thredUP Archives | I 💛 PGH

For the past few years, I have been part of a group of Pittsburgh bloggers who have helped the Pittsburgh nonprofit Community Human Services aka CHS raise money for their holiday gift project. One of the things that I have learned about CHS is that they provide many important services to Pittsburghers who don’t fit into other social service programs. The same holds true for the holiday gifts. The money raised from the CHS Holiday Gift Project goes to CHS to provide a little holiday gift to the people who likely don’t fit into other holiday gift programs which are usually for kids or seniors.

This year, we’re getting a little bit of a head start with a new idea for fundraising with ThredUp. ThredUp is an online store that sells new and used women and kids clothing. ThredUp will buy your extra clothes, as long as they are in good condition, and will donate the money to CHS. I have sent several ThredUp cleanout bags back to ThredUp over the past year, and I have ordered from the ThredUp shop many times. So I thought it was time to try the ThredUp fundraising program.

If you have some extra clothes that you were thinking of donating, please order a free ThredUp clean out bag and donate to the CHS holiday gift project. Order your free clean out bag today. The whole process takes a few week – so the sooner you order a free cleanout bag, the sooner we can raise some $$$ for CHS. (Any funds that come in after the holidays will also go to CHS).

How to Clean Out Your Closet and Support the CHS Holiday Gift Project

Photo of a ThredUp clean out bag from Broke and Beautiful’s blog

Visit the CHS Holiday Gift Project Group on ThredUp HERE.
Enter your email address, name and password and click “Join This Group”
Click the yellow “Order a Bag Button” – for the items that ThredUp doesn’t want – you can choose to have them donated to Goodwill or sent back to you for a small fee.
Wait a few days… ThredUp will mail you a bag with a prepaid shipping label attached
Clean out your closet and fill up the bag
Send your your bag back to ThredUp – postage is already paid on the label
ThredUp will make an offer for the items that they want and donate that amount to CHS

More Ways to Shop and Support CHS

If you are interested in other websites w online shopping on ThredUp or a similar site Twice. Use the following links, for each person who signs up – I get a $10 credit. I will be donating all of the referral credits from both ThredUp and Twice to CHS.

Twice – use this link to save $10 off your first purchase – https://www.liketwice.com/z1Ngx/
ThredUp – use this link to save $10 off your first purchase – http://www.thredup.com/r/XSCAUT

CHS Holiday Gift Project By The Numbers

Total Amount we need to raise in 2014 – $5000
Amount I hope we can raise from ThredUp – $1000
Number of Pittsburghers who I hope will send a bag to ThredUp – 50
Date of CHS Holiday Gift Project Party at Houghs – Thursday, December 11 (more details to come)

I will be blogging and Tweeting updates about the project between now and whenever we finish raising the $5000 – please help me spread the word by tweeting with #CHxmaS.

Looking to update your wardrobe on the cheap? Here is a great excuse to clean out your closet. Check out this AWESOME event at TechShop on Sunday or some of the other ways you can exchange you can upgrade your wardrobe on the cheap.

Shred Your Threads Clothing Swap at TechShop

This Sunday, June 29, 2014 – TechShop Pittsburgh is hosting an epic clothing swap and workshop event.

This is a great deal too – $12 if you aren’t a TechShop Pittsburgh member and gets you access to the swap, to TechShop Pittsburgh (a day pass is usually $50) and a day of workshops on basic sewing, laser cutting, screen printing and other ways to upcycle your clothing.

You can come for all or part of the day. The workshops are designed to build upon skills – so if you are intersted in learning it is suggested you plan to come for the whole day.

I know that TechShop has lined up some of the craftiest folks around Pittsburgh to help with this event. I was talking with a felllow Pittsburgh blogger and fashion stylist about the laser cutting demo (I’ve heard rumors that they might try to laser cut a leather jacket) and was informed that laser cutting is quite the trend right now.

The event will begin with Day One, June 28th, for a Call for Clothes (people can drop off their unwanted items to our swap room). We will accept your donations, whether you are planning to attend day two or not!

Then return on Day Two, June 29th, for a Swap Meet and UpCycling Sessions. Tickets for Day Two can be purchased through EventBrite. Tickets include training, instruction, and networking with local artists, seamstresses, and professional instructors as well as light refreshments and all equipment and materials.

The timeline for Day Two includes:

9:00AM – 12:00PM: Clothing Donations accepted
10:00-12:00PM: SWAP!
11:00AM: Basic Sewing Class
12:00PM: Lunch Break
1:00-5:00PM: Equipment demonstrations, hands-on workshops, take-it-home activities

Demonstration Stations including:

Laser-Cutting fabric
CNC Embroidery
Vinyl-Cutting Techniques

More details about the Shred Your Threads event and registration information is available here.

Sell Your Clothes for Cash in Pittsburgh and Online

If you can’t make it to the clothing swap this weekend, there are lots of other ways you can trade your old clothes for new ones.

In Pittsburgh, these stores will offer you cash or store credit for your clothes. You bring in your unwanted clothes and they will offer you a dollar amount for the items they want to buy. I believe that both offer 30% of the item value in cash or 45% of the item value in credit to buy something else from the shop. So if you bring in a shirt that they would sell for $10 – you would get $3 in cash or $4.50 in store credit.

Both stores offer a range of new, used, vintage and designer clothing for men and women.

Avalon Exchange, Forbes Ave, Sq. Hill @AvalonExchange
Clothes Minded, Liberty Ave, Bloomfield

They won’t take everything and often only buy for the current and upcoming season – so don’t go in expecting to walk out with empty bags.

ThredUp Sell Bag [Photo Credit: Amy’s Savings Tips]

If you have more clothes to get rid of, especially items that are out of season, you might try one of these online resale websites. I have used both Twice and ThredUp and had a great experience. Both Twice and ThreadUp will send you a free bag, that comes with a prepaid postage label. Fill up the bag and send it back. You will receive an email with an offer for you clothing. Unwanted items will be donated to Goodwill or you can pay a little extra to have the items shipped back to you. Twice will give you an additional 25% bonus if you select store credit as your payout. (From now until 7/31/2014 – Twice is offering a 30% bonus for store credit payouts).

Twice – only takes certain brands of women’s clothing and handbags @twice
ThredUp – accepts women’s clothing, shoes and handbags and kids clothes for boys and girls @thredup

Do you have any tips or suggestions for closet clean outs? Are there consignment shops that you would recommend for selling clothes in Pittsburgh? Share your experience in the comments below.