What can you tell me about Plato's Closet?

[traces7]

Wasn't too impressed with Plato's Closet. We went on Friday. First off there was a strong odor (cleaning solution??) that was really bothering me and DD (we're really sensitive to strong odors). So we didn't look too much. But I noticed the jeans were $25 and $30. I don't normally pay that much brand new! I saw some tops for $6.99 but also some for $18.00. Seemed way too high priced for used clothes!
We didn't try selling anything yet, I only found a few things I thought would be good enough and we didn't take them.
Oh well, at least we checked it out! Guess we'll stick to the sales, you get better bargains that way!

 

[rcraw45425]

The $25 and $30 jeans ar e the ones that sell for $100+ at the boutiques and mall stores. Miss Me, Joe's Jeans, True Religion, etc. I know this because I have paid it. THey have Big Star JEans for $30, they are close to $150 at Buckle. Denim is expensive, I read an article from Wall Street Journal months back about the price of denim skyrocketing because the price of cotton has shot up. Don't know whether to believe it or not but the prices do seem to reflect it. Our PC has a 7 day return policy for store credit only. I returned a pair of Lucky jeans that were too boxy for my 16yo and exchanged them for some Big Stars. It's a crap shoot every time you go in there. Be prepared to pick and also make sure you know your mechandise, you can get some bargains. My daughter score two Karlie tops for <$10 each. Our boutiques here sell for $50 a piece.

 

[poohbear8]

Add us to the list of those who hate the place! They refused new brand name items with tags, but while looking around I see many items that are dirty and torn! Their prices aren't that great either. DD (14) refuses to even go back now, since most of the clothes we were trying sell were gifts to her and she was trying to make some money.

 

[blessedby3]

I agree with the other posters who say the prices are high for what you get and the condition is not always so great. They have not bought much of what I have taken in before so I dont sell to them anymore...too much hassle. I will check Platos from time to time (if I have a coupon or need something in particular) but have found the prices to be just too high.

 

[Jill in Chicago]

My 18 year old son does not care about labels so we just set an overall budget. He and I both loved it and had a very good time shopping together. The jean selection was awesome. He and I do not like hitting the mall, but just walking in this one store was fine with us. I am sure there are better sales elsewhere, but he and I do not want to shop around.

We thought the shirt selection was very extensive.

As for selling here we would never be able to do that because he does not have the name brands they are looking for.

 

[mjantz]

I went in there today with DD & was very successful. Winter coat (Guess brand) new jeans (Forever 21 brand but she doesn't care), skirt & shirt for cosplay & a pair of leg warmers for a friends birthday. All for under $50. She needed the coat & another pair of jeans & the rest was just bonus. I don't think I'd do all my shopping there ($20 for abercrombie jeans is ridiculous IMO) but I think we did well for what we needed.

 

[Cindy B]

My 18 year old son does not care about labels so we just set an overall budget. He and I both loved it and had a very good time shopping together. The jean selection was awesome. He and I do not like hitting the mall, but just walking in this one store was fine with us. I am sure there are better sales elsewhere, but he and I do not want to shop around.

We thought the shirt selection was very extensive.

As for selling here we would never be able to do that because he does not have the name brands they are looking for.

I would try to sell just to see. At my local Plato's, they are always in dire need of young mens items, so all kinds of brands get bought. Our local Platos has a combination of preppy mall, skater, urban wear, work wear (Carthartt, Dickies), plus a lot of general brands. It's worth a shot just to see. We've had great luck with selling jeans there.

 

[elainesj]

my friend's teenage dds absolutely love PC. I shop there occassionally when I'm looking for certain specific things. E.g. the other day I was looking for a specific tkind of trendy top and also scored a nice pair of jeans.

I shop at thrift stores typically so yes, prices were definitely high. I can typically find the same brands at much better prices at thrift stores. That said, it takes some picking through and sometimes it's hard to find if I'm looking for something specific, particularly for very trendy things. For that, i find PC is easier to shop so i will pay the higher premium for the convenience.


For shoes...I rarely walk out of PC with yet another pair of shoes. They have the best shoes there. YES, they're at a higher price than thrift stores, but if you're looking for trendy, wow those are awesome shoes....well, they are an awesome place to shop. Yes I can sometimes score amazing shoes on sale somewhere for abt the same price, but those finds are very very rare whereas at PC,it is very common for me to walk out with shoes I absolutely love. That said, thrift stores often have awesome shoes too- but like chlothes, it's not as easy to find.

I can see why PC charges a premium over thrift stores
- fantastic selection of only name brand, trendy, in-season stuff
- pleasant shopping experience (thrift stores always have a funky smell and it's not as "fun" to shop because you do sift through a lot of junk to find treasures.

All in all, I will still shop at thrift stores FIRSTbut will shop in PC for certain things or when the convenience is worth the premium.

 

[wdw_girl_18]

The plato's closet by my house would rather buy a hollister shirt with a hole in it from someone over a brand new old navy shirt. I stay away from there as their prices are high. I can do better in clearance at the individual stores.

 

[AllesonWonderland]

We haven't sold anything to them yet, but I do have a pile I could take in to see what they offer. Though I have bad memories of trying to sell stuff at Once Upon a Child way back when.

My daughter has gotten a few things there. Her favorite time to shop is when they do a bag sale at the end of the season. (Not sure if all stores do this or not.) The bags are small, but she was impressed with how much I got into one by rolling all the shirts.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

Just got $131 there on Sunday. I took a giant bin of clothes and shoes. Most of the clothes were Ed Hardy, Affliction, Sinful, a few pair of Nike Shox and some brand new boots. We're just not into that stuff anymore. One of the hoodies alone were $135... but I guess it was better than nothing.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I LOVE to shop at Plato's Closet. I am a fashion-forward 27 year old and they have a lot to offer--they don't just have teen clothing. My favorite purchases are brand new clothes with the tags still on them--scored a brand new Banana Republic shirt dress and a brand new Ann Taylor Loft mini skirt last month for about 80% off the tag price. If I'm on the hunt for a new piece of clothing, I search for it at Plato's Closet before trying TJ Max or Forever 21 or Kohl's. If I don't try there first, I end up feeling guilty about my purchase!