Crossroads Trading Company, a 20-year old San Francisco institution, has opened its doors in Brooklyn, an exciting event for bargainistas across all 5 boroughs. If you’re not familiar with the model, they buy, sell and trade gently-used, fashion-forward clothing. For those of us who prefer revolving closets, it’s a pretty neat way of doing business. The way it works is simple: bring your clothing, shoes and accessories to the store, and whatever they decide to take will net you 35% of the selling price in cash on the spot, or 50% in store credit. You can read more about how it works here.
What I personally love is that even though Crossroads is a for-profit store, they do their part by donating to charity whenever you choose not to use a plastic bag. That translated into over $16,000 given to charities in 2010 alone. They’re all for green, and they pay it forward.
Sarah, their Social Media and Event Coordinator, contacted TSC to let us in on the good news about the store’s opening, and offered some insider information.
Tell me about Crossroads – how and when did it begin, and how does it work?
Crossroads started in 1991, a green dream come true, right in the heart of San Francisco on Fillmore street. How does it work? As a recycled fashion retailer, we buy and sell gently used clothing directly from our customers. People can stop in, sign in, and sell their clothes for cash or store credit, and if they’re in a time crunch they can even drop off their clothes and come back later for their cash or trade – and what we buy from our customers goes onto our racks! We are always looking to buy and sell the most on trend items, but the cool thing about it is that our clothes always maintain the character of the neighborhoods they’re located in. It’s both comforting and refreshing, because our stores feel like home. All you need to sell is a valid ID showing you’re over 18.
What kind of stuff do you accept?
We look for what is in fashion and in season because that’s what our customers want. Since buy used items, we also need them to be in good condition. Unfortunately we don’t accept donations, but there’s more information about what we’re looking for on our website http://crossroadstrading.com/buy-sell-trade/what-we-are-looking-for/.
Is there an average demographic for your customers? Do you carry menswear also?
Having worked in a Crossroads store, I can say our customers are pretty varied, ranging from teenagers to working women and men. Each store reflects its neighborhood, so if the store is next to a university, most of the customers will be student-aged.
What are your prices like?
All of our items are a fraction of their original price, but it’s hard to say what the average is since we receive such a variety of items and brands. For example, our Santa Barbara store received a Theory shirt last week and priced it at $26.50, but a Forever 21 shirt might be priced at $7.
What are some of your current favorite pieces? (Photos would be great if you have them)
Well, a few weeks ago our merchandising team let me sneak into the jewelry that would be hitting store this week – just to snap some photos to show our blog readers. What ended up happening was a shopping trip for me (as well as the blog post!). A lot of people don’t know that we actually sell a lot of a sizable amount of new clothing, jewelry, shoes and more. I walked away with that bedazzled multi-strand necklace and a chunky bird skull ring (see photos).
Of our used merchandise, one of our stores recently got a pair of Jeffery Campbell Harlows and priced them at $42.50.
Another got a teal Phillip Lim Maxi dress, selling for $85. Our used merchandise changes everyday though, so what’s here today maybe gone tomorrow…replaced with more recycled treasures of course.
What are your thoughts on the rise of the second-hand shopper?
It’s been exciting to see a rise in the general awareness of recycled clothing among mainstream shoppers, not just those fashion-forward and environmentally conscious shoppers.
What’s the most interesting item you’ve seen come through the store?
A pair of knee high, pointy toed Manolo Blahnik boots with a sort of geometrical cut out design all along the back. They were made for a real fashion maven.
If someone has never shopped second-hand, what would you say to them to get them in the door?
I would say, what’s been keeping you?! In the past years wearing secondhand has become such a norm that if you haven’t tried it before, now is the time! The thing about Crossroads is that it is a different experience from going into a thrift store. We hand pick our items so you won’t be shifting through racks of outdated items to find something you like. We also make sure that our items are in good condition. This means no surprise rips, tears or stains. There’s also the added pleasure of knowing you’re closing the loop with fashion recycling. It’s crazy and cool to see one person come in and sell an item and someone else come and buy it.
Tell me something about the folks that run the shop that people might not know – hobbies, interests, special abilities, etc.?
Our staff are all incredibly hardworking, nice and fun. Having worked briefly in two stores, I know they really put their all into their work, they love helping their customers, and they love fashion. They all have hobbies and interests beyond work, of course, making them even cooler than what our customers can see! For example, one of staff at our Oakland store has a men’s street style blog called Trig and Polished that we love. One of the girls at our Haight street store makes jewelry for herself in her free time.
Anything else you’d like people to know about Crossroads?
We’re friendly! We tweet, FB, and tumbl (http://www.facebook.com/crossroadstrading, http://twitter.com/crossroadsstyle , http://crossroadstrading.tumblr.com) too! We have stores in California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois and now New York. Our Brooklyn store is our newest location and we’re ridiculously stoked to be there…and we’re always open to suggestions as to where to open next!
Crossroads Trading Company, Brooklyn
135 N. 7th Street
(between Berry & Bedford)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(347) 549-4005
Mon-Sat 11am-8pm
Sunday 12pm-7pm
Want more insider info on New York second-hand stores? Check out 30 thrift stores, all on the island! NYC 30X30
Hi there. I'm Nicole. I live in New York City, in a small apartment full of strange little things. In addition to running Thrift Store Confidential 
