Columbia, SC (WLTX) - February is prime time to shop second hand stores because donations are up and prices are slashed.
"The Re-Store tends to price things at about 50 percent of value," said Cole Fisher with the Habitat Re-Store in West Columbia. "This time of the year tends to be the time of year when people are purging from Christmas, they're prepping for spring cleaning, and it's tax season."
The timing means more donations come in compared to other times of the year. As stores get more donations, there's more available for shoppers to choose from.
Even national stores like Goodwill acknowledge the beginning of the year rush. Some second hand stores even discount items to help manage inventory.
"We literally rent trailers and fill up our storage facilities," said David Hessberger with Goodwill. "If you have a little bit of time and a little bit of energy, its a great place to find that special item or things you weren't expecting to find."
Upscale second hand stores like Double Takes in the Vista have "a jacket that's $445" in the sales window according to Assistant Manager Tomas Glenn. "I think people have just kind of cleansed their closets from the holiday season, they're trying to begin anew."