Frugal Family: Don't Believe Resale Misconceptions, Shop Owner Says

Everyone is looking for ways to save money these days, and Patch wants to help you find the best deals and cost-savings tips available.

In our last Frugal Family, we highlighted . That got us thinking about clothing. It's officially spring and you might be thinking about sprucing up your warm-weather wardrobe.

According to Amy Keely, owner of in Ferndale, there are many misconceptions about buying resale that can keep people from enjoying significant savings.

"When many people hear the word resale, what comes to mind are the worn-out hand-me-downs items that you inherited from an older sibling that are patched, dirty and faded," Keely said.

But that's not usually the case with items found when shopping many resale stores, she said.

"We launder or dry clean all items if we have any doubts as well as steam and press them prior to putting them on the sales floor," she said.

Keely said many resale shoppers are students who are looking for a low-cost way to "create personal expression" by designing their own clothes using vintage pieces or items that they can deconstruct.

"Because typical resale items are not expensive, their costs are low and they can make whatever they want out of those items," she said.

People can also find designer items, where the potential for savings is even greater. Data shows that shoppers buying retail often pay a 250 percent to 1,000 percent markup on designer items, Keely said.

"We are also fierce about selling only 'authentic' designer items so we call the designers like Louis Vuitton when in doubt," she said.

Keely says people from all walks of life shop resale.

"There is a book called the Millionaire Mindset and it discusses that many millionaires are very frugal," she said. "These people have found that you can buy 'like new' designer items for a fraction of the cost."

Other local resale shops include and .