Craving Consignment

It was a private limo tour for a group of lovely ladies in their 40s. They left the husbands and kids at home and although they were searching for designer pieces, they had no intentions of paying full price. So we headed to some of the most amazing consignment shops in the city.

At first, they had mentioned shopping for vintage, but when I explained to them the difference between vintage and consignment, they decided that it was more the consignment that they were craving. Vintage, I explained, is from another era, (even though the 80s can be referred to as vintage now).... Yeah--I don't think Madonna and Cindy would be thrilled to hear this...nor is my mother. Consignment, on the other hand, is second-hand as well but it can be from someone's closet just last week. In the case of New York City, many of the consignment shops contain ready-to-wear from recent fashion weeks along with red carpet recently worn by the likes of Chloe Sevigny and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Our first stop was West Soho--INA. They carry some of the most amazing consignment in the city. Their shoe collection contains names such as Lou Boutin, Choo and Blahnik--enough said. One of the women was looking for a recent Gucci handbag, but she wanted it at a consignment price. That's the one thing about consignment that can be difficult--having one specific thing in mind. Because there is only really ONE of everything when you shop consignment. It's very rare that you'll find two of the same pieces.

The next stop was the street vendors for many along with a bite for lunch at Snack--a stylish Soho cafe. It was a beautiful day so they enjoyed leisurely strolling the streets.

After West Soho, it was back in the limo and time to head to the East Village. I wanted to introduce them to Buffalo Exchange. INA was a little pricey for their liking. There was a small distraction when we headed over to East 11th Street--Viniero's Bakery--a delicious distraction. The ladies loaded up on treats to take back to the hotel for later. They have some of the most amazing pastries in the city.

Buffalo Exchange didn't really peak their interest although some of the ladies enjoyed browsing Min K next door and Tokio Joe's (aside from the crowded factor.) I figured we should try out Tokio 7. They carry very similar designer consignment as INA but the pricing is a little more reasonable and the clothing slightly more dated. Nonetheless, they really enjoyed it and some of them even tried on some things.

By this point, since they had decided to incorporate lunch and dessert into the tour, we only had time for one more stop. I figured that Cadillac's Castle would be the best option. This was one of the most successful stops where almost everyone left with something including jewelry, shoes and dresses. Cad's Castle really is a hidden gem and their prices are extremely reasonable for what you can find. All in all, it was a great tour and the ladies had an enjoyable afternoon.

If you'd like to tour some of the most amazing consignment shops in NYC, visit www.shop-nyctours.com/guidedtours for more information. We look forward to shopping with you!