Annoyance Of The Day: A Trip To Plato's Closet
  Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

ConnieTalk is Connie-Ticked-Off today. So we were cleaning out our closet...most of the stuff went to the Salvation Army, but some of it was new and even with tags, so we decided to check out something new. "Plato's Closet" is a place we've been hearing a lot of radio commercials about: they buy new and gently used clothes for cash (or so they say).

Eighteen different outfits went in the bag to take to Plato's: an Allison Taylor skirt; a shrug from Rave; a J. Lo by Jennifer Lopez track suit; Merona blouse; Willi Smith long-sleeved tee; Nine West skirt; Calvin Klein tank; some CafePress stuff; a New York & Company jacket; an Old Navy sweater, new with tags; more tanks and tops, a few off-brands, but everything in A+ condition.

After filling out a ticket with our name, address, phone number, and signature, the girl behind the counter told me to "browse around the store - feel free to shop," and our stuff would be quoted in about 10 minutes or so.

I find some cute red Charlotte Russe shoes, and was just moving over to the purses when the store employee calls out my name.

"I'm sorry, we're going to pass on all of these today," she says.

Pass? What do you mean pass?

"Well, long skirts don't really sell well, you have a couple of those...stuff with velvet material isn't a big seller..." she trailed off.

One of the shirts had just been purchased retail for $34. Another had its $26.95 tag hanging off of it, untouched. Another retailed at $75 less than a year ago and had never been worn. And they were all totally different items.

So we called a few friends, and got the same story. From Strongsville to Columbus, we found no one that successfully sold clothes at Plato's closet - only had purchased them.

We were so fired up we felt like demanding the gas money to drive all the way over there; but then again, fool us once...shame on us. We slouched out the door in front of a blonde teen still carting her full bag of rejected goods.

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