/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45488990/racked_placeholder.4.0.jpg)
Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Earlier this morning, thrifty types lined up in Midtown to enter Housing Works' new By The Pound store, where second-hand clothing is sold in bulk for $3 per pound and proceeds are allocated to homelessness and HIV/AIDS. A few hours have passed since then, and business at the store has been steady. By 2pm, some of the nicer shoes and coats had disappeared and mounds of clothing have accumulated as ambitious shoppers comb through the tables and bins of assorted items. The clothing quality is sub-par, consisting mostly of old denim, button-down shirts, and other unremarkable separates, but diehards might be able to locate some gems: We found a nice men's Banana Republic zip sweater in red, a leopard coat, and a vintage lime green Paddington coat in fair condition.
So if you've lost all your clothing in a fire, or you're just looking to beef up your wardrobe, it's worth stopping by. Be advised that due to a last-minute snafu, the original location has been changed from 330 West 38th Street to the ground floor of 261 West 36th Street (between Seventh and Eighth Avenues). By The Pound staff noted that the location may head back to West 38th Street over the weekend, so shoppers should check the website ahead of time. There are neither mirrors nor credit card machines, although they're planning for plastic transactions in the near future.
Now Open: By The Pound Bulks Up Midtown [Racked]