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For those who closely follow this site, you may remember how much I love clothes, especially of the used/vintage variety. When the local retail options tend to fall into two halves of a venn diagram labelled Overpriced and Crap Quality, the ol’ re-use, recycle, and restyle remains my favorite way to pick up new threads.
Well, guess what? The near decade of flea market finds have added up, and my closet is hurting, y’all. I’ve done the odd lady brunch and clothing swap, sold them at house shows, donated, passed them onto friends, etc. But my bulging spare suitcases remain, and with them my desire to pick up a few extra pesos.
So I called up influencer, fashionista, entreprenuer, and old friend of La La Lista Andreina Mendez aka Bombiris to ask for her advice. And with her help and a little bit of snooping on my own, I’ve rounded up a few ways you can unload your pilchas and get paid, ya dig?
The Bonafide Hustler: Las Ferias
For when you have loads of clothes to sell, and you’re confident in your salesmanship to streetwise grandmas.
Are you a haggler at heart? Do you fare well with shrewd old ladies? Head to Parque Centenario or Parque Los Andes on the weekend with a rolling suitcase and ask the local vendors if they’re interested in your wares. This is when the fun begins. They might offer you a sum for the whole lot, pick out a few pieces, or tell you to get lost! It all depends on the day and their current supply/demand ratio. Insist that everything you own has never been worn (regardless of how threadbare it is) because that’s what they tell me Every. Single. Time. Call it karma, or just best business practices. Abuela knows more than you anyway.
The Lazy Hipster: Juan Perez
For when you have way too many polyester dresses and you’d rather get paid something than nothing at all.
When it comes to thrift stores in Buenos Aires, Juan Perez is quite possibly the most notorious. Sprawling, decently organized, and with a good selection of what might be called “statement pieces” (I’m looking at you, fully sequined bustier with gold beading that has yet to make its first public appearance), this is the place you want to head if your clothing collection heavily leans vintage and you’re not strapped for cash — it’s a commission-based system, that takes a hefty 66% for the store. Take your wares to the counter at the front, wait around while they go through it, get your inventory slip, and make sure to check back: Google reviews say that they’re not always the best at letting you know when you’ve made your sales.
The One-Stop Shop: Galpón de Ropa
For when you need to unload name-brand or fast fashion clothes quick, and enjoy a variety of payment options.
Located conveniently on the Loyola bicisenda in Villa Crespo (as well as two other locations in Belgrano and Cañitas) Galpón de Ropa is your go-to, brick and mortar location for selling new-ish, gently used clothes. Once your items have been examined, they’ll give you a ticket for what they think is sellable, and offer to donate the rest. In terms of payment, you can choose between three options: cash, consignment, or credit. With cash, you’ll get 30% of the sale price in the moment, while consignment will net you 40% at a later date after sale, which you can easily check online at any point. With credit you’ll receive 50% of the sale price in the moment, to be used at any store location on other clothes.
The Budding Entrepreneur: Renova Tu Vestidor
For when you have the patience to post your wares to the internet, but don’t want to create your own site.
For those of you who don’t mind doing a little extra work for a better payout, check out Renova Tu Vestador. You simply snap photos of your threads, post them on your profile, and wait for a sale. Name Brand items go quick. After the sale is made, you just have to go to the post office, say that you’re sending a shipment from the site, and they’ll hand you a ticket that covers the cost of shipment. The only con is that the site charges 25% commission, but considering how painless they make the process, it’s worth it. Customers who like your taste in clothes can follow your closet, and your “showroom” can build prominence on the site, resulting in faster sales down the road.