HOUSTON—Clothing swaps are becoming popular at churches, synagogues and colleges as Houston bargain hunters seek great deals outside the mall.
Participants must bring at least one clean item that they don’t want to the swap event. Then you can take home as many items as you want, but the items must actually fit you.
Marian Bell, the organizer of Diva Exchanges, does fundraiser swap parties. There is a $20 donation at the door, and that also gets you refreshments, vendors, door prizes and networking. Her most recent event was for The Heights Chamber.
“About 75 ladies came to this event, all of whom brought or are taking things back, sometimes the trick is to be sure you get what you want,” she said. “Hey lady, you got to be tough man.”
The event offers access to clothes, shoes and accessories.
“Forty percent of what I take here has price tags on,” said Lucy Keeper, a real estate agent. “After X-mas everyone brings the stuff they didn’t want.”
Keeper is a regular at the, now monthly, events and said over the years she has saved quite a bit of money.
“Thousands of dollars, yes,” she said.
First time-attendee Carol Alvarado said even using resale prices, it’s a bargain in many ways.
“I bet we’re saving 50 bucks or more, three pieces and earrings,” she said. “One of the girls doesn’t have a job, her hands were full of stuff. She was like, ‘I need this.’”
Marian said everything she was wearing was from a Diva party.
“I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but even my underwear,” she said.
She said people have brought unused packages of bras and panties to the events.
More information:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2079586_host-clothes-swap-party.html
http://jhvonline.com/houston-hillels-clothing-swap-p10967-128.htm
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Need-school-clothes-Swap-them-2080814.php
