MANILA, Philippines - There is a certain thrill in pawing through bins of previously owned clothes, a sense of sifting through chaff to get to hidden grains.
Shopping at ukay-ukay stores requires tenacity, though, because even the most steadfast thrift shopper can get weary of haphazardly grouped clothing items that smell of old skin and the musk of containment. Plus, it seems that for every good find, there are 10 or 20 totally useless items to wade through first, and the different prints, styles, and material always end up bleeding together into one smelly pile.
In the face of this sensory and mental fatigue, there is no telling how compromised the shopper’s powers of discernment have become. Sometimes, in search of a one-of-a-kind vintage-looking dress, you end up instead with five blouson tops that you have no idea what to wear with, and when and where.
Lexi Gancayco is a secondhand fashion thrill seeker. She knows only too well the highs and lows of thrift shopping and its demands of patience. While thinking of summer business schemes with her boyfriend Jason Santos, she thought of capitalizing on the charm of secondhand shopping but eliminating the dirty work for the shoppers. Stylish pre-owned items at very affordable prices that can be bought with a click — The Second Shop was then born.
“Our first collection was launched last March 20, and every two weeks, we release a new collection at exactly 8 p.m. on a Monday night,” Gancayco says, describing the business. Setting up a virtual shop through the networking site Multiply, Gancayco and Santos split between themselves the different aspects of online selling: she handles advertising and promotions, the web design and, of course, the fashion; he takes care of the finances, customer order forms, and mailing.The couple sources the whole metro for ukay-ukay shops where they can buy good finds to re-sell. Gancayco says, “Thrift shops are tricky; some days, we’ll find a handful of good clothes then on other days, we don’t find anything at all.” The business doesn’t involve only legwork but a lot of research as well, with Gancayco poring over magazines, fashion blogs, online catalogues, and runway looks for the latest trends. “This way, when we go shopping in thrift shops, we already know what we’re looking for.” She concedes, “That doesn’t mean that if we find something that isn’t in style, we won’t take it.
Not everything has to be trendy in order to be sellable.”So far, The Second Shop’s first four collections have been received really well. With around 45 to 50 pieces per collection, most of the good finds are snapped up within five minutes of their online debut. “Within the night of the launch, only four to five pieces are left unreserved or un-Mine-d,” Gancayco says, referring to the term used to reserve items at the Multiply shop.
Indeed, all of the collections currently on display in the website are marked “Sold Out.” One of the most popular items ever sold on The Second Shop is the high-waisted short; it’s so popular it has a special album for itself. Pleated, cuffed, distressed, boyfriend-style — everything is gone. With all the pairs priced between P450 and P470, the shorts were definitely a steal. For the past collections, the looks are very Teen Vogue-friendly: a mix of florals, polka dots, and stripes on sheer tops and flowy tunics, adorable rompers, and the odd tie-dye shirt thrown in. For the next collection that will be launched on May 17, Gancayco promises, “a lot of cropped, denim, and lacy tops, graphic shirts, and of course, rompers and more high-waisted shorts.” Girls, be ready to start clicking by 8 p. m.
The Second Shop has also sold a few bags, though Gancayco admits they don’t go as fast as the clothes do. “We’ve considered expanding to selling accessories like necklaces and bracelets — nothing definite, but we’re going to try and make it work. ”In Gancayco’s search for pre-owned fashion, she has stumbled upon rarely and even never been worn clothes from H&M, Esprit de Corps, Forever 21 (the real one), Mango, Versace, Emporio Armani, and loads more. Now that she has begun sharing her finds online, more girls in search of unique yet affordable clothing items have a sure spot to go to. The Second Shop has taken care of the search and of the style editing needed in braving the racks of a thrift shop — elements that ukay-ukay purists will say are the point of the whole thing — presenting thrift shop buyers with only the best loot in secondhand fashion.
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Visit The Second Shop at www.thesecondshop.multiply.com.