Show 4W Sunday December 6 1387 The Salt Lake Tribune is recognized and also working women y and housewives recycling clothing they bought last year to get cash for new purchases Many consignors are also buyers who drop their clothes off then stay to shop Some area consignment stores are listed under “clothing bought and sold” in The Yellow Pages others must be known by name The names incidentally are often a clue to what a shopper might find inside Salt Lake area stores are called Second Encounter Encore Sales Nearly New Clothes Shop Second Generation A woman can expect to find what owners call clothing that is “gently worn” or “experienced” inside Dena Sweeney Salem Ore and Palm Springs Calif whose daughter Lorie of Ritzi Rags and Ritzi Babes (children’s clothing) has had years of experience in resale shops Her family operates stores in Oregon California and Utah The Ritzi shop in Holladay has been open since March 1987 On a recent visit here Mrs Sweeney talked about the resale industry the women who bring their clothes into the store to sell them and customers who buy them "People need to understand that resale is first a business We can’t afford to be a thrift store We have a high overhead just (famffly WflDM stfyll© By Carolyn Monson Tribune Fashion Editor A basic word to the fashion wise is consignment To understand it visit the growing number of resale shops in the Salt Lake City area Consignment clothing is brought to a shop by the wearer who for reasons of her own has no further need for it and is turned over to the shop owner The shop owner takes the clothing offers it for sale and when sold keeps a percentage for the shop and turns the rest of the money over to the original owner There are receipts contracts andor agreements involved in the process (each shop has its own policy) The woman on the prowl for something to wear to work out to a holiday party or around the house can rest assured that what she sees in the store is clean in good repair and of good if not excellent quality Resale shops are not to be confused with thrift shops While both sell used clothing a resale shop is more likely to feature fashion merchandise A thrift store’s leans toward utility differ- There’s another ence between the two — the price tags I Generally speaking a resale shopper can of a gar- expect to pay roughly ment’s original price i It is every shop owner’s and her custom- er’s collective dream to find sell andor buy designer merchandise at a “bargain” ‘ price It’s not only possible but happens with does not sell at that price it is marked down at the end of two weeks If it has not sold at the end of 60 days the Ritzi Rags store either returns it to the owner or donates it to a charity If the clothing is donated its owner is given a receipt Mrs Sweeney explained Arriving at a price for a garment requires the shop’s owner to do extensive price checking Mrs Sweeney said that she and her daughter visit regular stores discounters check newspaper ads and thrift like other small businesses that must pay rent utilities etc “Shoppers need to come often” she good-qualit- said “Not only is new merchandise arriving daily but also older merchandise is k marked down on a cycle at The Ritzi store” The family-owne- d shops plan to keep merchandise for 60 days according to Mrs Sweeney Exceptions are jewelry couture clothing and furs The latter are kept for up to six months Once an item is checked over and displayed it is sold at a price determined by the shop If the item two-wee- stores She makes it a point to visit her competition but the visits she said are made not High-qualit- Wendy Balls shows great holiday wear right below Clothes are “gently worn” -- ! ' high-qualit- easy-to-gras- p one-thir- d regularity v C Resale shop owners seek the best cloth- ing because that’s what sells best Clothes must be in style in season and in perfect condition clean without rips spots and missing buttons Exceptions to age are made for vintage clothing Clothing need not be designer but hav- ing a label that women recognize as high-- ) quality is important Consignors are the rich and famous who can only wear an item a few times before it Tribune Staff Photos by Dan Miller Local shops that feature 'experienced’ clothing Some stores that carry second-hanclothing for adults andor children as a part of their business operation are listed alphabetically: Cassandra’s Closet 4227 S Highland Dr Women’s clothing including furs and ski wear sold on consignment Clothes Pin 8574 S 700 East Sandy Men’s women’s and children's clothing sold on consignment 466 E South Temple Spemerchandise of all cializes in second-han- d kinds Clothing is limited to the '30s through the ’70s and is bought outright rather than sold on consignment Encore Sales 1826 S 900 East Men's women’s and children's clothing sold on consignment Flashback 251 S State St Mostly vintage clothing and accessories bought outright as well as sold on consignment d so much to spy but to become acquainted “We can help each other We’re small and if one of us has problems with certain customers who try to walk off with clothes without paying or writing bad checks that customer will likely strike again at a similar store “Also if I know a customer is looking for a certain thing and I know that another store has it I can send her there and everybody’s happy” Her experience has taught her that the most called for shoe size is nine and that shoes are the hardest to buy and sell Most women who frequent resale shops are either a size sixeight or a size 14 The 10s and 12s seem to hang there longest y items sell best She focuses her family’s stores toward the working woman The store had suits both new (factory overruns) and used “We’ve been helping recent graduates buy clothing for interviews The young woman just out of school has little money to spend on an entire working wardrobe We can offer more clothing for the dollar” This young woman can expect to find a suit blouses accessories and some expert help in putting it all together including unique ways for tying a scarf or utilizing earrings as pins “Poly and Ester are welcome here” said Mrs Sweeney “But it can’t be of the old unbendable variety We accept polyester that looks and feels like silk Easy care is important to working women” Rhett Barney owner of Frankly My Dear features resale items antique clothing new clothing with all kinds of accessories "Everybody’s an artist It takes an artist to get dressed everyday I have anything and everything a woman might want or need to paint a picture on a lady” he said y “I want only I am turning away people offering consignment cloth- M mg In business two years the first year at Trolley Square and the second year at his current location 878 E 9th South his regular customers both those offering consignment clothes and those who shop at his store have been elevated to a higher plateau “A lot of even my resale clothing has never been worn The price tags are still attached Rather than go through the hassle of trying to return an item to a store women bring these items to me “Some clothing here has been worn once maybe twice I like unusual fabrics styles The more unusual an item the less it has been worn “I don’t want a Liz Claiborne polyester blouse in my store” While the clothing sold in Frankly My Dear is likely to carry a higher price tag Mr Barney is well aware that his customers want a bargain “I have Diane Freis dresses in here for $80 to $150 Any woman who has ever owned a Diane Freis dress knows that’s a bargain I had a $500 beaded top that sold for $150” He enjoys his work His years in retail taught him a lot about how to put things together for a great look He enjoys passing along thi3 information to his customers And part of his pleasure comes in offering items at reasonable prices “I have customers who wouldn’t think of buying second-han- d clothing who are just now getting used to shopping for something new at a store that also sells on consignment I also have women here who could afford to buy anything they want but love getting a bargain There are women here who can't afford to buy new and there are women who shop here because they know I will help them look great” he said Not all the resale shops in the Salt Lake area are new Some have been in operation for 30 years or more It’s important to customers to call bek tour fore setting out on a Part of the pleasure owners and managers of these shops derive from being in business for themselves is setting their own hours See accompanying box for a list of shops Frankly My Dear 878 E 900 South clothVintage new as well as second-haning is offered Clothing sold on consignment Grunts & Postures 561 W 200 South Specializes in '30s ’50s and ’60s clothing bought outright rather than sold on consignment Nearly New Clothes Shop 302 E 900 South Ritzi Rags Ritzi Babes 4000 Highland Dr Clothing for women and children sold on consignment as well as offering some new clothing Second Encounter 2343 E 3300 South Features second-hanfashion clothing sold on consignment Gifts are available for the holidays Second Generation 664 Union Square Sandy Children's clothing only Some clothing sold on consignment d Verna Askwig shows off a second-hanholiday dress Clutch is a vintage design d poke-and-pee- d Tribune Staff Photo by Tim Kelly Design Steve Baker Now I hove 1 style without the fuss For SALE or friends 4688 Wonderful for stocking stuffers or for those Reg $55 and No more rollers Now I just irons! curling scrunch and fingerwhen 's hair comb my All thanks to this damp Post great cut and from perm impression® Styling the JCPenney Salon last minute gifts Mini-Crimp- look that’s today only S149S Folding dual voltage compact for travel or home use Mini-Dry- Clothes Saver eliminates those ugly Sd BuyapieceporlrpicageandourCalHomeSweepstBS Call the shoL Right now you can choose two 8x 10s three 5 x 7s and twelve Plus twelve fnerdshipprints All foronly $1995 Call the relatives While you re inbesuretoenterourCallHomeSweepstakes You could win an AT&T q'ft certificate worth $1000 in Cottonwood Mall Bountiful 298-36T- 1 272-826- 4 Son 967-600- 3 your clothing only $1495 tra ondo Oocomtoor 12th Buy all 3 for Meiiueft end a heir cere products atwaya available $6etten& Jc£ only $3Q88 (Regular price total $4985) ximqc vljl ‘ The Styling Salon at JCPcDnSy calls Valley Fair Mall Ogden City Mall "pills" and "fuzz” from hnpoo Welwt or cut commended tof frottod holt Long hair er only $199S A complete Reg $30 sculptured nail system Al pamtt nd tyn - er creates that crimped Solar® nails fen family-relati-ves JCPenney Cottonwood Mall 6 Bountiful Ogden City Mall 393-844- 3 Plus $1 95 Sitting Im Certain restrictions may apply Official sweepstakes rules ana entry forms available m the Portrait Studio no purchase necessary Entries must be received by December 24 1987 Portrait ready m time for Chnttmai if taken by December 17 1967 272-843- c 1987 J C Penney Company 1 Valley Fair Mall Orem-Universi- 295-707- 394-007- Inc 1 967-010- 3 Mall 226-818- s 1 Cottonwood Mall 6 Bountiful 272-843- 295-707- Ogden City Mall 1 Valley Fair Mall Orem-Universit- 394-007- 1 y 967-010- 3 Mall 226-818- 1 |