WASHINGTON – When it comes to fashion, there aren’t many stores you can walk into with $20 and come out with a ready-to-wear outfit. Add the occasional snooty sales person, crowded floors and “been there, seen that” designs, and shopping can quickly become a giant bore.
Buffalo Exchange is helping D.C. solve these problems with its new Logan Circle location.
The buy, sell, trade retailer features everything from gently worn Marc Jacobs for $30 to vintage dresses for $9. Versace glasses, Prada boots and Kate Spade purses mingle with Forever 21, H&M and Free People.
“There’s not a whole lot of places that do it at our price point or with our range of styles,” store manager Anna Weldon says. “You can come in here and get a great dress or a T-shirt that’s just a knock around shirt, or some weird vintage piece you don’t even wear and just hang on your wall.”
Customers seem to agree.
The Logan Circle store racked up almost $10,000 on opening day alone, Weldon says.
And on an especially swampy Wednesday morning, customers poured in just minutes after the store opened its doors. Thirty minutes later, three customers had already sold or traded in pieces, and several others fluttered between racks.
“Our customers have been kind of outrageous,” Weldon says. “Sometimes someone will just throw open the door and be like ‘You’ve arrived!'”
First time seller Orlando Ortiz came in sharply at 11 a.m., several bags of clothes ready to sell in tow. This is his second time in the store since it debuted Saturday.
“I love this,” he says. “It reminds me of my teen years.”
Barbara Jane says she came by Buffalo Exchange before it even opened. She was excited to check out the offerings and has not been disappointed.
“I am very impressed. I love everything in here, so I’m back today to pick up some Versace glasses,” she says.
Those sunglasses set her back $45. New ones cost around $200.
“I’ll definitely be back,” she says.
Buffalo Exchange is located at 1318 14th Street NW. Call 202-299-9148 for more information.
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