I'm SO happy to start up the NEW Weekly Guest Writer/Contributor Section!!
It's called Gettin' Guesty and I'll be featuring people who are tackling the debt/living simply/living frugal world from all angles.
I'll showcase all sorts of different stories and experiences and it's gonna be all sorts of awesome.
SooooooOOOOOooooOOooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooOOO without further delay… I am so pumped to introduce our VERY 1st contributor!
Kelly Newell Owner of SCOUT Dry Goods & Trade
Kelly just so happens to be my identical twin sister but that doesn't mean that she didn't have to go through the rigorous contributor process, because she did. I may have even grilled her a little more than the others to make sure she was up to snuff.
Can't just be havin' riff raff up in here!
SCOUT Dry Goods & Trade is located in Omaha, Nebraska and is situated right in the middle of the majorly cute Dundee neighborhood. Scout is at 5019 Underwood Avenue in case you wanna go right there and just check it out yourself.
And Then We Saved: What is the concept behind Scout? Tell us all about it.
SCOUT Dry Goods & Trade: We buy, sell and trade cool clothes. We stock men's and women's vintage and modern clothes, shoes, jewelry, accessories. We've also got some really great cards, posters, books and stamps. We love art and creativity and we feature several local and handmade items.
ATWS: For those who aren't familiar with the Buy-Sell-Trade concept can you tell us what that means?
SDGT: Our concept is really similar to a consignment store except you don't have to wait for your items to sell. We'll give you store credit or cash before you leave and the whole deal doesn't take long at all. Scout is all about recycling your old fashions to get new to you items. It's a way to freshen up your style without spending a single cent. It is completely possible to have style without debt.
ATWS: How does your store help those looking to save money/spend less?
SDGT: All of our items are about 70% less than what they would sell for brand new. We only buy items for the shop that are currently fashionable and in excellent condition. We put out about 100 new items each day and have really great turnover so there is always something amazing in. People looking to save money can find the cutest stuff for a lot less.
ATWS: Rumor has it that you have an amazing $1 sale on Sundays. What are the details on that? That sounds really great!
SDGT: Yes! Every Sunday from 12n-5pm we have a $1 Sale with completely different items each week. The $1 items are items that people bring in to sell to us and we have to pass on them for one reason or another – not in season, too many currently in stock, slightly damaged, that sort of thing- and the person bringing them in also doesn't want the items anymore so we put everything in our $1 Sale and then whatever is left over goes to a local not-for-profit organization the next day. Win-Win for everybody! I know lots of people that plan their Sundays around our $1 Sale- it is quite the compliment!
ATWS: What are the biggest “tricks”/tips you have for people buying vintage/thrift?
SDGT: Shop in all the sections, men's, women's and in all the sizes. Something may not be in the section you would normally look in but would be perfect for the look that you're going for. You never know what you'll find when shopping vintage/thrift. There is a lot of style to be had without spending a lot of money. It's all about how the outfit is put together.
ATWS: What are your greatest tips for putting together inexpensive outfits?
SDGT: Invest in items that are core to your style-if you always go back to the black short sleeve boat neck top with the equally low back-invest in one in a quality material-you'll get your monies worth. Shop your favorite 2nd hand stores often and sign up for their emails. It really is all about timing, we get so many new items every single day. I've seen it time and time again where a customer will wait to purchase an item and come back to find it sold and is totally bummed. So, if you see an inexpensive item that you love snatch it up right then! We also have Secret Sales that we only tell people about through our emails. They are kind of a little “thank-you-for-being-so-awesome-and-opening-our emails-and-paying-attention-to-us” present so that's another way to buy inexpensively with us.
ATWS: What is the best/worst thing about buying vintage/thrift?
SDGT: Best: the variety, the uniqueness and the history behind each piece. Worst: Items damaged beyond repair and overpriced items.
ATWS: What’s the best item and worst item that has come through Scout?
SDGT: The first year we were open we used to see a lot of underwear (!) that was kind of gross:) Now that we've been around for a bit people have a better idea of what we buy and sell. One of my favorite things is getting to know which customers sell us really good stuff and then seeing them come in the door with a load of stuff to sell! How cool is that?! Amazing items just walking through the door and gets set right in front of us?! I love my job! As far as my favorite item that I got from Scout- it is a vintage necklace with an intricate black, white and gold penguin made from diamonds and it hangs on a long gold chain. When the penguins' stomach opens there is a little gold fish dangling there! It is the cutest thing.
ATWS: Anything you regret selling?
SDGT: Not really-its kind of a karma thing. My feeling is: “Gotta let awesome go to get awesome back.”
ATWS: Anything else you’d like to share that you haven’t been asked?
SDGT: Come to Omaha and go shopping with me!
Find Scout online at: www.ILoveScout.com, on Etsy here and on Twitter here and here.
SCOUT Dry Goods & Trade ● THANK YOU ● for being a part of And Then We Saved!
If you would like to be considered as a contributor for Gettin' Guesty send me an email at: Hello@AndThenWeSaved.com