Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Debutante's I & II Consignment Boutiques - Moorestown and Voorhees, NJ

Debutante’s Consignment Boutiques I and II
101 East Main Street
Moorestown, NJ 08057
AND
2999 East Evesham Road
Voorhees, NJ 08043
http://www.debutantesconsignment.com/

Broke Sister #2's Review
Debutante’s I and II are family owned (husband and wife) consignment boutiques! Debutante’s I, in Moorestown NJ, is absolutely the cutest and classiest little store right on Main Street. It is close to many other little stores and eateries not to mention Moorestown itself is just beautiful so why not make a day of it with your girlfriend  like I did with my Broke Sister!!

If you decide to go to this store beware parking is not very convenient but don't let this be a reflection of the store!! There is street parking close to the store and it is metered so bring a quarter with you. Good thing is 1 quarter will last an hour!! Close by the store about a block away or so there is free parking behind the stores. I recommend taking the first spot you see because if you pass this little store it is blocks before you can turn around to come back and park close because it is in a busy part of town. Inside the store it is super cute!! The owner (wife runs the one in Moorestown) was really nice. The items in this store were gorgeous and displayed very nicely. In addition they had many displays with purses, shoes, outfits etc. It didn’t seem to cluttery like some stores I have been in so you dont get the second hand feel in this store. The store being small in this case is a good thing because you can soak up all there is to see and really take your time and look around. The quality of the items you will find in this store is amazing but expect to pay the price for them. I don't think I could shop here regularly but again that is just how my bank account works. With all of that said the items were amazing. If you are looking for name brand, high quality, or just plain elegance this store has it. Coach bags, DG bags, fur coats, beautiful cocktail dresses…they have it all.

As for Debutante’s II on the other hand... while this store was a bit bigger and prices for some reason seemed a little better I will not be going to this store again. The gentleman who I believe to be the owner was very nice and made sure we knew just where to look for the sales which was ½ off most if not all of their summer items. After the discount the prices were really good. However, there was an older woman that worked in the store that truly made me feel like I was a criminal. She looked at me like I was nuts when I walked in with my children. Then it seemed every time I turned around she was there watching me. I picked out a dress to try on and she was kind enough to place in the dressing room for me while I continued to shop but when she realized I was not interested in purchasing the dress she gave me a serious attitude. I could not WAIT to get out of this store.

Again, the quality was wonderful, the dressing rooms were small but sufficient and set up very elegantly like the rest of the store, the store displays were elegant and again the gentleman in the store who I believe to be the owner couldn’t be nicer!

Over all I don't think I would go on a regular basis but I will go back again without my kids and really search for a great deal, after all I am a Broke Sister not a rich one.

The stores were very nice and very organized. It was quite obvious that a lot of time and effort and pride goes into making both of these stores happen and as a consignment shopper that is much appreciated. I would recommend this store to you but be prepared to pay for the quality you are getting...this store truly has only the best of the best...not a bad thing!!

Broke Sister #1's Review
Debutante's I, in Moorestown, NJ has been one of my favorite consignment stores to visit. I discovered it about 2 years ago while driving around.  I don't frequent the store that often but have found some of what I consider to be really good finds.  Last year I bought a pair of light brown suede boots lined with fur that can cuff down in brand new condition for $35, in addition to a beautiful red Liz Claiborne purse that looks like alligator skin for $20.

The Moorestown store is very quaint and small in size. Have you ever walked into a store and just loved being there?  Well this is how I feel when I walk into Debutante's I.  It's very cozy.  When you walk in you do not feel like you are in a second hand store at all.  Everything is displayed beautifully, and is very well organized.

Like my broke sister mentioned, the parking situation isn't the most convenient as it is metered, street, parellel parking unless you want to find a parking lot up in the busier part of the town and walk, just wear comfy shoes. The town, itself, is just adorable anyway.

Just like their website says, they carry "top notch" items with an array of designer names.  Again, when it comes to prices, I'm going to have to agree with my broke sister and say it's a little too pricey for someone with kool-aid pockets.  But that's not to say if you frequent the store you won't find a really good deal! I have!  Just not today.

I noticed in both locations that the sizes range from 4 to 16 in clothes and up to a 12W in shoes!

As for Debutante's II, nice store, a little bigger in size and they offer a little more variety, ESPECIALLY if you are looking for jeans, and jackets.

I'd say that in comparison of the two locations, Debutante's I is more evening wear, business casual, and dressy where as Debutante's II offers the same as I, in addition to very casual, shorts, jeans, and dress down clothes.  Everything is STILL "top notch" very clean, well organized, and displayed beautifully.

Prices are the same in Debutante's II as I, the only difference TODAY is that II was having big sales 50% to 80% off their summer stuff.

Will I go back again?  I'll continue visiting Debutante's I looking for treasures, II on the other hand, possibly.

Help Broke Sisters Holiday Shop!

Ok so the holidays are fast approaching and in these hard economic times we have to find ways to shop for everyone but save money at the same time! Broke Sister #1 says she will be making T-shirts and other crafty ideas. What ideas do you have! Let us share tips and shopping ideas for the holiday and hopefully help each other save some serious cash this holiday season!!!

Friday, August 20, 2010

2nd Ave Value Store, Philadelphia, PA

2nd AVE VALUE STORE
Franklin Mills Marketplace
163 Franklin Mills Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19154
Mon-Sat 9a-9p
Sun 10a-6p
http://www.2ndavestores.com

Broke Sister #1's Opinion
Today Broke Sister #2 and I did our first excursion for the sake of research. We visited the website to see if there were any sales, or coupons, and nothing was listed. However when perusing the store they constantly had announcements of sales going on. And there was a board when we first walked in for children’s buy one get one free depending on the color of the tag on the clothing.

First and foremost this store is not a consignment shop. The atmosphere, set up and merchandise sold there is more like a thrift store. However, good news is, if you are looking for brand named clothes, this is definitely a good spot to visit because the prices are unbeatable.

Several things that I saw hanging on the racks, for women, were brand new. Original tags were still on the clothes! We are talking BRAND NEW, NAMED BRAND jeans for less than $10.00!!! The sizes ranged from small sizes to plus sizes, and the stuff was pretty much up-to-date in style. I won't lie though, some of the dressier pants for women were a little old lady-ish for me, but that's not to say you wouldn't disagree w/me. Like I'd expect, though, when shopping consignment you need to have the time to really look, and sort through the merchandise. Although most of the clothing was clean, and a lot of items were brand new, I did see ONE fur coat with a huge hole under the arm, again, that's ONLY one thing!

The store is huge, and categorized similar to that of a department store. There weren't any "displays," so to speak, but the way the merchandise is grouped together, it's very easy to find what you are looking for.

The tagging on the clothes was really confusing. Not sure I can blame that on the staff or from careless shoppers not putting things back where they belong. And the racks, themselves, weren't 100% organized.

Sizes were marked as S, M, L, and XL. However in those size sections you would find sizes from 8 to 18. Not only that but when I'm shopping not ONLY do I want to easily see the price but the size too! And in order to see the # size you had to unbutton pants and look for the inside tag with the size printed on it. Not very convenient.

I didn't buy anything, but would definitely go back. I'm just a picky shopper. If it doesn't scream out, "TAKE ME HOME," then I don't normally buy it.

Broke Sister #2's Opinion
Ok Ladies and Gents and kids and people of all shapes and sizes...THIS IS THE STORE FOR YOU!! I did not intend on buying anything at all (just research as sis said) but I walked out with 2 pairs of BRAND NEW American Eagle jean and a BCBG shirt for $22. As sis mentioned in her post,  above mine...they announced a sale in store that was 1/2 off of all showcase items. Showcase items are the good stuff...Gucci bag $50, jewelry at rock bottom all ready 50% off!!! WOO HOOO! What a deal!!

The store is very easy to find as it is right off 95 and across from the Franklin Mills Mall. It is conveniently placed right next to a Big Lots store (who doesn’t like Big Lots!!) and also next to a children’s clothing store but trust me when I say once you leave this store you won’t be stopping at Big Lots or the children’s store because you would have found everything you need in this one store!! ONE STOP SHOPPING PEOPLE…they even have used undies and other skivvys (gross right!!) LOL! There is a lot of parking as it is part of a strip mall and it is accessible to handicapped both outside (parking, ramps, etc) and inside (wide aisles and things easily accessible).They have carts to carry the many items you will buy…and you will buy a ton!!The store carries electronics, movies, books, housewares, bedding, toys, undies (YUCK), womens, kids, men, boys, teens, literally EVERYTHING you could possibly want and in a department store setting (without the department store prices)Also most of the items they had were all new with the tags or gently used. If your into name brands this is the place for you also...they had A LOT of name brand items!! I will say and so did Broke Sister #1, we witnessed a coat that at first glance was gorgeous but with a closer look had a HUGE tear in it!

Off the bat some policies to expect like No Tag no sell, No refunds or exchanges so in a nut shell do not fall in love till you try it on in their no so clean dressing rooms (at least they are there!) and check for tags!.

While on the subject of tags...terrible! While I certainly like the price on the tags and so did Broke Sister #1 the tagging was SUPER confusing. They have different color tags that apparently mean nothing (maybe secretly they do mean something...hmmmm). However we did find out that if something is say 8 dollars this week check back next week and they will lower the price based on the tags! The sizes are grouped together as S, M,L, XL but as we all know that is subjective...we are all small!! It was very inconvenient because you had to search for the true size however a deal is a deal. You can never find a good deal easily right! Also do not ask for help in this store...uggh it may not go well but again not stopping me from shopping here!

Overall this store was DA BOMB!!!! The quality of the items I found was VERY good and the prices for the items I found was a STEAL…almost literally!!They take credit card and cash for payment. For the most part they are organized and they literally have EVERYTHING you could possibly want and for the whole family!!I will deff go back to this store and soon!!!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Help a Sister Out

Let's all share information!  (Coupons, deals, sales, etc.)

Let Broke Sisters Know

Let us know what consignment store you want Broke Sisters to review!

Also, let us know what it is you want to know from Broke Sisters in our reviews from each store we visit.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

New Jersey Shops

This is where the Broke Sisters will post reviews and experiences we have had at NJ Shops we visit during our quest to find GREAT deals on AWESOME stuff. So if you live in NJ or you shop in NJ the Broke Sisters hope you will use this as a resource. Don't forget to share your favorite spots to find great deals and the Broke Sisters will visit and do what we do!!!

Helpful Resources

In my research I found a great resource to start with:

http://consignmentshops.com/index.html

Not only does this site list consignment shops by state, but you can find shops for men, plus sizes, brides and more by clicking on "Specialty Shops" on the leftside nav.

This site also allows you to post your consignment business in addition to providing information on how to open your own consignment shop.

Accents By Design, Paoli, PA

Accents On Design
83 East Lancaster Ave
Paoli, PA 19301
610-640-1200
Mon-Sat 10-5
http://accentondesignpaoli.com/

Ok so the first EVER re-sale store I went to for myself is Accents on Design. My sis was on the market for a "new to her" winter coat. I saw this place on WPVI and thought what the heck. It was a little out of the way but being unemployed...I've got nothing but time so in the car and off we went!!

The place was easy to find. It is tucked behind a little furniture store on the Main Line in Paoli. We walked in and our eyes nearly popped out of our head!! Did I die and go to heaven!!! Anyway, I walked out and spent $80 and with that $80 dollars I bought a quarter length suede jacket with a fur lining, Ralf Lauren Jeans that had the tags on them, and two cashmere turtle neck sweaters! FABULOUS DEAL RIGHT!!! Well you will hear more about this store during our shopping endeavors because we both got great deals and it was a nice store and I WILL be going back.

I believe at the time they had only been open a month or two. They had no website just yet but they do now. The store was small but PACKED with FABULOUS deals!! I think I saw a Coach bag (my one true love after my hunny, kids, shoes and great deals) and it was ONLY 40 dollars (yes it was real people!!). The women that were at the store were super nice and just as excited as I was with my great finds. They had a large range of sizes and styles. You can find anything from evening wear to jeans and simple shirts, to shoes and classy accessories!!

O by the way this is not a traditional consignment store. You do not consign your items with them...they pay you for your lightly used items. You have to make an appointment and have 10 items minimum to sell.

Needless to say go here...it was worth the trip...and it is nice time spent with my broke sister!!

Our Purpose!

About 2 years ago I was laid off from my job and a year after me my sister was also laid off from the same company. Having the opportunity to spend additional time with my family and my sister we began realizing the changing season is upon us and we truly have no "extra" money to purchase new clothes and other needed items.

I am super addicted to Children's consignment sales and find the best deals EVER at these semi-annual sales! So in talking with my sister (the other broke sister) we decided to seek out Consignment stores and re-sale shops in search of good deals for ourselves!! We are currently making a list of stores we would like to visit and after our shopping spree we will return to our homes and our PC's (because that is what broke sisters do) and we will share our experiences (good and bad) with you! Maybe through this blog we can help other broke sisters, broke brothers, broke parents, and heck just broke people find a great deal!!

We would also love for you to share your favorite spots to shop with us and let us know what you think...let the shopping begin and the Broke Sisters will be at a consignment store, sale, or re-sale shop near you!!

Happy Shopping!!!
Broke Sister #2 (because I am the younger one...hehehe)