January 27, 2014

Small Size, Great Treasures

Don’t let the size of the 13th Street Goodwill fool you – it’s packed with awesome finds. I stopped in for the first time today and was pleasantly surprised. So much so that it inspired me to start blogging again. With finals, Christmas break and the start of a new semester, I sadly have not had much time for thrifting.

My dad is a collector of all things vintage and cool so I got him this liquor bottle from 1968. He’s always taught me to look for markings on pottery items – that normally means they are worth something. When I looked this item up on eBay, I found a few different ones ranging in price with the highest being $30.

I typically shop for clothes when I thrift, but my closet is currently overflowing so I’ve started looking for different things like household items, collectibles and gifts for others.

What’s your favorite thing to rummage for?

October 29, 2013

Plato’s Closet

For my next few posts I will be making the shift from thrift to consignment stores – stores that pay people for their unwanted clothing. This week I visited the Plato’s Closet located on University Avenue.

Plato’s Closet is popular among teens and young adults for a multitude of reasons. It is an easy way to get cash for unwanted clothing and it is a great spot to find current, name brand items for cheap. The stores are always huge, which means they have room for tons of different styles and sizes.

My friends and I have had tons of success each time we have shopped at this location. On our most recent trip, my roommate found three Ann Taylor Loft items – two dresses and one pair of shorts – for just over $30. I found brand new UGG “Classic Cardy” boots, originally $160, for only $55. They were on my list for fall so I was extremely excited about this find!

Plato’s Closet only accepts name brand items that have been purchased within the past couple of years. This ensures the fact that they always have current, quality styles. The racks are filled with Forever 21, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, American Eagle and other mall brands. They also have designer racks with True Religion, Lucky, Buckle and other higher end brands. On top of all of this, they have great accessories from phone cases to purses to jewelry.

Check out their Facebook to see what they’re selling and what they’re looking to buy!

October 14, 2013

Goodwill Hunting

When it comes to thrifting, Goodwill is one of the first stores people think of. It is one of the most known and most common thrift stores around, and we happen to have two right here in the Swamp! This week I went to the one located on 13th Street.

Goodwill is a bigger store and is usually a hit or miss kind of experience. The misses can be disappointing, but the hits make up for it. On this trip, I hit the gold mine. I found a pair of Citizens of Humanity jeans (originally $184) and a pair of olive green Lucky Brand bermuda shorts (originally around $80) for under $10! The jeans are too long for me and bermudas aren’t exactly my style, so I’ll be turning both into cut-off shorts, but that makes it all the more fun.

This Goodwill is definitely one to visit. They have a large amount of brands and styles that appeal to college age shoppers. While I was there, I found J. Crew, Seven For All Mankind, House of Dereon, Old Navy, Gap and tons of other quality brands and styles. They also have a section filled with all things orange and blue.

Have you visited this Goodwill lately? Leave me a comment and tell me what you found!

September 26, 2013

Welcome!

My name is Lauren Zika. I am currently a junior majoring in public relations at the University of Florida. My interests can be summed up into three words – fashion, food, and fun. I’ve loved fashion since I can remember and I’ve loved the idea of secondhand shopping for just as long.

With this blog, I hope to introduce and educate readers to all the hidden secondhand gems in Gainesville. Secondhand in the Swamp will be the go-to place for the scoop on Gainesville’s thrift and consignment stores. Each post will profile a different secondhand store along with some posts about tips and tricks for secondhand shopping.

Check back for our upcoming post profiling Gainesville’s Junior League Thrift Store.

Go Gators!