This instructional is based of the Plato's Closet on US19 in Palm Harbor, FL.
Plato’s closet is a second-hand store that buys gently usedteen and young adult clothing and accessories. It’s the perfect way to makeextra cash after purging your closet of unnecessary items.
What Clothes Should I Sell?
Plato’s closet is very strict about the clothes they willpurchase. Which means when deciding what clothes to sell there are two thingsyou should keep in mind. One, your clothes MUST be gently used. That means nostains, holes, fading, or excessive wear. Second, they typically only buy itemsthat are currently in style and in season. Think of the clothes that you see atthe mall. If your clothes closely resemble that then the chances of them buyingyour items are high. Or if you really want to get the most out of your visit Isuggest calling the store in advance. Their number can be found online througha Google search. Ask the associates what they are currently looking for anddecide which pieces you want to bring accordingly. However, if you’re unsurewhether or not a certain piece will be accepted bring it anyways. You don’tlose anything in trying. The worst thing that can happen is they tell you no, whichwill happen regardless. They rarely ever take all the clothes you bring inanyways. Definitely, expect some pieces to be rejected. Because at the end ofthe day, these are only tips of what clothing to bring in, but the decision isultimately up to the stylist who will go through your items and their personal judgment.
Items They Will Accept (male and female):
·Shirts, blouses, tank tops, jerseys, button-ups,t-shirts
·Sweaters, jackets, hoodies, cardigans, kimonos,vests, blazers
·Jeans, pants, skirts, shorts, leggings, runningshorts, sweatpants
·Bathing suits (one piece and two pieces), boardshorts
·Heels, sneakers, slip-on, sandals, boots
·Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings, anklets(no body piercing pieces)
·Purses, backpacks, laptop cases, wristlets,satchels, wallets
·Sunglasses, hats, headbands
·DVDs and books
Bringing in the Clothes
After deciding which clothes you will bring into sell youwill need to find the right bag to put them in. It may not seem important butthe size and type of bag you choose to put your clothes in is actually acrucial step in the selling process. You’re going to haul these clothes fromyour house to the store. You want to make sure the bag you choose is sturdy andthe clothes fit in it nicely. This will make it easier for the associate tolook through your clothes. If items are overflowing or there’s a hole choose adifferent bag. You don’t want to show up with clothes falling out all over theplace. This will make it harder for you to stay organized and you can for sureexpect an attitude from an associate if this does happen. Also, try to stick toa max of three bags. The sales associates will go through whatever you bring inbut you’ll have a better chance of your clothes being bought if you stick tothis three or less rule. And don’t worry about separating the clothing intocategories. As long as they all fit in the bag you have nothing to worry about.
Selling your Clothes
Ok, so far you’ve picked which clothes you will bring andthe bag you will put them in. Now it’s time to sell the clothes. Upon enteringthe store, you will find sales associates behind the main desk. Make sure yougo to the far left side of the desk. This is where you will sell your clothes. Placeyour bag(s) on the desk and hand them to the stylist. The person working thisarea of the store will then ask if you have ever sold with them before if theanswer is yes then they will hand you a yellow slip and ask you to put yourphone number and name. Pens to fill this paper out will be to the right ofwhere you are standing. If this is your first time selling clothes they willhand you the same yellow slip except you will also include an address and yoursignature. The associate will also go over wait times and how the overallprocess works. Expect to wait at least 30 minutes for them to look through yourclothes. Since you gave them your number you don’t have to wait in the storefor them to be ready. Let them know that you will be back later so that theyknow to give you a call when it’s ready for pickup. The longest you can wait to pick up the clothes is two days, but I don’trecommend it. The quicker you go back to get them the better. Or you can stayin the store and shop around while you wait. In fact, if you find something youlike there’s a chance that you will be able to use the credit they give you foryour clothes to purchase that item.
Pick-up
Now it’s time to pick up the clothes. Enter through the samedoor you did upon arrival except this time don’t go to the left side of thedesk. You will pick up the clothes in the lines with the cash registers on theright. The sales associate will ask for your name so that they can locate yourbag. They will explain which pieces they liked and which ones they didn’t andwhy and then they will offer you either store credit or cash. You don’t have toaccept either offer if you feel that it is too low. The store credit offer isusually worth more than the cash they are willing to give you so choose wisely.I should also mention that Plato’s Closet is notorious for only accepting abouthalf of what you bring in an offering on average $13 for all of it. So if youfeel that it is a bad deal that’s because it probably is, but don’t feel badbecause it happens to everyone who goes in. After deciding if you will sell your clothesor not the Plato’s Closet employee will give you the cash or store credit onthe spot. They will also suggest items that they are looking for so that youknow what to bring in on your next visit. Pay attention to what they sayespecially if you do plan on returning. Lastly, take the clothes they didn’tbuy and return in about a month because they might not have liked what youbrought in this time, but the next time you come in you will most likely have adifferent stylist look through your things and I promise more of your clotheswill be bought. It’s a foolproof system I’ve been using for years.
