My First Choice: Second Hand

Favored shopping experiences

I am a huge fan of second-hand stores. So is Hank. Our reasons are identical. We love buying quality clothing and furnishings we couldn’t afford new but can find in these types of stores. Let me add — if we’re lucky. And honestly, that’s part of the fun.

I will admit a majority of my wardrobe, say over 80 percent, was bought in a second-hand store. I like clothing with quality fabrics and classic designs, which I often can’t find new in stores. Retail outlets used to have good finds until the stores started selling cheaply made clothing specifically for this market.

Actually, most of my clothing when I was a kid used to belong to somebody else. Some were hand-me-downs from family, friends, and neighbors. Probably the most interesting item was a raccoon coat I wore to school in first grade.

The PTA for the elementary school I attended had rummage sales to raise money. The tables of the cafeteria would be filled with clothing. My mother, who was an excellent seamstress, was also an avid hunter. Besides, it was what my family could afford.

This habit continued into adulthood. The most vintage garment I scored is a tweed suit with padded shoulders from the forties I bought when I was in my twenties.

In my shopping experience, I rank two that were the crème-de-la-crème of second-hand stores.

The first was a consignment store in Northampton, Mass., where the owner only carried quality clothing that was less than two years old. I walked there on my lunch breaks. That was 21 years ago, and I still wear clothes I bought there. Unfortunately, I discovered after we moved back to Western Mass. seven years ago, the store was no longer in business.

The second is Pieces in Taos, New Mexico, where we lived 11 years. Hank and I tested our luck once a week and over the years got great clothes and furniture like our Stickley couch and lamp. When I think of the things I miss about Taos, shopping at Pieces is one of them. However, Pieces closed several years ago.

When I was the top editor of The Taos News, I wrote a story, Secrets of a Second-Hand Shopper. Here are some of the tricks I shared.

The best place to find a good second-hand store? Where rich people live and donate what they no longer want.

My technique? I go along the racks, looking at the fabric. If I see something I like, I check the style and size. Keep in mind people often might take clothes off a rack and not necessarily put them back in the right place or they could be hiding an item for later. I also check whether the article of clothing needs to be dry-cleaned, which might be a deal-breaker for me unless it’s a special garment like the Saks Fifth Avenue silk dress coat and a wool Pendelton dress jacket I own.

When in doubt, I try it on. I also check the discard rack near the dressing room.

But my ultimate rule: I gotta love it.

And a second ultimate rule: sometimes I win, oftentimes I don’t.

And to be honest, I have found what is available now in second-hand stores typically doesn’t have the same high quality fabrics and styles I once found so easily. So, that makes my hunt harder. But, eh, I’m up for the challenge.