2nd Time Around

Great consignment shop! Very friendly staff with help in the process of consignment, and great upscale clean clothing, jewelry, and shoes.

Ok! This place used to be the go to place to shop! Back in the day me and my mom would love to go there and always find great things for reasonable prices! And I remember this little red headed girl who was always welcoming and always loved talking to me and my mom!
But NOW this place has literally gone down the drain! Once they hired a whole new staff, the clothes aren’t unique and over priced!!! And the staff seems snooty.
I used to consign my clothes there and they would take almost everything! I have good quality clothing too, from urban outfitters, American apparel etc. But recently I went to consign my clothes same brands, they only took one item! Which was a thrifted item! They didn’t take any of my good things… I wonder do the girls that work there know anything about fashion?
I’ve over this place! It used to be great to go to but now I don’t want anything to do with it. Besides the parking on thayer street is terrible! Not even worth it.

The items offered at Second Time Around come at a pretty steep price for second hand items… They do offer more brand name items but if you go to other thrift stores you’ll still find great items at a fraction of the price for what some of the items are going for here. This isn’t a boutique in Williamsburg or SOHO, it’s a thrift store. A plain ring for $ 20 (no gems, not real gold or silver, just colorful but of no real value), a bag for over $ 100, a shirt for $ 29… What?
Oh, and to top that off, there’s no returns. On their bags it even says ‘Second Time Around. No Second Thoughts.’ I’d rather buy these items full price and new and have the option to return if I choose.

This location introduced me to consignment stores and I have since become a big STA fan, both as a customer and a seller.
From the seller’s perspective, I think the process here is smooth and fair. You make an appointment to bring in your clothes, they take a look at everything and then they tell you what they will try to sell. They split whatever the final selling price is 50 – 50 with you if you’ll take store credit, or 40% if you want cash. If you are unhappy with the markdowns an item is taking or just had a change of heart, you can pick up the item at any time. This is very different from resale, and in a way that benefits the seller a lot more. They also have an online platform where you can see all of the items you dropped off and what has sold. I love this!
From the customer perspective: The assortment at every location is different and a function of who lives around there. They don’t move inventory among the stores, sadly — would be really interesting if they did! This location in particular skews too young and casual for my taste, but I have found a few gems, like a Theory black wool jacket for $ 30. The shoes are usually in worse shape than at other STA locations — Boston locations, for example, only sell never– or once-​worn shoes. Here… the shoes definitely show signs of wear. I do appreciate that the stores try to go for mainstream appeal while at the same time keeping an unified aesthetic with interesting/​wildcard items. The prices are great for the most part, and if not, I wait for the markdowns.
FYI — my favorite locations are all 3 stores on Newbury St. in Boston, and the one in Brookline.
Ooh, another tip: Each location has its own Facebook page. Like them to see new arrivals and hot deals daily — you can call them and place an order, and you can also tell them to keep an eye out for particular items you want!

Varied selection, lots of designer items, and they had a store-​wide sale when I went. The dress I bought ended up being 40% off, which was great, but I didn’t know that until the register, they could have marked sale items a liiiittle bit better. The sale made it a very good value, but otherwise, it might be a little steep, but then again the quality of the items was consignment and thus higher than any other used store I’ve been to.
On the downside, I could NOT stop sneezing in the place, which normally isn’t a problem for me in used stores. The plug-​in air freshener in the dressing room made me gag too.
I’d still highly recommend this place though, as long as you walked in wearing a nose plug.

Just dropped off a ton of designer stuff ! They had great stuff. Mink pink, Coach, Tori Burch !

Since I am not a thrifter and do not plan on ever becoming one, I can only write this review from the perspective of a consigner.
Ok, so maybe thrift shopping isn’t as scary as I envisioned it. Especially when the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Missoni and Prada make an appearance. Alas, if that were the whole store, I might have given a fourth star. If you’re in it for the hunt and low price tags, then this place will be a goldmine. For me, I’m not likely to return here to shop again, but I’m more than happy to consign a few of my pieces and see where it goes.
The deal is this: if your stuff sells within 90 days of drop-​off and evaluation, you get 40%. If it doesn’t, you can either collect it or they’ll donate it to charity. It’s a pretty standard deal and given the location and proximity to college students, I think STA has it’s perks.
There were tons of previously loved high-​end jeans, several coats and loads of accessories and handbags. There’s a section of vintage items and a wall of shoes and boots. The girls who work there are funky and cool, and I was able to negotiate the selling price for a pair of barely-​worn Frye boots that I had a hard time letting go (but my left food is thankful I did).
If you’re in to thrifting, I can see this being a great place to shop.

Meh. Second Time Around isn’t very special. I always have dreams about going on an intense thrift shopping rampage throughout the state and finding some incredible deals. This plan most likely will never come true (ha). But I can say that even if it did, Second Time Around would not be a place I would stop at.
The clothing is definitely geared to be more fashionable, but I wasn’t attracted to much. I actually saw a really beautiful necklace there, but it was $ 44 dollars. A little too much money, IMO, for something that wasn’t even gold. Anyway, on the whole, for the items they sell, they are overpriced. I recently saw an old J Crew button down for $ 25. I’m sorry but, with some deal hunting I have found brand new merchandise at the J Crew Outlet in Wrentham for much less. To top it off, the employees are rather empathetic young adults who make the experience less than thrilling.
As for consigning here, don’t do it. Many people warn against it. I had no problem receive my money or anything, but the amount they sold some high end stuff of mine was a little heart crushing (they only split it ⁵⁰⁄₅₀).

Maybe more like 3.5 stars?
I’ve had no problems consigning here. The staff was helpful & didn’t seem to turn their noses up at my items & I got a check in the mail soon.
The men’s section is kinda small but my last trip there I scored a Gant Rugger military shirt in my size with the tags on it from a local boutique (Wharf) for cheap! As with most consignment shops it’s always miss or hit and prices can vary a bit.
I can’t comment on the women’s section other than to say my wife hasn’t purchased a thing when she’s gone with me. They did have a few pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes last I checked but they had a $ 400 price tag on them.
I’d recommend checking out Second Time Around to anyone. It never hurts to check them out since inventory is constant changing & you can score a deal on some great clothing.

my experience here was wholly positive. however, i can only relate my experience as a female shopper, not as a consignor or a male customer.
i don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but i just don’t feel the need to be coddled by shop owners & employees. i have read some complaints about the customer service that i don’t really get. anyway, i found their customer service to be excellent — they were really friendly, immediately started hanging the items i had picked to try on in a dressing room for me so i didn’t have to carry them on my arm, and one girl also gave me some very detailed recommendations for restaurants based on our common interests («buy fresh, buy local», specifically). she also pointed me in the direction of the coffee shop across the street, which was definitely a winner for me (review forthcoming)!
i found the prices to be totally in line with the quality & brand name of the clothes. folks, this is a consignment store, not a thrift store — it’s unreasonable to expect salvation army prices at a store like second time around. when you find a betsey johnson dress at salvation army for $ 10, you thank your lucky stars and gush about it to your friends. when you find a betsey johnson dress at a store like STA, you expect to see it there because of the brand and definitely expect to pay a little more for it. i mean, they had a beautiful dolce & gabbana black silk dress for sale for $ 49.00! unfortunately, it didn’t really flatter me – a shame, because it was sooooo comfy, i love silk! — but i felt the price was outstanding.
i found a few nice dresses (one of them is absolutely stunning on me) and a cool, arizona-​themed asymmetrical-​hem skirt. since i lived in Arizona for a couple of years, i couldn’t help but get the skirt — it was only $ 9 and a girl’s gotta «represent!»
i was pleased with my experience and will return if i ever find myself in providence again. :-)

CONSIGNORS BEWARE — you will walk out of here without your stuff AND without your money.
I recently consigned nearly 50 items with STA on Thayer. I had cleaned out my closet and figured I’d give consignment a shot. I was initially very happy with my experience until the very end, when I went to pick up my unsold items. Turns out three of my items were «missing.» Most of their sales associates made it obvious they didn’t care about my missing items or offering any kind of help. Elizabeth, to her credit, was the nicest but it was obvious that overall customer experience was not at all a priority (to be fair to her, and the store associates, it’s probably coming from higher up). She offered up some convoluted process whereby she’d contact her manager who would contact someone else who would contact someone else etc and that it was unlikely that it’d get anywhere. I would’ve been happy getting the 40% if sold price of a brand new leather jacket they lost. And I said that. Seems reasonable to me given that it was the most expensive item I consigned and only one of three things lost (which also included a theory top and a brand new r. lauren buttondown).
They’ve lost me as a customer for good. A «not responsible for lost or stolen items» does not absolve you of doing the right thing ever STA.
If you’re still thinking about consigning at STA, I’ll tell you what I’ve told my friends and colleagues: Don’t bother. You’re better off with another set-​up (like threadflip) or donating your goods and getting the karma points.
Oh, and in case you see it around: Army green, bomber style leather jacket with a leather hood. Stolen goods.

I’d come here only for accessories as the fashions were way too dated, and not in a good way.

I am not of the female persuasion. Being as such, I can’t comment on the selection of women’s clothing. My sources tell me that it is respectable.
Not a huge fan of the men’s section… Either the clothes aren’t that nice or aren’t that discounted given their used nature. I did find an Armani peacoat there for an incredible price, but the wrong size (it’s previous owner must have been Bigfoot).
I guess it changes, but every time I’ve been here, the women working the counter have had bad attitudes. I’m sure that’s not always the case.

This is the kind of shopper/​clothes wearer I am: I was in Providence for a wedding. I had purchased a dress for the wedding, but kept the tags on it just in case I found something better. (Ladies, doncha hate wearing something that you don’t think is just *perfect* for a special night?) Wedding was going to be in mere hours, like three hours. I was in the wedding. Still looking for a better dress! That’s the kind of shopper I am.
Lo and behold, I walked into STA not expecting much because, as you may have guessed, I literally looked into every shop in Portland, Oregon (where I’m from) and up the east coast (where I was visiting before the wedding). And then there it was, a strapless BCBG cherry red and cobalt blue taffeta-​y satin number with a big black bow in the front. There were so many reasons why I would have never even considered trying on the dress– but there I was in the dressing room putting on the dress that I would wear just hours later to one of my best friend’s wedding.
The cherry on top was that it was on sale too! $ 40 to feel and look great on a such a special night is pretty awesome. Got lots of compliments and loved being able to say, «I just bought this a couple hours ago!» Ha!
Only suggestion is for the clerk to perk up! I had a great story and all she could do was ask for my credit card! Whatever happened to clothes-​shopping-​success solidarity?!

Decent options and super busy! I bought an amazing thick Ralph Lauren sweater for 25 bucks after a 20% off everything deal during the weekend.
Nice friendly employees too!

Although this place doesn’t have a whole lot of options for men, you can find something decent if you’re a guy. Keep in mind that this is not the place to go if you’re looking for something truly retro, you will have a decent shot of finding something to add to your closet.

Great staff, and nice setup (the signs make me lol) however for the consignment style, selection, and pricing I am kinda disappointed. Lots of Banana and Jcrew, which is cool if you’re into that. I appreicate the mix of high and low end, and all of the clothing is in great condition. For the most part pretty trendy stuff, I just wish there was more variety. Prices don’t really range too far from what you would find on a good sale rack either.
However can someone explain to me why I saw second hand Forever 21 shoes priced over $ 20…

Bias alert: I consign here.
However, I also scored a leather jacket here for $ 140 that originally would have retailed close to the $ 1000 range. While as a consigner it can sometimes feel frustrating to see items that I’ve paid good money for sell for what seems like very little, their prices really are fair for used items and they vet well for quality. The staff is also friendly and helpful, which is always appreciated in stores of this type

Ladies,
This location is experiencing a renaissance. I left the store today with some fabulous Valentino sunglasses, and Coach travel wallet — lined in leather and large enough for my passport, and tartan plaid wool trousers from J. Crew for $ 88. How may you ask? Everything since Christmas has been marked at 30−50% off and I had 20 points stored on my frequent buyer card which entitled me to a $ 20 savings.
My how this place has changed. Every fitting room is now used for, wait for it, trying clothes on; and each one has working light bulbs. I didn’t see any dust bunnies, and the bags/​stacks of clothes ready to be consigned are neatly tucked away. They even put a rolling rack in front of the staff-​only back room, which is a big change considering crap used to spill out of there before. Well done! Well, well done!
The management staff is so adorable and friendly, I felt if I was on a modern episode of ‘Friends’ with all of the randos that walked in to have a chat about their New Years, their boyfriend woes, or was a regular selling their high end wares looking for what’s new.
Thank you STA. You have a place in my heart.

Great little thrift shop full of designer brands and products that are in great shape. I was able to get a coach bag for $ 30 here, and the best was it had hardly any signs of ware and tare. When I was here everything was neatly organized and the staff was friendly and helpful.
If you like thrift shops this place is def worth check out.