Plato’s Closet

I LOVE this store! Last Friday, I came here for the first time. I could literally spend hours perusing the racks here! I found most of the items ranging around $ 10-​$ 45. Fair prices considering the brand names and good condition of the merchandise.
I was a bit overwhelmed with the selection in this store, but after calming down a bit, I was able to simmer down and make some decisions on my purchases. I found a gently used Lululemon wrap up jacket, which easily retails for over $ 100, and bought it for only $ 45! I also found a Babaton blouse (from Aritzia) which easily retails for over $ 60, and bought it for only $ 10! I also found a Ted Baker handbag for $ 8! Ted Baker purses, are not a brand commonly sold or well known in Edmonton. I’m not sure what the original price of this bag was, but I’m sure it was at least $ 100 or more. What a steal!
I found this store clean and well organized. In addition to clothing, they have an assortment of jewelry, shoes and handbags for sale. They also have a men’s section. Fitting rooms are also available. The staff are friendly and helpful. The store is conveniently located in the the Whyte Ave area, close to McDonalds.
This is a great store! I’ll definitely be back for more!

I found out about Plato’s Closet a few days after it opened via Unilocal Shops Local (there was a pamphlet in my goodie bag). I’ve heard of the store via blogs I read (it’s big in the US) and I had no idea there were Canadian locations.
I went immediately that day and fell in love. There was SO much really great priced items in brands I love — Aritzia, Club Monaco, Loft, etc. That said, there was as much of a mix of lower quality brands (F21, H&M, Old Navy), but all the items were well curated and brands didn’t seem to matter as much as the style of the pieces. Shirts were reasonably priced at around $ 6-​$ 10. Pants a little more at $ 12 for some Garage vs $ 22 for Seven for all Mankind. I found a pair of beautiful Steve Madden shoes for $ 12.
It might be a result of the store being quite new — but the next time I went several days later they had basically all the same stock. While the first time around I found 20 things to try on, the second time I found nothing because it was all the same items.
I also found the selling process to be kind of awkward. They take your items, you sign them away, and then you shop while they appraise it. Theoretically they call you or find you when your appraisal is ready (since they did for everybody else) though they never did for me. I eventually had to go up and ask if they were done. The girl then handed me a bag of the things they didn’t want to sell, just tossed back in the tote I brought. While I had brought everything neatly folded they had just tossed it all back in haphazardly so I now have to re-​wash or iron everything I want to try to sell elsewhere (thanks for that!). They also just give you a dollar amount that they want to give you but they don’t actually tell you what they’re taken or itemize it in any way. Personally, I want to know, for the dollar amount, which items a store will take so I can determine if it’s reasonable. When I asked the girl she showed me what they took, but I found it very strange that it wasn’t a part of the process.
Overall, based on two experiences, I would rate the first a 5 whereas the second only a 3 or so. The sales attendants the first day were also quite friendly, whereas the second time when I sold items they were a bit unpleasant — it seemed like a bother for them to open a change room and they weren’t very helpful at all with the selling process. Again, they made it feel like I was a bother for being there.