The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/28554
Recycled Shopping Story and photos by Cassandra Miller Shakedown Street 177 Main St. 436-9776 Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thurs. to 6 p.m. OWNER: Vicki Reiss (Casual Chit Chat, Page 7) OPEN SINCE: 1995-2000, reopened in February 2007. SCENE: Half-consignment, half-fair- trade and homemade items. Geared toward younger buyers, college stu- dents. Shakedown carries items like handmade jewelry, casual clothing, locally made tie-dye. CONSIGN • Percentage of sales for consignors is 70/30 for handmade items and 50/50 for recycled clothing. • Payout is in cash on a daily basis. • No appointment necessary. • Consignors may bring in “as many items as they want.” UNSOLD ITEMS: After 45 days, con- signor may pick items up. Items not sold or collected are donated to LIFE House, a program for runaway and homeless youths of Otsego County for which Reiss is program coordina- tor. “When you’re a teenager, just because you’re homeless, you still want to be stylish. It’s nice that they can come here and pick out what they want.” GREAT FIND Earrings made by a local artist out of Scrabble and Domino pieces. OWNER SIDE PROJECTS: In addition to working full-time at LIFE House, Reiss also manages and bartends at the Novelty Lounge, Oneonta’s top- less bar on Main Street. “It’s all about early retirement. You’ve got to do as much as you can.” snow on the ground, spring has begun. The winter has been long, and many are ready for the season of rebirth and fresh starts _new running routine, gardening, home repairs and wardrobe updating. Whether your goal is to edit a warm Even though there is still lingering clothing that is gently worn or new; no stains, odors or broken zippers; no used electronics; and no undergar- ments. Each store offers something different, though. Silks and Treasures and Transitions weather wardrobe that still includes that frilly skort jumper from sopho- more year of high school or if you want to add some new-to-you pieces, consignment shops are the way to go. Even though the Oneonta area does not have an array of retail stores, it does have a variety of thrift and consignment shops. Both types of stores offer similar items, but consignment shops are more of a group effort; people with gently worn clothing are able to sell their clothing through consignment shops for a percentage of the profits. It’s a win-win situation, because consignors get some extra money if their items are sold, and if they’re not, the consignment shops will donate them to local chari- ties. Buying recycled clothing is also eco-friendly. Consignment shopping can be tricky, because, unlike retail stores, most items are singular. If it’s not in your size, you can’t just ask a sales associate for one that will fit. The uniqueness of consignment shop finds is also an ad- vantage, because you most likely won’t see the shirt you just picked up for $2 all over town. 16 O-Town Scene March 31, 2011 cater to an older clientele who are looking for deals on designer items, cocktail dresses and businesswear. Transitions is in a small corner shop with windows on two sides specializing in women’s clothing. The three sections of the store are separated into dresses and suits in front, casual wear in back and formal wear near the changing rooms. Silks and Treasures is a larger store in Clinton Plaza that carries women’s clothing and accessories, as well as a large selection of children’s clothing and items. The second-level Shakedown Street sells homemade and fair trade items and is a popular place for college-age shoppers. Consignment Closet is in the 3200 Chestnut St. complex in the West End, and is in the same space as Pieceworks Fabric. It has the largest selection of men’s clothing of the four consignment shops, and a sizeable area for handbags. It also carries household items and DVDs and CDs. Chances are if Transitions won’t take The four Oneonta consignment shops all have similar qualifications for items they will accept from consignors: your tie-dye juniors sundress, Consign- ment Closet will. And if Shakedown Street won’t take your sensible gray suit, you’ll probably have luck at Silks and Treasures.