heelster said:

It's a chain. 

I actually know someone who is the assistant manager of a Clothes Mentor. Unfortunately, it's in Minneapolis.

[RonC]

yes, I did look and saw that it is a chain, but also a franchise organization, so I would assume individual owners may do things differently.  Just stopped in at one of the stores today.  While I didn't see anything I really liked, there were probably 20-25 pairs of shoes in size 11.  Only a handful of size 12, but that is expected.  I did see a couple other stores in my general area.  I'll have to check them out to see if they also have a selection in sizes over the usual 10.