In an attempt to try to clear out some clothing that I thought might be worth selling before donating, I gathered up about 20 or so items and headed to 14th street, which is lined with a few resale and consignment stores. I went to the following:

Crossroads Trading: 2015 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Current Boutique: 1809 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009

Buffalo Exchange: 1318 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005

Here are all the clothes that I packed to sell. I also packed 5 pairs of shoes.

This is what I have left…..

ALMOST EVERYTHING! Lol

I was a little sad that after trekking to 3 resale stores, they barely took anything. This is what I learned:

1. Don’t Take it Personal 

When I got to the first thrift store, the associate passed on a view pieces that I just knew they would want. I felt all kinds of ways. Like, look I know I have decent taste in picking pieces so why don’t you? LOL. However, I had to take a step back and realize that it’s all business and not a judgment on me. They are only looking for items they can sell quickly, so if your item doesn’t fit that criteria, it’s okay! You can always donate!

2. Bring Clothes that are On-Trend

Most resale stores are only interested in taking items that are super trendy at the moment. When they all passed on my amazing snake-print platform boots, it made sense. Because I don’t follow trends all of the time, this kinda stumped me a little bit. Right now, platforms are not really the rage, even though I think these boots are awesome!

3. Bring Clothes that are of the Current Season 

Resale shops are all about high turnover, they want to get rid of as much of or even more than what comes in. This means if you try to sell a sundress in December, like I did, you will most likely not be successful. My problem now is, the longer the clothes sit in my closet, the more I will convince myself that I will wear them next summer even though I haven’t worn the item in years!

4. Go at an off-time of day or Prepare to Wait 

I went selling on a weekday at around 12:30 and I didn’t have much of a wait. I can imagine that the weekends are much busier. Some resale stores like Crossroads will allow you to leave and they will contact you when they are done assessing your items. This could be convenient if you work nearby and want to drop of some items on your lunch break. If you can’t make it at an off-time just plan to wait. I have seen yelpers saying to prepare for an hour wait at some stores.

5. Make Sure You Understand the Terms of the Sale

At both Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange, the deal is as follows: They calculate the retail price (how much they are going to resale your item) and they will give you one of the following:

• 50% of the retail price if you take a store credit
• 30% of the retail price if you want to get cash back

I opted for cash back because I am trying to control my urge to shop and need to make more room in my closet. Otherwise, the store credit is definitely a better deal.

At Current Boutique, everything is done on a consignment basis, which means you only get paid when your item sells. Womp.

Lessons learned! Next time I go reselling, I will take these tips into account. Now I have to fight the urge to hang my clothes back up so that they spend another few years not getting worn!