By Nicole Schoen
Secondhand shopping has become increasingly popular among the thrifty-minded consumers, offering an affordable alternative to malls. Local store Secondhand Savvys recently celebrated 10 years in business re-selling clothes and filling closets with gently used, name brand, designer clothing for men and women.
Established in July 2006, Bloomingdale resident and Owner Jennifer Estrada originally began with half the shopping space of the current store, located at 210 S. Kings Ave., Ste. D in the plaza with the original Beef O’Brady’s. After a successful first year, she expanded the shop to its current size of roughly 2,500 sq. ft.
“Keeping an open mind and accepting items for a wide variety of shoppers is what I feel has made us successful. We work hard as a team to constantly change displays, mannequins, wall decor, etc. for customers to adapt to upon their weekly arrival,” said Co-Owner and daughter of Estrada, Shelbi Weeks, who helps run the family-owned shop.
Secondhand Savvys is different from the average consignment store as it credits money to consigner’s accounts after an item is purchased for half the price the item was sold at with no appointment necessary. The consigner can choose to get a check for the accrued funds or use the money toward an in-store purchase. After an item sits on the racks for over 60 days, the consigner has the option to pick up their items, or the shop will donate the items to either Emergency Care Help Organization or Hospice.
“We currently have about 3,000 active consignors dropping off every single day, seven days a week. We receive on average 30 drop offs a day. We do not have a minimum or maximum drop off requirement therefore, one consignor can drop off 25 trash bags consisting of shoes, purses, jewelry, and clothing, and another may only drop off a small grocery bag of sunglasses and belts. After sorting through the items, we accept and put on the floor 6,000 to 8,000 pieces per month,” said Weeks.
The shop sells designer clothing, swimwear, shoes, purses, accessories, formal dresses, household and beauty items, and more. Sizes range from 00 to plus sized items. Every two to three months it holds its famous Fill-A-Bag sale, usually on a Saturday morning, where shoppers can fill a single bag full from specific bins and only pay $10 for the entire bag.
“I love the shabby chic vibe, the people, even the music is great. The deals are phenomenal, that goes without saying, but I know what I’m getting is top quality because of how selective and caring the owners are,” said Karen Hogan of Valrico. “I have been shopping at Savvys for six years and can’t bear to drive down Kings without making a quick pit stop.”
For more information, visit www.consignsavvys.com or call 643-6020. Follow them on Instagram (@secondhandsavvys) or on Facebook to see new items that come in the shop and upcoming events.
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