When you’re in the mountains and already paying through the nose for lift tickets, lodging and meals out, it’s galling to pony up even more cash because someone forgot a jacket or gloves.
The alternative to retail: secondhand stores. Some of the best are near Vail and Aspen. Consignment-store prices typically are higher than those at thrift stores. Remember to study the price tags, because at the consignment stores listed here, the cost drops 25 percent after one month, and 50 percent after two months.
Holy Toledo
191 Main St., Minturn; 970-827-4299. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
The name of this cheerful consignment store at the corner of Main and Toledo streets refers both to location and its home in a repurposed church.
The inventory is heavy on upscale apres-ski clothes, including Pamela Ferrari hoodies ($120) and T-shirts ($90), Seven jeans ($42) and Snoskin and Neve designs stylish enough to work on the slopes or off. There’s a small back room with men’s shirts, sweaters, jackets and shoes.
Ritzy Recalls
Ritzy Recalls, 41131 U.S. 6, Eagle-Vail; 970-845-7646. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (and Sundays, starting Nov. 1)
This consignment boutique offers gorgeous women’s clothing, jewelry and shoes at dramatic prices — lower than retail, but hefty for a secondhand store.
Examples: a Pamela Ferrari T-shirt for $76; a Komarov two-layered velvet skirt with chiffon gores for $32; an Anthropologie faux-fur vest for $42, a pair of blue Frye boots, new with tags, for $94. During our visit, a woman dropped off three Hefty bags crammed with designer clothing, including an unworn Missoni dress still bearing its original price tag of $695. (The owner priced it at $325.) Small amount of men’s clothing, but no children’s. The store is on the north side of the highway, in a strip mall next to a liquor store.
Vail Valley Cares Thrifty Shoppe
34520 U.S. 6, Edwards; 970-926-7134, Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday
Talk about bargains: a Prana T-shirt is $5, a pair of Nike Tiempo 650 soccer shoes costs $10, and a pair of Isaac Mizrahi blue leather jeans is $6.50. The really good deals are in outerwear (substantial jackets around $25) and equipment, including skis (Atomic, Salomon, K2), snowboards and helmets.
Excellent deals if you forgot a hat, gloves, or need to add a (bargain-priced) layer on a chilly day. The Thrifty also has a substantial amount of clothing for children and men.
Check out the CDs, too; last week, there was a Blind Willie Johnson CD for $3. And if you need furniture, the chairs and coffee tables (especially appealing: a cream-painted wood table with stumpy green legs, $35) are in good shape. The store is across the highway from the upscale Riverwalk retail and condo development.
Misers Mercantile
303 Main St., Carbondale; 970-963-3940. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday
The inventory here is erratically marked, skipping between thrift-store and a consignment-shop prices. Count on finding high-end consignment clothing here, including cashmere sweaters ($20 and up) and dresses ranging from hippie-chic to cocktail hour ($8 and up), leather vests and jackets ($14 and up), upscale outerwear and shoes and boots in excellent condition, including a pair of Naot slip-ons for $10.
The men’s department is formidable, with lots of winter sports wear, jeans, sweaters, coats, backpacks, gloves and mittens from Patagonia, North Face, Marmot and other established labels. Visit the basement for linens, furniture and oddball knickknacks.
Rummagers
1103 Lincoln Ave., Steamboat Springs; 970-870-6087. Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Two floors, packed so tightly that customers have to turn sideways to squeeze past one another, but rewards await patient foragers.
The best deals recently: Women’s Nike Bauer Supreme ONE55 Senior Ice Hockey Skates ($250 retail) for $15, and a Teac Nostalgia Turntable AM-FM System Radio ($250 retail) for $100. Lots of skis, snowboards, hockey sticks and skiwear, plus linens, small appliances, furniture and other stuff for a starter apartment or condo.
The Thrift Shop
422 E. Hopkins Ave., Aspen; 970-925-3121. Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday; open Tuesdays until 7 p.m., closed Sunday
Last month, this venerable institution — the Thrift Shop’s been around since 1949, longer than some of Aspen’s new money — reopened in its revamped three-story digs next to the fire station.
The labels go from Prana and Patagonia to occasional Prada and Armani pieces that would cost more than $100 at consignment stores, but rarely go above $50 here. T-shirts are as low as 25 cents each.
Some of Aspen’s moneyed residents seem to wear something once, then give it away. Maybe it’s easier for them than dealing with laundry or dry cleaners. It’s not unusual to find a shirt or jacket here that’s also for sale, at a much steeper price, elsewhere in Aspen.
Investigate the linens (a set of Egyptian cotton sheets was $10), along with a terrific assortment of socks, gloves, hats, mittens and footwear.
