Rather we wear clothes to express our inner rad nature or we dress purely for comfort and nothing else, everyone holds their own kind of fashion.
What once was an underappreciated avenue of clothing shopping has now taken storm as a trend on its own, it appears thrifting has shined in and is here to stay. Come on, it’s the coolest form of recycling!
One of the trendiest secondhand stores on the market today is Plato’s Closet; ranging from name brands to unique finds, you’re bound to find something that fits you plus you can bring in your clothes for an in-store credit or cash exchange.
Alas, that arises a fair prompted question, how much does Plato’s Closet pay for clothes? Not only will we be unpacking that, but we’ll also share some legit tips, insight, and everything you need to know about exchanging clothes to Plato’s Closet.
In the words of the rhythmically sage Macklemore, let’s go pop some tags.
How Much Mula Are We Talking Here?
Plato’s Closet has been an established secondhand store for quite some time, they’re well known for their 70% off typical in-store prices and hosting an abundance of brands on their clothing racks just ready for you to browse, try on, and take home.
But what if you’re tired of the clothes in your wardrobe?
You’re looking to revamp your style, so you collect the old band shirts, preppy sweaters, and bell-bottom jeans and bring them in for an exchange, how does that even work?
This business is here to provide a place where brand names can be more affordable and accessible to everyone, but they also need to make their own profits in the process so expecting $50 for perhaps 10 items may not be the most realistic outlook going in. But let’s make sense of how their pricing works.
As stated on their website, Plato’s Closet is looking for gently used, trendy, in-style clothing (no ketchup stains, no snags, or non-manufactured holes). They also break it down and explain in a little more depth how their process works.
While they are able to sell clothes to the general fashionable public at 60-70% off normal prices, this leaves the exchange rate at around 1/3 of that Plato’s Closet price.
This is all determined by a pricing software the company has; so while a store employee is first seeing what clothing items of yours are in a fair condition they then type in the following information to formulate what exchange price you’ll receive for that item:
- Clothing brand
- Type of item (shirt, pants, hat, etc.)
- Condition
- Age of item
- Season (Winter vs Summer items)
- Store-specific clothing demand
A former Plato’s Closet employee and secondhand clothing expert Lauren Carducci further dissect in her YouTube videos the pricing science behind their clothing exchange.
As she explained, once your item is entered into their software generally it will be labeled with 1 of the 3 pricing categories:
Excellent: Woah what a trend-setter!
- Relevantly trendy item
- New-like quality
- Recently manufactured
If your item contains at least 2 of the above traits it will most likely be declared an excellent item. These pieces are typically set in the 50% off retail price range, and you will receive 1/3 of that price; this is the best exchange outcome you can get!
Standard: Simple but cool
- More of a basic type item
- A little wear and tear is present
The standard items will come in around 60% off the retail price range, which you will then receive the promised 1/3. Depending on your item, you could still get a decent amount out of this.
Value: This one’s for the oldies
- Older made item
- More noticeable usage
For the value items, you’re looking around the 50% off retail price range and just like the others, you will get 1/3 of that price.
That may not come out to be very much in the end, but it could be better than nothing if you’re planning on getting rid of it anywho!
Within this video, Lauren Carducci puts this in a simplified and neat sentence:
“If Plato’s is selling your Forever 21 tanktop for 3 or 4 dollars, because that’s literally how much they sell them for, you’re gonna be getting 90 cents to a little bit over a dollar.”
With that being said, how can you make sure you put your best thrifting foot forward when you come in with your basket full of clothes, what else should you be aware of before crossing the secondhand threshold?
Plato’s Closet 101
These are some valuable tips for you to absorb that will definitely help your exchange odds, but it is important to keep in mind that your outcomes may depend on the sole opinion of the employee going through your items.
Just a small reality to acknowledge, don’t let that hold you back!
- Ask in person or on the phone what your local Plato’s Closet is currently accepting. This can play a huge factor in your exchange outcome, and it can also save you some time and energy so you aren’t bringing in items that the location is currently not accepting and then having a not-so-great experience.
- Making your items look presentable can go a long way. This means washing your clothes beforehand and then folding them in a laundry basket or nice material bag to bring them in (trash bags are not the best look). The employees will feel more confidently based on that first appearance that you may have some great items in your possession.
- Another route you can go to avoid the age, so to speak, of your clothes, is to cut the manufacturing tag out that’s usually found in the inner seam.
- Along the pure thrifting aspect, you can find some pretty solid deals and unique finds when you’re patient and thorough while scoping the racks. You can also stay on the lookout for Plato’s Closet store sales; although they’re pretty rare, when they come around it’s really a BANG!
Navigating your thrifting experience should always be a fun and entertaining journey, and now you’re equipped while knowledge and key tips on how to get some cash for your clothes at Plato’s Closet. Go find your new favorite outfit!
