Has anyone heard of Buffalo Exchange?
It's this store where you can Buy, Sell or Trade gently used clothing.
When I was introduced to Buffalo, I basically thought it was the best invention ever.
So as of late, I've been in my "purging" phase and wanting to get rid of a lot of clothes and purses that have been sitting in my closet forever, never being used.
I thought Buffalo would be the perfect opportunity!
It's like Goodwill, but I get MONEY out of it!
What I didn't realize was the anxiety and the scrutiny I would feel upon entering that store with my bags full of old clothes. Clothes that I paid good, hard money for. Clothes that I hand-selected to reflect my style, my personality. Clothes that I was sure the lady at Buffalo Exchange would jump at the chance to buy from me, thanking me profusely, with maybe one single happy tear shed.
Boy, was I wrong. So wrong.
I walked up to the counter, several bags in tow, smile on my face, dollar signs in my eyes.
I was so sure that 80% of what I had to offer would be snatched up.
Let the games begin.
She quickly started pulling items out of my bag.
Ooh, she grabbed my H&M faux leather jacket. That's for sure a winner - - wait, what? Why is she putting it back? Why isn't she tagging that shiz for keeps? That bi-atch! Does she think she's better than me? Is my stuff not good enough for this store?
Okay, okay...now she grabbed the Gucci bag. Why is she inspecting it like it's not real? Doesn't she know I'm Asian and would only give her the real stuff? Now she's calling over an associate to inspect it. This is embarrassing people. {gasp!} She put that back too! She's not taking it? What the...
...
That torture continued for another 30 minutes.
And you know what she took after raiding 4 large bags full of my precious items?
One dress.
One dress that she said was a tank top {probably so she wouldn't have to pay me as much}.
You know what I got for that one dress that cost me $50 retail?
$4.75 in cash or $6.25 in store credit.
I almost threw up right then and there.
I slowly grabbed my rejected clothes, tail between my legs, head bowed in shame, and took the store credit.
{To which V Dizzle put towards a lovely new pair of pants.}
I don't know if I have the courage to go back there again.
Maybe Goodwill is the place to go.
At least there, they'll make me feel like my things are made of gold and lined with precious diamonds.
Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
...
xoxo
P.S. Don't forget to enter Swim Spot's giveaway!
Ugh I hate bringing my stuff to Buffalo for this very reason! They took a ripped pair of Forever 21 jeans the last time after i had fretted for weeks weather o not to even bring anything in! Sometimes though it depends on which one you go to and who looks at your clothes. I always had great luck in Tucson but they wouldn't touch my things at the ASU store. So who knows. Try the PB one if you were at Hillcrest, they are crazy picky(snobby) at Hillcrest!
ReplyDeleteOmg we had Platos Closet back home, which was the same deal. I would bring SO many bags in everytime. Bags that took me hours...days even to find which clothes I could finally part with. Theyd take 15 minutes to look through everything and Id get like 5$. One time I got 120$ but thats only because I brought clothes with tags still attached. The worst part is that all the clothes in the store are always gross and SO worn looking when mine always looked brand new.
ReplyDeleteI've always heard this about trying to take clothes there. Try to sell it on here. I'm sure it'll fly. Especially if an item for sale is an LV. Someone I know is lusting, I mean looking, for one. lol
ReplyDeletelol - we dont have a buffalo exchange by me but we do have a platos closet which does the same thing. you might want to try there if you have one! i think they are less picky about what they buy. i got really lucky one time when a new platos closet was JUST opening in our area and the store was only buying to stock their racks. best of luck!
ReplyDeleteThe first (and last!) time I brought my stuff to Buffalo Exchange, the same exact thing happened. I mean, I had some really good quality clothes in there and the clerk ended up giving most of them back to me. I had asked why she didn't take the rest and she told me it's dependent on "current trends", the demand and the season. Whatever. I just ended up giving the rest away to a neighboring thrift store.
ReplyDeleteI have a serious love hat relationship with them! My friend is even a buyer there and she says that most of the time they just want super electric stuff and not items that everyone would wear!
ReplyDeleteHaha this cracks me up. I have never sold clothes to stores like this for this same reason!
ReplyDeleteI've had the exact same experience, and I don't take my clothes there anymore. I'll go buy things, but they are a little too arrogant for my taste. And then I see some of the stuff that they have in the store, and it makes me wonder who they have working there! It isn't consistent sometimes, and it's really frustrating...so believe me, I don't blame you for the rant ;)
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Joelle
we have a store like that here. i've heard a few of my friends have the same experience. AND THE CLOTHES THEY SELL AREN'T EVEN THAT CUTE.
ReplyDeletei've never tried one of those places, we have plato's closet around here..but i would have been offended too! and you know they turn around and sell that stuff for way more!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds awful! If you're looking to make a few bucks, you should have a garage sale. A couple of months ago I got about $60 for three bags worth of clothes I had, and I took what was left to the Goodwill.
ReplyDeleteThat's crazy! I'd be so pissed.
ReplyDeleteI had almost the exact same situation- and I haven't been back to Buffalo Exchange since. Why are they so snobby?! Not nice.
ReplyDeleteI've done the same thing! I used to go to Buffalo and also another store called Crossroads...I went in with bags and bags of stuff and they took NOTHING! I was pretty embarrassed haha but they are very very picky as to whether it's in season or not and if they have too much of the same stuff. I did sell a pair of old Seven Jeans and got $60 cash for them which was nice but every other time I've been they've taken nothing...I finally took it all to Goodwill lol
ReplyDeleteSometimes it depends on what Buffalo Exchange you go to, like in what city. When I lived in LA, those betches wouldn't take ANYTHING of mine. But recently I went in to sell 2/3 of my closet here in Ventura and I got $86 in cash! Granted, I came in with practically my entire closet. I also have a lot of weird clothes which apparently, they were diggin'. My sister also recently went to the Ventura one with like three bags or so and got $130. I'm convinced it's because it's Ventura and people at our BE aren't as snobby and arrogant about buying. At the end of the day, I'm get irritated too at the good stuff they reject, but if I can get even a dollar out of their register, that's a dollar more than I had before. So I keep going with my fingers crossed!
ReplyDeletehahaha been there, done that. :(
ReplyDeleteOh no! We're moving, and I've got two big bags of stuff to take to Plato's Closet...I was SO excited. Now I'm nervous, haha!
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience. Haven't even ever shopped there again after that, I was so pissed at them.
ReplyDeleteI had an experience very similar to that. Except they took one shirt and offered me .75 cents….
ReplyDeleteYou should have a blog sale! I've seen other bloggers do that and they seem to have a lot of success. Just make a post with all your clothes and stuff on it with the prices and a description.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Buffalo Exchange but there was an independent store called Blue Moon in Ventura that did the same thing and boy oh boy.
ReplyDeleteThey would take any of my old ass ugly jeans that weren't cute but wouldn't go near any of my cute dresses, shirts, etc from Anthropologie, H&M, Forever 21, etc.
dont feel bad. went there once about 7 years ago and never went back. not even to shop. hate that place.
ReplyDeleteGirl, i had both experience with buff exchange and plato's. Same shiz. Only got like $10 out of gazillion bags. I'd rather etsy/ebay it now. I get more money's worth! I'd go to BuffEx just to browse and see whats good there. I would never sell my stuff there anymore. It's indeed embarassing, esp there's other people too waiting there to do the same thing and watching you getting rejected. Boo.
ReplyDeleteWiggidy whack! The shiz at the Buffalo Exchange here isn't even that cute! I'd look for a local consignment shop; I bring all of my stuff back home to my mom's town where there's a consignment shop that LOVES my stuff. Those Buff jerks don't even KNOW what they missed out on.
ReplyDeleteWe have a Platos Closet which is similar. I have never taken stuff in there. I have heard places like that can be selective but that is ridiculous!! Anything from H&M is awesome in my book!
ReplyDeleteI've done this twice and will never do it again! So shaming! I'd rather do a clothing swap with friends!
ReplyDeleteOh man, that sounds so awful!!! I wouldn't go back for sure, but I am a bit of a weeny. I couldn't take that kind of scrutiny!
ReplyDeletethey totally screw you when they're "paying" you. you might as well donate your clothes for all the cash you're getting!! sooo frustrating!
ReplyDeleteit remind me so much of this portlandia clip :
ReplyDeletePortlandia - Vintage clothing store
have a look
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmKRIqnov9g
Oh heeeeeeell no! That's the worst I've heard, but not the first story of BE being jerks about what they buy. My friend brought in a bunch of stuff to one of the stores here in Portland and they bought a few things, sure, and then told her they could take the rest and donate it. Yeah... To their inventory. She saw some of her clothes in the window display a couple weeks later.
ReplyDeleteI'll happily shop there to score some good deals, but I just Goodwill it when I need to purge in order to save the hassle now.
There's a store near where I live called platos closet and they do the same thing. I've tried a few times to sell my clothes to them, and they don't take any of it - and it's all nice stuff! Name brand and everything. Some new with tags. After trying 3 times, I haven't been back in years. It's not worth it. I just donate to goodwill now.
ReplyDeleteLauren
http://laurensweetnothings.blogspot.com/
You redesigned! NICE! Sry it was 30 min of torture. I can't believe they didn't take the Gucci! The only thing about Goodwill is they wont give you cash but you can put down however much on the tax receipt. Anyways, good luck next time! They prolly have no taste at Buffalo.
ReplyDeleteI went to a store like that in high school and had the same experience. RIDICULOUS! Seriously, they are jerks. And stupid. THe stuff I brought in was ten times nicer than what was in the store. Le sigh.
ReplyDeleteLol, yea I brought back a suitcase of clothes specfically to bring in to Buffalo Exchange. I got a whopping $14.35. I think they've become way more picky over the years, because I used to bank when I brought clothes there.
ReplyDeleteLame.
I feel the exact same way! So refreshing to know that others feel the same.
ReplyDelete