Two new consignment stores in Watertown are giving shoppers a practical and inexpensive alternative to firsthand buying.
Kim's Kloset, 168 Court St., and 3+3 Thrift and Gift Shop, 17151 Route 11 (which previously housed the Christmas Store), both sell new and gently used clothing and household items at discount prices.
"We try to keep prices low so the people working paycheck to paycheck or on unemployment can come in and afford it," said Kimberly S. Raymond, owner of Kim's Kloset.
Mrs. Raymond, a Watertown native and Brownville resident, opened Kim's Kloset June 2 after leaving a manufacturing job. She said she enjoys the Court Street location, which she leases from Smith Housewares and Restaurant Supply.
"I love the downtown area. I just fell in love with it here," she said.
Meanwhile, Janet L. Burns of Adams Center has realized a personal dream by opening her own consignment shop. The name of her store, which will have its grand opening Saturday, signifies the Holy Trinity and the phrase "yours, mine and ours."
"I said if I ever had a business, I would dedicate it to the Lord," said Ms. Burns, who has been readying the space for the last two months. The store officially opened Sept. 1 and has been enjoying a steady trickle of customers since then.
All clothes at 3+3 come ironed and in ready-to-wear condition, and they boast a barely used feel, thanks to Ms. Burns's pickiness.
"Everything has to be gently used or like new," she said, estimating a 75 percent acceptance rate for clothes brought in. "If they have one little stain, they don't go up."
The same goes for clothes at Mrs. Raymond's store, which have to be in style, on hangers and free of stains. Customers who bring in items to sell on consignment receive 40 percent of the item's price in cash, and anything that does not sell is given to needy members of the community.
Ms. Burns follows a similar consignment policy: If a customer's donation to 3+3 is accepted, he or she will receive 50 percent of the item's sale price during the item's first month in the store. When 30 days pass without and an item hasn't sold, Ms. Burns will either leave it up for a bit longer or donate it to local charities. Toys that don't find homes will be donated to theSouth Jefferson High School, where volunteers repair, and give away toys to needy area children at Christmas.
An additional charitable aspect of the store is Ms. Burn's offer to provide space for any not-for-profit group's sale. She intends to offer room for a full week with no commission or other fees. Local crafters also may sell their merchandise at the store.
Mrs. Raymond carries men's and women's clothes for all ages and sizes, as well as decorative houseware, purses, shoes and furniture — what she describes as "a little bit of everything."
Ms. Burns specializes in larger women's sizes but also carries clothing for everyone as well as household goods and knick knacks. In the future, she hopes to stock more items for teenagers, but for now she's content to have accomplished her dream.
"I've been wanting to do this for about 20 years," she said. "I feel it's a way I can do something for others and something for myself."
The hours for 3+3, which can be reached at 681-4884, are noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. A grand opening with gift certificate door prizes is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 3.
The hours for Kim's Kloset are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The shop can be reached at 786-3000.
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Just Like new offers fresh perspective
ADAMS CENTER — Eileen M. Moriarty's clothes are better than brand new: They're used.
Mrs. Moriarty, the owner of the Just Like New consignment shop at 12968 Route 11, is one of a growing number of people cashing in on the recession by reselling lightly used and new clothing at discount prices.
"Anything a kid would need, I try to have," she said. "I'm very picky. Everything's washed and gone through several times."
Just Like New is a far cry from area thrift stores in that it accepts clothes only in new and almost new condition. The business specializes in clothes ranging in size from "preemie" to children's size 8 and also carries baby furniture, toys and books; it frequently resells name brands such as Gap, Gymboree, Old Navy, Children's Place and Carter's for 50 percent or less of their original retail values.
"It's not Salvation Army or anything," Mrs. Moriarty said.
According to the shop owner, many small children are given clothes that turn out to be the wrong size for the wrong season. As a result, nearly 75 percent of the items that are brought in meet her standards, which include being stain-free and unwrinkled.
In exchange for dropping off clothes at the consignment shop, customers are given store credit, the exact value of which varies depending on the quality and amount of items donated.
"Everybody's opinion of 'just like new' is different, I've found that out the hard way," Mrs. Moriarty said. She added that she takes on the risk of reselling once she has accepted an item; anything that does not eventually sell is donated to the Rhode's Center in Adams.
For Mrs. Moriarty, specializing in children's items was a natural decision. Even before she had children of her own, she was active in vacation Bible schools and parent-teacher organizations.
"Everything I've done has always been with kids, so this kind of fell into place. Now I get to play with all the baby stuff all day," she said.
Just Like New opened in 2001 and moved to its present location, where it employs five people, three years ago. Since then, it has enjoyed an upswing in popularity due in part to the recession.
"It's been steady," Mrs. Moriarty said of business in the past year. "October is always a busy month with me because of the weather change, and I expect it will be better than ever due to the way the economy is."
Just Like New has a large stock of back-to-school clothes as well as Halloween costumes. The business is open Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit its Web site at www.justlikenew.org or call 583-5336 for more information.
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