Boulder's beloved second-hand shop Rags Consignments has opened a new branch in Denver's top shopping neighborhood, Cherry Creek North.
The shop is the creation of Margaret Miner, who opened the first Rags store in Boulder in 1995, after not finding a high-end woman's consignment store selling the designers and styles she wanted to purchase.
Her carefully curated collection of unique items from the world's top designers quickly took off, and today she has Denver locations in the Highlands and Cherry Creek, as well as the original Boulder store.
Inside Rags Consignments' Cherry Creek store — Photo courtesy of Rags Consignments
Unlike the other locations, however, the Cherry Creek store is particularly notable for its emphasis on curated couture. You won't find Abercrombie & Fitch or North Face here; it's more about DVF, Gucci, Missoni or Jimmy Choo.
Other popular designers on display include Tory Burch, YSL and some of the more unique pieces by J Crew. What's cool though is that the inventory is constantly changing. And the store is well laid out, with clothes sorted by style (sweaters, jeans, dresses) and color.
There's a good mix of sizes, and everything on display is of high quality. You won't find holes or over-worn items here.
Prices aren't as cheap as the local Goodwill, however. A Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress in mint condition will be close to $100, for instance. But they are fair to market value. For instance, a cherry red J Crew blazer new with tags could go for just $16.
The shopping environment is pleasant, too. Clothes are organized in well-spaced racks by style and color: you'll find pink sweaters in one area, and green t-shirts in another. There's a good mix between everyday and evening wear.
They also have a decent shoe collection, again focusing on the high-end designers and only accepting items in very good condition. Same with the handbags. Remember: Inventory is dependent upon who consigns what.
The best part about shopping at Rags, however, is you can rotate your closet shopping here, as they take consignments. Although we won't lie – they are very picky about what they choose at this location – if you have gently worn or vintage designer threads, bring them in and see what the experienced staff says.
When consigned items sell, you'll get 40 percent of the item's sell price, which you can use as store credit or withdraw as cash. Rags even offers a pick-up service for $10. Clothes are displayed for 30 days, after which you have the option of picking up unsold items or letting Rags donate them to a charity foundation.