The wholesale used clothing might not be what it once was, but there is still a vast market for it.

Since the price of many commodities are relatively low, and the cost of manufacturing clothing is low as well, many consumers can now purchase new clothing for close to the price of used clothing.

But the advantage of purchasing what is known as recycled clothes is that you can obtain brand names at a fraction of their original retail price.

For instance, back when I was in college I walked into a thrift store in Teaneck, New Jersey, and purchased an $800 Brooks Brother men's coat for around $12.

The same type of opportunities can be found when purchasing bales of used apparel, especially if the apparel was donated by members of affluent neighborhoods.

Before purchasing any lots of clothing you should be aware that there are different grades, such as A, B, C, and rags.

The different letters denote conditions, with the category of rags denoting that the clothes are only suitable to be used as rags. For instance, car repair shops will purchase rags.

When you purchase a bale you will want to carefully sort out the clothes so that you can spot any brand new garments that were donated, and any especially high end brands that are in the lot.

A customer of mine that had a store in Greece for new and gently used clothing. She would tell me stories of how she would find very high designer wears when visiting warehouses.

If you are ready to try out this segment of the retail business you should become familiar with some of the top retailers and suppliers that occupy this space.

The next time you are in the NY-NJ area you should check out these businesses.

New York
1. Cross Roads Trading Company
This used clothes outlet is located at 135 North 7th St. Here, you can get slightly worn clothing. Shoes and accessories are also available. Their phone contact is 347-549-4005. The website is https://crossroadstrading.com/

2. Buffalo Exchange
Are you in search of brand name used clothing? Well check this store, located at 332 E 11th St. Call them at 212-260-9340 to find out about their buy-sell-trade pieces. Or, hit up their website at https://www.buffaloexchange.com/
3. Beacon’s Closet
This is another buy-sell-trade store. You will find modern clothing and vintage clothing here. Find them at 10 W 13th St to see what else is on offer. Phone and website are 917-261-4863 and https://beaconscloset.com/ respectively.
4. Angel Street Thrift Shop
If you are looking for a bit more upscale item of second-hand clothing then this is the store for you. A visit to their store, located at 118 W 17th St, may just yield you one-of-a-kind items. Make phone contact at 212-229-0546, and visit their website at http://angelthriftshop.org/ to see what other unique items you can find so far.
5. AuH20 Thriftique
This store is for those persons who are really into vintage clothing. Visit their website at http://auh2oshop.com/ to see what fabulous items of the 80s and 90s clothing are available. You can also call them at 212-466-0844, or just go to their store at 84 E 7th St.



New Jersey
1. A&E Clothing Corporation
This supplier recycles used clothes and resells them in the United States and all over the world. You can get clothing, shoes, handbags and other merchandise. If you wish to pay them a visit, they are located at 600 Federal Blvd, Carteret, NJ 07008. For queries by phone or email, the number is 732-802-8100-4, and the contact person is Jack Kluszczynski. E-mail them on info@aeclothing.net.
2. Trans-Americas Trading Company
If you are looking for second-hand clothing including vintage and fashion clothing then check this supplier. They are located at 50 Carol Street, Clifton, New Jersey 07014. You can make contact with them by phone on 973-778-4611. In addition to items of clothing, you can also get wiping rags, fiber, and textiles from this supplier. Their website is http://www.tranclo.com/
3. American Dream Clothing Bins
This company describes themselves as a charitable organization that uses the money they make from used clothing to fund their charitable ventures. They invite you to contact them at by phone at 609-489-4339, or email at contact@americandreamclothingbins.com to find out where to source their better items of clothing so far.
4. It’s New To You
As the name suggests, get brand-new, second-hand clothing from this store. They are located at 4 Hilltop Place, Hazlet, NJ 07730.
5. Rags to Riches
This used clothing store can be found at 8917 River Road, Edgewater, NJ 07020. Call them at 201-941-3121 to inquire what goodies are in store.