Suspended from a plastic hanger on a neat, tight-packed rack of women’s clothing is an Elie Tahari long-sleeved dress in fall colors. It might go for $250 at an online clearance sale. Here, since it’s been worn before, it’s $40.
Such finds are not unusual at The Family Place Resale Shop, which on a lucky day, counts Jimmy Choo shoes, Lululemon athleisure wear or Tory Burch handbags in stock, not to mention a couple dozen rows of gently used clothing – brands of less esteem, still in good shape – for $5 apiece, says shop manager Ralph Fernandez. Unique furniture, art, luggage and attractive bric-à-brac occupy another area of the store.
While plenty of consumers have long made sport of digging for home goods and fashion finds at secondhand shops and malls of Preston Hollow, the re-commerce ecosystem has gained momentum.
A W magazine headline last fall read, “The Future of Fashion is in the Past.” CNBC broadcast a prime-time package about the “Thrifting Craze.”
Driving through retail centers, it’s clear our neighborhood is a good place to thrift. According to a 2022 study by researchers at Lawn Love – based on the number of stores, Google searches for them, etc. – Dallas ranks No. 19 for second-hand shopping on their list of 200.
Oklahoma State University’s Department of Design and Housing professor June Park explains the pros of shopping used.
“You are closing the loop by reusing material goods, and it’s a good way to support your community because many thrift stores are locally based small businesses, and a sizable portion of their earnings goes to charity.”
In 2021, secondhand clothing buys displaced about one billion purchases of new clothing, the report revealed.
A study by the upscale vintage furniture reseller Char-ish showed home furnishings is the largest sector of the entire resale market. Sales hit $15 billion in 2021 and are expected to accelerate to $22 billion by 2027.
Charish CEO Gregg Brockway says supply chain issues associated with the pandemic also had shoppers turning to pre-owned furniture.
“Vintage items aren’t subject to rising prices or material and production delays,” Brockway says. “They already exist, ready to be shipped or picked up.”
Fernandez spent 20 years in first-hand retail before The Family Place brought him on about three years ago. This was an opportunity to combine his skills in fashion and merchandising with something he sees as a greater good.
Proceeds from his store support services for survivors of domestic violence.
Family Place clients come into the program afraid, and often with only the clothes they are wearing. Programming supported in part by shop sales provides immediate safety, emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling and other services.
Clients receive vouchers to shop at the resale store, “which helps them feel empowered to make their own decisions and to select items that make them feel happy,” Fernandez says.
Among the general population, he says, there’s a continuing rise in environmental awareness, so “more and more people are finding great value in shopping the secondhand market.”
The Family Place Resale Shop checks all the feel-good boxes, but it is not alone. Be the motivation charitable, environmental, economical or combination thereof. opportunities to board the re-commerce bandwagon abound.
ANTIQUE MALLS
In 2016, Antiques Roadshow visited Edgemere Senior Living. Celebrity appraiser Gary Patton worked his way down a long table, examining residents’ sundry curiosities.
One woman said she had purchased a miniature portrait from “a nearby antique mall” for $94. “The frame alone is worth two to three hundred,” Piattoni said authoritatively. He valued the painting at $800.
Forestwood Antique Mall and North Dallas Antique Mall, premiere re-shopping destinations, are located in the Preston Hollow vicinity.
Neighborhood residents Marilyn and Austin Anders say they have shopped here regularly since the 1990s and rely on the Forestwood Antique Mall for keeping home decor fascinating, they say, as they load a rattan bookshelf into a pickup. “For our daughter,” Marilyn says.
They appreciate the layout at Forestwood. It is well organized. Rows are marked with street signs. The staff is usually helpful if you have questions. Forestwood has a dine-in tearoom and services such as clock and jewelry repairs.
North Dallas Antique Mall is a three-floor converted theater next door to The Family Place Resale Shop. Here you might find (spotted in February) a foldable chestnut writing desk, Eames mid-century chairs, a rare baseball card or an illustration by Ralph Steadman, the cartoonist who collaborated with Hunter S. Thompson.
Forestwood Antique Mall is located at 5333 Forest Lane. North Dallas Antique Mall is at 11722 Marsh Lane, Suite 353.
CLOTHES
Clothes Circuit on Sherry Lane is a Preston Hollow staple for secondhand clothing. Shoppers trust they are sifting through quality items at fair prices, because this boutique has been here 35 plus years. Store operators say they offer the most favorable consignor terms in the business and donate excess inventory to The Family Place.
Thirtysomething Josia Rosenberg says ReTreads on Lovers is their secret go-to for business clothes, but concedes to showcase a Friday-afternoon haul. “These would be like $200, and they were $40, Rosenberg says, holding up a pair of navy loafers in soft leather. “Her-mes,” Rosenberg says, beaming and waving a pale blue micro-patterned necktie. Staffers at ReTreads say they
Stock new merch seven davs a week.
On the third floor of North Park Center, FASHIONPHILE offers an ultra-luxurious resale experience for snappy shoppers in the market for a designer handbag, luggage, watch, jewelry or wallet. Personal shoppers are available to help find customers’ bespoke “preloved” Birkin bag or Cartier bracelet. (Buying those items secondhand saves 914.8 pounds of carbon dioxide and 2,040 gallons of water or 1,455 pounds of carbon and 654 gallons of water, respectively, per promotional material).
In 2020, Nordstrom set a goal to extend the life of 250 tons of clothing, met this goal before the end of 2021, and is on track to exceed it by 600% by 2025, spokesperson Cheyenne Tahbaz Weeraratne says.
“We have heard from customers that they feel their best when they are being sustainable,” she says. As part of it “commitment to circularity” the department store, which has a location at North Park Mall and a Nordstrom Rack at The Shops at Park Lane, established the Nordstrom Quality Center, where a team refurbishes goods and routes them to Nordstrom Rack for resale. At the Park Lane Rack, the refurbished items are typically found within their respective sections (shoes, home goods, bags and luggage, for example.
