This past July, Buffalo Exchange Tucson hosted a socially distanced Dollar Sale to raise money for the Equal Justice Initiative. This fantastic organization works hard to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S., challenge racial and economic injustice, and protect basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in America. The sale generated $2,390, with all proceeds going directly to the Equal Justice Initiative.

During this sale, we tried out a variety of new strategies to ensure a safe shopping environment for customers and employees. For example, we limited it to no more than 45 shoppers at a time in the large parking lot of the store; customers signed up in advance for a shopping time slot; and boxes of clothing were spaced at least six feet apart, while proper use of masks was required for all. We also had customers count their items into trash bags to reduce contact and encouraged contactless payment options like Venmo and PayPal.

Overall, the sale was a great success! Customers were able to shop safely while scoring some amazing deals and supporting a great cause. Soon, we hope to hold more socially distanced $1 sales at all of our stores to raise money for a wide variety Black non-profit organizations.

Ah, summertime! Even though your summer outings may feel a little different than usual this year, it’s still important to look and feel your best! Remix and refresh your warm-weather wardrobe by incorporating a few trends that can carry you straight into the next season. Read ahead for our favorite summer-to-fall, warm-weather trends that you can shop and rock without putting a dent in your bank account.

Au Naturel

Beige, cream, gray and everything in-between, neutral shades are seasonless wardrobe staples. Right now, we’re particularly loving breezy midi dresses, short suits made of cotton and linen and comfy cropped pants that are perfect for any temperature.

Breezy Botanicals 

When it comes to warm-weather trends, botanical prints – particularly those with leaves – are your best fronds! Try them out in the form of a casual button-up or a flirty, retro-inspired dress.

Neons for Eons

The neon trend shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon and, honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way — saturated day-glo hues are surprisingly versatile and can be muted or turned all the way up depending on your mood. Incorporate neons into your warm-weather wardrobe with a balance of long and short pieces: a trucker jacket paired with a mini skirt, graphic tees paired with joggers or a rad matching sweater and short-set!

Go for Gingham

We challenge you to tell us any print that’s more glorious for warm weather than gingham. This summertime staple simply never goes out of style! We love it in creative iterations like cropped pants and ruffle-detail skirts.

Matchy-Matchy Masks! 

And now, for our favorite warm-weather trend: a face mask! With a wide assortment of prints, solids, ties and elastics to choose from, there’s no shortage of ways to style them to match your existing wardrobe. However you choose to rock it, remember that you’re doing yourself and everyone around you a great service! 

Now that you’ve gotten some fresh inspiration for your warm-weather wardrobe, shop the trends at Buffalo Exchange! We’re stocked with tons of great pieces for this season and beyond. If you have a closet cleanout you’ve been waiting to sell, call your local store to set up a drop-off selling appointment. We’ll see you soon!

Whether you recently made an appointment to drop off your closet cleanout and now have a digital trade card burning a hole in your inbox or you’re just coveting a closet refresh, Buffalo Exchange is open for all your secondhand shopping needs! Our stores have adapted to the new world of social distancing and we’ve implemented some new guidelines to keep shopping secondhand safe for everyone. Read ahead for everything you need to know about the new normal of shopping at Buffalo Exchange! 

Here’s the TL DR  of what’s new in our stores:

• Stores have reduced hours and limit the number of shoppers.
• Masks are required! 
• Socially distance and keep 6 feet between yourself and others.
• Dressing rooms are closed (for now), but our exchange policy is extended
• We offer contactless payment like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay (cash and card still accepted!)

Wear a Mask!

Before you head into your local Buffalo, keep in mind that many of our stores have reduced hours and are allowing a limited number of shoppers in at a time, so be sure to check your local Buffalo Exchange’s store hours. Once you’re good to go, remember to grab your mask! This is important and helps keep our stores safe: masks are required for customers and store employees alike, and must be worn covering your nose and your mouth through the duration of your time in the store.

Maintain Social Distancing

While you’re shopping around, please be mindful of others and do your best to keep the recommended 6 feet of space between yourself and your fellow shoppers. This may mean doubling back to check out a super cute top you saw on a rounder where someone else was shopping, but we want everyone to feel comfortable and uncrowded while they browse around for those one-of-a-kind finds Buffalo Exchange is known for. We’ll have social-distancing reminders posted around the store, but feel free to reach out to an employee if another customer isn’t giving you the space you need!

New Protocols for Trying On 

For the time being, our dressing rooms are closed — a bummer for those of us who love a good shopping montage, we know! But bear with us, we’ve extended our exchange policy to a full 10 days. With extra time to try on at home, you can say “yes!” to that dress or bring it back to return for store credit. Just remember to hold on to your receipt and keep the tags attached! As usual, sale items are still non-returnable.

For shoes and accessories, you’re still able to try on in-store — just place the items that don’t work out into the designated baskets, next to the shoe racks or on top of the jewelry counters. From there, our employees will sanitize the items before they’re placed back onto the sales floor.

Checking Out With Your Finds 

When you’re ready to purchase, you may notice things look a little different at the register: we’ve installed sneeze guards at checkout (and buy counters) as an extra safeguard. Once it comes time for payment, you can choose contactless payment methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and tap-to-pay credit cards. Don’t have one of these? We are still accepting credit cards and cash. Need to enter a pin? To reduce contact, we have disposable cotton swabs for you to use instead of pushing buttons directly on the card terminals. 

That’s it! With these new safety protocols in addition to a whole new way for customers to sell their closet cleanouts, we’re excited to welcome everyone back for some sustainable shopping. We appreciate all the support we received from the community and can’t wait to see you all back in the store again soon!

We’ve been super excited to welcome all our customers into the store again, but reopening safely has been our priority, so we have a handful of new guidelines in place to help us buy, sell and trade responsibly for the good of our customers, employees and public health at large! Along with regular sanitation, sneeze guards at counters and mandatory face masks for everyone in the store, we’ve made some updates to the buying process. Whether you spent your quarantine reorganizing your entire wardrobe or you just did a quick closet edit, now’s the time to bring in your cleanout!  Read ahead to learn everything you need to know about the new way of selling at Buffalo Exchange.

• Step 1: Call your local Buffalo to make a drop-off appointment!
• Step 2: Limit your cleanout to 50 items and let them sit for 24 hours
• Step 3: Grab your mask & your ID and head to your drop-off appointment
• Step 4: Within a few days, get paid via Venmo, PayPal or a Digital Trade Card!

Setting Up Your Appointment to Sell

First things first: give your local Buffalo a quick call to set up an appointment for dropping off your closet cleanout. To start, we’re buying by drop-off appointments only – the good news is that this means no waiting in line and no waiting while we look through your items! While you’re on the phone with us, it’s the perfect opportunity to chat with your Buyer about what they’re currently buying or ask any lingering questions you might have about the new selling process. Once you’ve gotten your appointment secured, you’re ready to move onto the fun part: cleaning out your closet!

Should it Stay or Should it Go? Collecting Your Closet Cleanout

Right now, we’re asking everyone to limit the number of items you’re selling to 50 (including shoes, bags, jewelry etc). Once your bag or box is filled with 50 or less items, set it and forget it: leave them to sit untouched for at least 24 hours before your appointment. At some of our stores, any items we’re unable to buy will be donated, so check with your local Buffalo Exchange in advance.

Dropping Off Your Clothing

When it’s time for your appointment, grab your ID (Driver’s License or Passport is ideal) and your face mask and head into the store. Once you’re there, a Buyer will greet you, check your ID and transfer your items into a labelled box with your name. This will sit behind our counters, untouched over night. With these precautions, your buy may take up to three days to process — we’ll call you when we’re done to let you know your payment options! Please note that, at this time, any items we’re able to buy from you will be processed immediately into inventory. This means that we’re unable to share the final prices with you and you’ll be unable to reverse the transaction.

Getting Paid and Cashing Out

Getting paid for your cleanout is now more convenient than ever. Instead of receiving cash or a physical trade card, you’ll receive contactless payment through PayPal or Venmo. If you decide to take the store credit, we’ll send you a Digital Trade Card (which never expires, just like the traditional card)! 

We know that selling your closet cleanout isn’t quite the same as it used to be – for that, we want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for your patience and understanding! Our protocols are evolving as we go, so stay tuned. Staying a little closer to home for now? You can also sell your closet cleanout through our Sell By Mail program. Just request a prepaid shipping bag online, send it in and get paid!

With Buffalo Exchange Sell By Mail, it’s easier than pie to sell clothes online – no photographing items, listing them out, waiting for them to sell and making tons of trips to the post office. Just load your cleanout into the prepaid U.S.shipping bag and send it off. Within a few weeks of us receiving it, you’ll have the choice between a Paypal payout or trade to use at your fav Buffalo Exchange store.

Request a Bag Online

First things first, request a Sell By Mail kit online! We’ll send you a prepaid U.S.shipping bag and info about what to pack so you can easily sell clothes online. Once you have the bag, it’s convenient to clean out on your own schedule.

Clean Out Your Closet the KonMari Way

Start by taking everything out of your closet (yes, everything) and giving the inside a once-over with a dust cloth (trust us – you’ll be glad you took the extra effort when your closet is sparkling clean at the end of this process). Then, go through each item. If it sparks joy immediately AND you know you’ll actually wear it, hang it right back up in the closet. As you go through this process, make sure to store out-of-season items and organize your clothing and shoes so that you can see everything. If you can’t see it, you probably won’t end up wearing it.

Keep It or Sell It?

For everything else, start trying things on! Make sure you LOVE the way it fits and that you’re still excited about wearing it. Do you have similar pieces that you wear more often? It may be time to sell it!

How to Decide to Sell Clothes Online or Donate Locally

As you pack up your bag, give everything a once-over to make sure it’s still in spic-and-span condition. Before our Sell By Mail team buys an item in, they look it over closely for spots, unintentional holes, pilling, fading, broken zippers, missing buttons, so pull anything out that’s not in excellent condition and put it into a bag to donate to a local non-profit.

Ready to Ship!

Once your bag is all packed up, drop it off at the U.S.store. Pro tip: Sign up for text message alerts to find out when your kit’s on the way, when your bag has been received and when we’re all done looking through your cleanout.

Sell By Mail takes the best of all seasons, year-round, so feel free to send in fantastic pieces for warm and cold weather alike. There are a few things we’re unable to purchase, though – children’s clothing and accessories, swimwear, maternity, intimates and undergarments, sleepwear, counterfeits, fur, bridal wear or pieces from more affordable department stores like Walmart, Kmart, Kohl’s, Sears or JCPenney. We’re also unable to take home goods like sheets and towels.

Feel Even Better About Your Cleanout! 

While you can opt to have any items Buffalo Exchange is unable to buy returned to you for a $14.99 shipping fee, most Sell By Mailers choose to donate their unpurchased clothing and accessories to Buffalo Exchange’s Clothing for the Community program. Through this program, Southern Arizona non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations can apply to receive large clothing donations. Charities can use this donation of clothing and accessories to generate money for their organization by hosting a $1 Sale. We’re ready to coach charities through this process by providing support, advice, local promotion and, of course, the inventory. Variations of this program have raised $57,266 since 2015.

The Buffalo Exchange experience goes beyond the walls of our stores. Our Sell By Mail program brings selling options straight to your home so you can quickly and easily sell clothes online, do good for the community and get paid for cleaning out your closet. Win, win and win. After all that, we think you deserve a shopping spree… ready to give it a try? Request your prepaid shipping bag today!

Hey Buffalos.

We’re thinking of you and just wanted to ask, How are you doing? It’s been just over a month since we made the tough decision to temporarily close our stores and we want to give a shout out to all of our customers and employees for the love and support during this time. 

The days do feel long while we patiently wait and watch what each new week brings. Behind the scenes, we’re hard at work planning our reopening with the safety of all of you in mind. We miss you all and can’t wait to see you walk through our doors again. In the meantime, here’s a poem we wrote for you. 

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I’m ready to sell clothes
To all my Buffalos

Stay in touch with us by following @BuffaloExchange on Instagram. Cleaning out? You can still sell your clothes through Buffalo Exchange Sell By Mail! Request a bag online today.

By Aarian Frye & Denise Lyons

New Orleans native Torrance Taylor has been shopping at Buffalo Exchange NOLA since 2006. Just like the iconic city around him, Torrance’s sense of style has evolved into something totally unique and undeniably Southern. Read ahead to learn more about where Torrance finds his fashion inspiration and why he loves Buffalo Exchange!

Suiting Up: Torrance’s Fashion Background 

Torrance was 14 years old when he realized he had a penchant for fashion. Growing up, some of his style icons were George Jefferson, Geoffrey Holder, Slick Rick and the original cast of Dynasty. Today, Torrance describes his style as “modern, ethnic, vintage with a dressier flare.”

What’s on His Fashion Wishlist? 

Presently, Torrance finds himself drawn to houndstooth, camouflage and African wax prints with batik-inspired designs — he’s also excited about the London Fog x Jeremy Scott collaboration, and hopes to add animal-print trench coats into his collection. Although he has a strong love of bold patterns, Torrance says that his favorite outfit is a simple and refined combination of cropped tailored pants and a timeless pewter blazer.

Why He Loves Shopping at Buffalo 

When we asked Torrance about what makes shopping at Buffalo Exchange so special, he tells us that “Buffalo carries things that no other store in New Orleans has. It’s one of the main ways I discover emerging brands.” He also says that it’s “a great way to revamp your closet” and always has a surprise in store: “During the 40th Anniversary Trailer Tour, I found a vintage Neiman Marcus printed jacket that I still wear.”

Torrance’s Number One Style Tip

For anyone working to refine their style, Torrance has this bit of advice: “Celebrate your youth, no matter your age. Establish your personality, and then your personal style. Create your own costumes and outfits that reflect who you are or want to be.” 

Has Torrance’s advanced style has inspired you to elevate your look? Get started on your style journey at your local Buffalo Exchange! With 51 locations across the country, there are boundless ways to express yourself through personal style. Before you go, don’t forget to bring in your closet cleanout — Buffalo Exchange buys clothing for all seasons year round, and those great pieces sitting in your closet could turn into cash or trade.