The RealReal – the consignment store in New York City that doesn’t look like one

You know New York has a lot of options when we talk about thrift shops and consignment shops, right? I have already written some posts and video here on the blog, with some suggestions. Just like in any department, there are thrift stores of all kinds: vintage, alternative, luxury. Some days ago, walking through Soho, I discovered, unpretentiously, a very nice place: The RealReal. It is a consignment shop specializing in luxury goods. And what struck me the most in that it does not resemble a thrift shop – it’s a super clean, two-level store. I liked the concept so much that I thought that you would like to know about it – after all, there is a large audience interested in luxury items.

The luxury business is a $1.5 trillion dollar industry and The RealReal has a very interesting vision and position in this market. The business started on the internet. Founder Julie Wainwright started The RealReal at her home and today is the premier online luxury consignment site with more than 600 employees and several locations in the United States that accept and ship products worldwide. About six months ago, the business expanded to a physical store in New York. One of the things that caught my attention is in relation to company values: they believe in the lifecycle of luxury and it is all about – why not? – a sustainable business. With over 4 million items sold on the site, that adds up to a big impact. In addition, the company is super serious about the legitimacy of the products, ensuring that 100% of the items are true – all done through a team of authentication specialists, who knows exactly how to differentiate the original from the fake, from the quality of the leather to the manufacturer of the zipper.

The products include handbags, watches, jewelry, footwear and clothes, for women, men and kids, from brands like Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Céline, Cartier, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Van Cleef & Arpels, Kate Spade, Valentino, Prada, Calvin Klein… Click here to check the full list. Talking about prices, you can browse the site by categories that interest you to get a sense of the prices of each item. It depends on what you are looking for and comparing the difference with a new item. Either way, the store presentation is beautiful! On the second floor, there is a cafe and a garden.

In addition, the store promotes free events that are very interesting, especially for those who loves fashion! Some of the topics include fashion history, how to invest in vintage items and more. Amazing! You can check the calendar of events here.

Address: 80 Wooster St.