Where to Buy $150 Nike Shoes for $50 - Shopping - Clothing

The Basics:

Everybody wants to be "fly". Looking good is part of the black man's persona. Wearing the latest Rocawear jeans or Nike shoes is fine but we all know that this gear is very expensive and certainly not clothes for the black man trying to survive, right? Well, not exactly right. The key to having the right gear is having the right gear AND having a little money left over in your pocket to enjoy it. Sure you can go to the Nike store and pay retail (full price) for the latest LeBron shoes but if you want a really good alternative try a used clothing store.

First let's be clear, all used clothing stores are not made equal. As a black man you can spend alot of time going from store to store looking at little cotton cresses and hand made purses and never find a thing suitable for your manly image. There are used clothing stores however that have many choices for men including all the brand name ropa that you can find at a Macy's or Nordstrom. One store that fits the bill is the Buffalo Exchange.

The Buffalo Exchange is one of the oldest and most successful used clothing stores in the country and can be found in 14 states in the U.S. from New York to California. Like many other used clothing stores they buy clothes from you as well as sell clothes to the public. Clothes generally sell from 25% to 75% off the retail price and you can find almost any brand name item there as well as many off brand items.

The reason that stores like Buffalo Exchange can sell clothes at these significantly discounted prices is because they are selling the clothes that they bought from you. If you have a closet full of clothes and shoes that you no longer want you can take them down to the Buffalo Exchange (or another similar store) and they will buy them from you at roughly 20% - 35% of what the retail price is. For example, your pair of $100 jeans (congratulations for being able to afford them in the first place) will be purchased by the Buffalo Exchange for between $20 and $35. They will then turn around and sell those jeans to a customer for between $35 and $50. Sellers are happy because they get money for clothes they never want to wear anymore and buyers are happy because they get to purchase clothes at rock bottom prices.

A quick note for sellers - don't bring your ripped or stained shoes and clothes to the Buffalo Exchange because they will not buy them. They only buy gear in top condition, which makes the buyer's experience very good. Buyers know that they are getting the same quality of merchandise that they would get if they went directly to the manufacturer. The only difference is that the merchandise has a few miles on it. If saving 50% or more is worth wearing a slightly used item then stores like the Buffalo Exchange are perfect for you.

What You May Not Know:

Many used clothing stores (including Buffalo Exchange) sell new clothes too.

What You Need To Know:

Don't bring abused or stained clothes to a used clothing store and expect the store to buy them. These stores need to resell your clothes and they can't resell junk.

Buffalo Exchange only accepts clothes and shoes in very good condition, but they do not launder or clean clothes and shoes that they buy. If you buy some used gear there you should take it home and have it cleaned before you wear it.