Beacon's Closet - Brooklyn, NY (Williamsburg)
Today, I spent the day at Beacon’s Closet to trade-in some of my clothing and shop with the store credit they gave me (FYI, I racked up $168 in store credit, which I spent in its entirety).
The way it works is, they give you 35% cash or 55% store credit of the price tag they put on your items. What makes this unlike most consignment stores is that they give you the money/store credit on the spot, whereas most consignment stores do not give you anything unless the item sells in their store. I find the whole concept fantastic as it gives shoppers the opportunity to utilize store credit upon dropping off your clothing!
I’m not going to lie, shopping at Beacon’s Closet is incredibly overwhelming. There are endless racks to go through, but if you’re like myself who lives, breathes, and loves fashion…you won’t mind too much. For the first time, I actually looked through the entire store and it took me about 4 and a half hours!!! That includes continuous trips back and forth to the fitting rooms where you are allowed to try on up to 10 items at a time.
What to Wear:
- Personally, if I know I’m going to be shopping and trying on a million things (it’s quite easy to do that in a store like this), I like to be comfortable. By that I mean that I am not wearing an outfit that consists of layers. Today, I simply wore my black lace shorts and a cami. A cami in which I didn’t mind taking off a bunch of times and stretching.
- Being that it was hot and I was commuting by bus, subway, and foot, I also wore very comfortable shoes that I can slip/on and off very easily.
What to Trade-in:
- Before trading in your clothing, I HIGHLY suggest you go there for the shopping experience first so you can get a feel for what kind of clothing they are looking for.
- They are the most selective consignment clothing store I’ve ever been to (besides Buffalo Exchange which is just about equally as selective). Meaning that you need to be mentally prepared that MOST of the stuff you bring in will most likely get rejected.
- They really take the time to examine your items, so everything needs to be in great to like new condition (or brand new).
- In terms of style, they expect items to be on trend, but also take in a good amount of vintage stuff. So there is really an eclectic mix of clothing to go through and a little something for everyone to appreciate.
- In terms of brands/designers, they are definitely brand snobs, but rightfully so. Stuff that you buy from places like Forever 21, Gap, and Express really don’t have much of a chance of getting selected unless it is brand new with tags or an exceptionally unique item.
Tips for Trading in Your Clothes:
- They give you the option to be present when they go through your clothes or you can just shop while they go through your stuff. I always request to be present so I can see what they are pricing the items. There have been times that I would take an item back because I didn’t think they placed a high enough value on it. They are totally respectful if you choose to take something back.
- I recommend writing out a list of EVERYTHING you bring and when you are there with the staff member as they go through your clothes, you can refer to it as a check-list and also write down the amount they ticketed the item for. It’s also just good for personal record.
- Don’t take offense when they don’t take your items that you are sure they are going to take and you know is of value. I express this because I have seen on numerous occasions, people not keeping their cool. This is a business like anything else and they know their customers better than anyone, so it’s their job to provide them with the fashion they want.
- I’m the type of person that likes to bring a lot of stuff at one time since I don’t get to go here as often as I’d like to. This way, even if they reject the majority of your stuff, there is still a high chance they will take a good amount.
Overall, this is a fabulous place to shop, even if you don’t have clothing to trade-in. The prices I find to be very reasonable, even for the designer labels. Today, I used my store credit and found 2 pairs of skinny jeans (one is a pair of jeggings actually), a pair of Pelle Moda shoes, sweaters (including a Ralph Lauren 100% cashmere aqua cable knit shrug), vests, and tops. My greatest find today was a Nanette Lepore baby pink silk tube top.
[Would you shop at Beacon's Closet?]
stylebymeli
