What happens when things don't sell on Ebay? In Portland, they end up in the Hope Dolls store!
Hope Dolls is an amazing 501-C(3) retail operation. The back rooms of the store serve as a training facility for at risk teens and folks learning skills to get off the welfare roles. They gain skills ranging from literacy, computer skills, and online marketing to alterations and clothing retail. Initially items, primarly name-brand and vintage clothing, that don't sell are moved to the front of the store. One the best features of this second-hand store is the quality shoe selection!
I also particularly like the costume jewelery section here. Most local thriftstore charge 6-7 dollars for a dollar store pair of earrings. Dolls of Hope asks those kind of prices for higher quality jewelry claimed primarily from estate sale leftovers where they would have cost most of us 20-50 dollars.
Finally, in the Ebay "graveyard" across the street is where the real deals are found...EVERYTHING..no matter what the original asking price is just $1.00. A Dollar! It may be an Ann Taylor blouse or a Gucci bag...but here it's just a buck..less than the cost of bus fare. And, like any good "as is" type operation, there are mounds of buck-an-item tables to look through and friendly helpful staff who will sometimes point you the right direction to finding what you're looking for.
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