Feeling organized and Buffalo Exchange

One of the best parts of Spring, in my opinion, is feeling a sense of renewal. The actual start of the new year doesn't do it for me acutally -- it is when the weather changes and I feel the sudden urge to clean and organize and start fresh that I really get going.

After cleaning my apartment last weekend and giving everything a good scrub, I am sooo unhappy to have to take my winter coat back out of my closet, put my winter boots back near the front door, and wear a wool scarf in the morning. Go away! But really, the nastiness that my shoes pick up from the NYC streets needs to go away.

That said, I still did "spring clean," and it still satisfied that feeling of starting over. Closet is organized, summer clothes, though still in their plastic bin, are waiting to be taken out. Also clearing out my wardrobe and making decisions like, "do I actually wear this? Have I ever worn this?" did me some good. I have a bag of things waiting to go to Buffalo Exchange so I can find some new pieces and get rid of the old. And on that note, some tips for Buffalo Exchange:

1. Don't go on the weekends if possible. The store is not only crazy, the line for selling is usually out the door. Just don't do it. In NYC they're open until 7 or 8 I think, or if you have a weekday off go then.
2. Bring your own bag -- Buffalo Exchange I think just recently stopped providing plastic bags for purchased items. You can buy one of their reusable bags, but why not bring your own?
3. Don't bring items that are visably worn. I once brought a pair of pants that I had honestly worn once and decided I didn't like. Almost brand new, the buyer noticed a spot of dirt on the bottom pant leg and wouldn't take them. I was bummed but understood why. Just make sure to clean items before bringing!
4. Don't bring items from stores like Forever21, Target, or H&M. Though I have actually seen items from these stores for sale at Buffalo Exchange, when I've tried to sell them they always always tell me that they don't like buying them. The reason is that since the retail price for these items is already pretty low, they can't sell for a great discount or else they wouldn't make much profit. Also, they aren't well made.
5. I know this sounds silly, but it is all about the presentation. Don't shove all your clothes in a trash bag and pull them out like your dirty laundry. It will make the buyer less interested in what you're pulling out of the bag. When it is your turn to go up to the counter, lay everything out nicely in piles or lay nice pieces out flat.
6. Something else you can do is actually call the store before you go and ask what they're looking for. That is helpful, but honestly you can just think about what season is coming up and what you see in stores at the time. Right now, for instance, they are not looking for winter coats or sweaters. So don't even try!
7. If you have something to say about an item (like: "It's brand new" or "This is vintage").. say it. I don't know whether or not it really helps but it just might swing the buyer.
8. Be friendly towards the buyer you get -- it sounds totally unfair but if they like you, they might be more into what items you show them. I've seen people come in and be rude and you know what happened? Instead of the buyer wanting to look at the clothing, she instead went through it as fast as she could to get the woman out of her face. Seriously.
9. Don't sell something if you aren't happy with the price they're paying! I once brought a pair of leather boots that I bought and ended up not liking at all.. I didn't return them when I bought them because they were final sale for $50 down from $200, and I ended up never wearing them. I brought them in to Buffalo Exchange and told the buyer I'd never worn them, and they wanted to give me $15. I said no thankyou, and then brought them to a different Buffalo Exchange location in the city where I got $30 for them. Since the buyers make up prices on the spot, you really can get a range of prices depending on who you speak to and where you go.
10. And lastly, just don't bring clothing items that are CLEARLY a million years old and completely out of style. You can try, but it 'aint gonna happen. I once saw a woman bring in two carts of children's clothing clearly from the 90s. In fact, I probably owned some of the same styles when I was 8. The buyer bought nothing. It was sad but she should have known that they weren't going to buy 5 pairs of different colored corduroy overalls. No.

So that's it! I love going, but you have to detach yourself from the things you are bringing. The buyer is not commenting on your personal style when her or she doesn't take something. They are thinking about what is right for the store.