For Halloween or Anytime, Bargain-Priced Retail Therapy in Woodbury

Halloween is just around the corner.

Although I’ve purchased prepackaged Halloween costumes in the past, I try to encourage creativity. Get the kids to consider homemade costumes. Develop a look and then see what can be crafted at home.

But what about when a costume needs a special accessory to complete the look? This happened to us last year. That’s when my eyes were opened to what I’d been missing in the retail universe.

Our son wanted to be a 1930s-style gangster. He found a shirt and tie in his closet. A plastic gun and fedora were in the toy box. He made a faux cigar from a cardboard paper towel tube. All he lacked was a suit jacket to complete his menacing look.

I didn’t want to spend what the costume stores wanted for a poorly made scrap of a jacket. So, I posted a Facebook message in search of a child-sized suit jacket to borrow. “Try Once Upon a Child,” a friend commented. I hadn’t thought of that. And guess what? I found a Sunday morning quality suit jacket for $4!

That’s not all I found. There were racks upon racks of children’s clothing, much of it with designer labels, at affordable prices. Why had I not been shopping second-hand before?

Maybe I was trapped by my ingrained shopping habits. The habit of cleaning out our closets, donating clothes and then going out to buy more new stuff. But when we neglect shopping second-hand, vintage and consignment shops, we miss out on affordable treasures.

Apparel is one of the top 10 things Americans waste money on. But saving money is only one reason to eschew brand new. Take some time to visit local shops to determine which might offer something you’re looking for. A wide variety of options exist for Woodbury fashion hunters.

Plato’s Closet offers the latest looks in brand name gently used clothing and accessories for teen and twenty something guys and girls. Upscale Consignment and Turnstyle Consignment have designer and department store brands at discounted retail prices.

Goodwill and Savers sell clothing for the entire family as well as a wide range of recycled housewares. Plus, they have lots of great Halloween costume attire and accessories.

There are second-hand shopping advantages beyond bargain-priced apparel. Play It Again Sports is a great place to find used sporting equipment for growing kids. And Music Go Round offers refurbished instruments that most likely will save you money over an instrument rental agreement.

Don’t stay stuck in your repetitive shopping habits. Check out vintage, consignment and second-hand shops for a better bargain on your retail therapy. 

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