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New Again A look at our favorite consignment shops by Heather Stark

Champagne taste on a bottled-water budget? You’re not alone. But savvy Puget Sound shoppers know exactly where to go for everything from the latest designer jeans to funky collectible fifties furniture to a never-worn Vera Wang wedding dress, all for pennies on the dollar.

Consignment store shopping has changed from the dusty secondhand shops of the past. Today’s treasure hunters have an array of upscale, trendy and classic boutiques to choose from, for everything from clothing for him, her and the kids to contemporary furnishings and antiques. And it’s not just the dollar-challenged who are shopping there.

Marie Lee, owner of Felipa’s on 45th, says her customers are motivated in part by the idea of recycling and reusing still good items. “Thirty years ago people were slinking through the back door [of consignment shops],” she says. “Today people are into being green and consignments are part of that.” Lee’s clothing store attracts a mixed client base, from the budget-conscious to the very wealthy. She carries the better labels like Prada, Burberry, Eileen Fisher, St. John and Ann Taylor.

If classic isn’t your style, many shops cater to the funky, artsy and one-of-a-kind types. Funky Janes in West Seattle carries some high-fashion items, like Coach bags and $200 jeans, but the bulk of the inventory is what owner Angela Nichols calls “fashion- conscious, trendy, urban mom clothes for grown-ups — but young, trendy grown-ups.” Inventory here ranges from designer to Target and Old Navy pieces to accommodate buyers Nichols calls “younger and hipper” than the consignment shoppers from 10 years ago when she started the store.

Where many shops cater to particular kinds of shoppers, Your Sister’s Closet in Bellevue has a little bit of everything, from the labels Macy’s and Nordstrom carry to the unique. Items include pieces from other countries brought in by world travelers, some estate and designer vintage items, and a lot of business wear. “We even carry some higher-end vintage furs, along with Versace, Escada and some Valentino vintage,” says owner Joan Boushey. She strives to make her store a pleasant, customer service-oriented place for shoppers, as do many of today’s consignment stores. Boushey says she always has the coffeepot on and she offers image consulting for her customers as they select pieces for their wardrobes. Your Sister’s Closet carries all sizes, including petites, misses and plus sizes.

Also found in Bellevue is The ReDress Shop. Owner Kay Ward moved her shop to Bel-Red Road after 23 years in the Lake Hill complex. She offers a loyal following a rapidly changing stock of quality consignment.

Plus-sized women’s clothes are easy to find at Queen’s Closet in Tacoma. Everything from Armani and Jones of New York to Lane Bryant to hip-hop is there for the larger woman. Good-natured co-owner Ray Alanzo works in the store, but he makes it clear his wife Sandra runs the show. Both try to make Queen’s Closet a shopper-friendly, service-oriented place. Retired soldier Ray gives advice on how things look when customers try on clothes. “When ladies come out of the dressing room and ask how they look, I sometimes think I was safer in Vietnam,” he laughs. Despite a huge showroom that can accommodate more than 300 consigners, The Alanzos don’t have room for any bridal wear, but they do offer free matchups between buyers and sellers by means of a wedding portfolio where sellers can display pictures of wedding clothing that buyers can thumb through.

Another category often left out of consignment shops is maternity clothing. At Ruby Rose Consignment near Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland, mothers-to-be can shop for themselves or for their kids. High-end baby and children’s clothing is in demand, according to Elonna Lester who has owned Rising Stars Children’s Store since 1996. “We pay attention to quality and brand,” she says. That means no Carters or Gerber, only labels like Petit Bateau and Oilily.

Another children’s consignment store offering children’s clothing, nursery furniture and women’s dressy casual clothing is Lollipops in Burien. It’s been around long enough for customers’ children to come in and shop for their own kids. Owner Susan Hope says what draws customers to her store are not only the name brands but the great prices.

And great prices are what keep the consignment shops thriving. Most stores have accessories that run from less than $2 all the way up to hundreds of dollars for a designer label. But that label would have cost several hundreds new. At Lollipops, women’s tops run from $4.99 to $14.99, while kids’ clothes often run from $2.99 up.

Although most consignment shops shy away from beachwear, vintage, wedding wear and men’s clothing, a few stores specialize in those areas. The place to go for bridal and formal wear is Champagne Taste in Kirkland. Owner Sherry Callison started the shop in 1991 because of customer demand for specialized wear. “Right now we have about 250 wedding gowns in stock,” says Callison. As expected, the gowns have been worn once or not at all.

“Lots of brides who don’t get married bring in their gowns,” she says. Along with the extensive bridal gowns are formal wear, mother-of-the-bride dresses from Chico, Ralph Lauren, and St. John. There’s even a Champagne Plus room for plus-sized shoppers. Prices are enough to put a smile on any bride’s face. Current inventory includes a never-worn Lazaro and a Vera Wang personal label that sold new for $14,000. Champagne Taste has it marked for $1,000.

Vintage wear and a coffee shop share quarters at Gypsy Trader Consignment Boutique on Stone Way in Seattle. The shop specializes in accessories from the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s that are mixed in with an eclectic assortment of vintage furniture.

Consignment shops don’t stop with clothing. Altstadt Furniture in Ravenna sees collectors, young buyers and dealers coming in for mid-range furnishings. Cobblestone Used Furniture carries only American wood vintage and antique pieces that have been hand-restored and refinished. Owner Malka Kripor says she’s seen a lot of famous people in her shop and oftentimes, movies and television shows will buy her furniture. Resa Wilson of Blooming Home Furniture carries only modern everyday furniture and says sometimes people shop her showroom and don’t even realize they are looking at consignment pieces. She carries everything from Ikea to Ralph Lauren.

Men can find great consignment shops, too. Boris Tkachyav runs a custom men’s and women’s tailoring business in Kirkland, but started his men’s consignment shop for guys who need a suit or dress clothing for a single occasion, or for the younger person looking for quality at a bargain. Labels range from Armani to Brooks Brothers and include suits, jackets, overcoats, sweaters and even shoes. A new suit that would cost up to a thousand dollars can be picked up for as little as a hundred dollars.

Consignment shops are popping up all over the area, and in downtown Kirkland, several shops offering furniture, men’s and women’s clothes and kids items are clustered within a four-block area, supporting the change in demand for used goods.

Whether buying or selling, consignment shops are seeing more people willing to recycle and reuse, find a bargain, and just enjoy the thrill of treasure-hunting.

Heather Stark is a frequent contributor to Seattle Woman.

©2008 Caliope Publishing Company