Story & PhotoS by Julie linnekin - Quintessential Barrington Magazine

Just how sweet of a deal?
We decided to test the market and find out how far a one hundred dollar bill can be stretched
if used solely for the purchase of secondhand clothes and accessories. It wasn’t hard to find
three young ladies that were up for the challenge.
Caroline Donahue, 21, is the shopping guru and bargain hunter of the trio. A college
student on a budget, Caroline manages to stay fashionable without spending a fortune. At 17,
Sarah Dombeck has made vintage look vogue in the halls of Barrington High School. And
13-year-old Kellie Mullany, a seventh-grader at Prairie Middle School, is our most fastidious
shopper. Tired of the mall, she is eager to shop the resale stores for the first time. So we gave
each girl one hundred dollars and sent them to five resale shops in walking distance of the
heart of downtown Barrington. Here are their found treasures:
For Caroline:
❣ 50s lace baby doll top Re De Find $40
❣ Urban floral scarf Catchpenny $3
❣ Gold/pearl clip earrings Catchpenny $3
❣ Steve Madden gray heels Kool Beans $7
❣ BCBG black jeweled flats Double Exposure $24
❣ Tulle embellished tank Double Exposure $12
❣ 70s sunglasses Re De Find $11
For Sarah:
✿ Late 40s organza dress Re De Find $35
✿ Sperry-like boat shoes Catchpenny $3
✿ Vintage-inspired French flair skirt Catchpenny $4
✿ Silk floral scarf House of Hope $2
✿ 50s inspired Francesca’s skirt Kool Beans $4
✿ Summer smock top Kool Beans $7
✿ Neiman Marcus Italian Double Exposure $45
leather oxfords
Resale, consignment, and thrift
What’s the difference between resale, consignment and
thrift shopping? Resale stores buy merchandise outright
from individual owners. A consignment or thrift shop can
also be called a resale shop, but only a store that consigns
their inventory can be called a consignment store. Only a
store run by a not-for-profit organization is considered a
thrift, which has an objective to raise money to fund their
charitable causes.
Thrifts range from the large Salvation Army and Goodwill
chains to individual school, church, or hospital thrift
shops. Not-for-profits can obtain goods through donations,
or can operate on a consignment basis; some do both. A
consignment shop accepts merchandise on a consignment
basis, paying the owners of the merchandise a percentage
when and if the items are sold.
On the next pages, local resale and consignment shop
owners and managers talk about what they carry, and the
types of shoppers they attract.
Caroline Donahue looks over the
shoes at Double Exposure. She is taking
business classes at Harper College and
also pursuing a modeling career.
For Kellie:
✤ Vintage locket bracelet Re De Find $15
✤ Buckle embellished hand bag House of Hope $3
✤ Free People cargo pants Kool Beans $40
✤ Hollister ribbed tank Kool Beans $3
✤ Blush crocheted tank with bow Double Exposure $20
✤ Bubblegum pearl necklace Double Exposure $10
✤ Cut glass beaded sterling bracelet Re De Find $5
Julie Linnekin
is the managing
editor of
Quintessential
Barrington
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