Consign yourself to the hunt

November 09, 2008|Ellen Albanese, Globe Staff

A Tahari crepe jacket dress for $116. A Kate Spade bag for $70. A Crate & Barrel leather sofa for $750. Such are the bargains to be found in Cape Cod consignment shops. In the best-case consignment scenario, fashion-conscious people buy high-end clothing and home furnishings, tire of them quickly, and make them available to their neighbors at bargain prices.

Cape Cod is a hotbed of consignment shopping, with at least 14 stores from Falmouth to Orleans offering everything from designer clothing to vintage jewelry to furniture and baby clothes. Most have automatic markdown policies and donate items that don't sell after 60 days to local nonprofit organizations, ensuring ever-fresh inventories. Many have "wish lists." Looking for an Hermès scarf or size 10 ballet flats? Leave your name and number, and you'll get a call if the item comes in. Owners belong to an informal network, which produces a brochure you can pick up in any shop.

Here's a look at the Cape's consignment shopping trail. Since serious shopping requires a strong constitution, we've added suggestions on where to stop for lunch. And should your companion be a non-shopper we also include some fun places to explore in the vicinity of the shops.

Falmouth/Mashpee

Buy Way Boutique Inc., 47 North Main St., Falmouth, 508-540-4884. Owner Lynda Henderson stocks brand-name women's fashions such as Chico's, J. Crew, and Banana Republic, and upscale labels like Escada and Burberry. She prices clothing at about a third of retail, half if an item still has tags on it. She also sells shoes, handbags, and resale and new jewelry. She once sold a full-length mink for $2,500, an item she estimates cost $12,000 new. After 60 days items go on the 75-percent-off rack.

Lunch: Osteria La Civetta, 133 Main St., 508-540-1616, osterialacivetta.com, $11-$16. Handmade pasta, fresh salads, and wines reflecting the cuisine of Northern Italy.

Sightsee: Museums on the Green, 55-65 Palmer Ave., 508-548-4857, falmouthhistoricalsociety.org. This complex has exhibits on whaling and maritime history and information about Katharine Lee Bates, the Falmouth native who wrote "America the Beautiful." Seasonal.

Second Time Around, 10 Joy St., Mashpee, 508-539-3900. Lots of little black dresses and formal wear in this clean, well-organized shop, one of a chain with locations throughout New England and beyond. Fashions include Tahari, Ann Taylor, J. Crew, and lots of Talbots. There's a good selection of shoes, scarves, and handbags, and even maternity clothes. Dharma Imports are colorful tanks and tops made from recycled saris. Said Jennifer Green, visiting from Florida, "Everything is so clean and inviting, you'd think you were in Bloomingdale's."