Inexpensive clothing, extra cash and convenient shopping are some things most college students would not pass up. With multiple consignment stores in Downtown Ames, all of these needs come together in one place for a fun and unique thrifting experience.

Run by passionate business owner Amy Abrams, Duck Worth Wearing and The Loft are two popular consignment stores located in the heart of Downtown Ames. For the past 22 years, Abrams has been helping Ames residents keep up with trends while staying on budget through The Loft. Both men’s and women’s clothing of all sizes are accepted at the stores.

Abrams expanded business in her field from just men’s and women’s items to include infant and child consignment when she bought Duck Worth Wearing from the Duckworths in 2006. Now, each of these stores has a second location in Ankeny.

Along with offering lower-priced clothing, shoes and accessories, these stores accept drop-offs of used or unwanted pieces. When these items are sold, a portion of the sales will be given back to the seller.

“Once the item sells then you get 40% back of everything we priced at $30 or less, and anything we put over $30 you get 50% back,” Abrams said. “You don’t get that instant gratification of getting money right away, but we give a higher percentage and our clothes sell really well.”

In-store credit and cash are the two payment options; this money goes directly into the seller’s store account and can be withdrawn at any time. Items that remain unsold for 90 days will be moved into store inventory unless they are being sold for over $50. In this case, the seller will be contacted and offered a chance to take that item back or to have it donated.

“At Duck Worth Wearing we get in about 1,000 items a day, and at The Loft we usually see 600 to 800 items a day,” Abrams said.

Even though The Loft showcases over 10,000 items on the floor at a time, the massive amount of items they receive daily and how fast they sell causes their inventory to change frequently.

Abrams sees shoppers and sellers of all ages in these stores, including Iowa State students, Ames residents and other sellers from all over Iowa and surrounding states– often people here to visit family.

Another popular consignment store in Downtown Ames, right off Main Street, is Miss Meyer’s, which also accepts items from sellers by appointment for a 40% payout of sales. They carry women’s clothing sizes XS to 4X. Miss Meyers, along with The Loft, have online shopping through their websites.

“Second-hand is great for the environment,” Abrams said. “It saves people a lot of money, and it makes people money too. It’s a great way to use your resources as best as you can.”