A small, quaint brick building, that looks a lot like a home, sits desolate across the street from Luther "Nick" Gerald's football stadium, and a couple steps away from FSU's University Place apartments. A couple racks of clothing sit on the porch. A near-new crème suit, in a size 6, has a large, handwritten price-tag attached to it. $4.
The suit, made by Le Sui, a company whose clothing retails for hundreds of dollars, is available for just $4 there. It's a steal, to say the least, but nobody knows about it. The small thrift-boutique gets little business, despite hidden treasures like $4 suits, $3 dresses and $1 hats.
Meanwhile, students right across the street are stressing about not being able to afford the proper attire for a career-fair.
"We have them? Where? I didn't know. Fayetteville seems small," says Shawn Cox, a Fayetteville State University sophomore, when asked if she does any thrift-shopping in the area. Excited about a possible new retail outlet, she listens intently as a reporter runs down a short list of consignment and thrift shops in the area. When she finishes writing the down the stores on an old McDonald's receipt in her purse, she hints at visiting them almost immediately after the conversation has ended.
This is FSU's not so shocking, but thought-provoking reality. For a campus full of students who most likely don't have unlimited funds at their disposal, it would be assumed that most of them know where to find the best deals on clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, furniture or whatever it is they may be searching for at the time. But it seems they don't.
Out of the 15 students asked if they enjoyed thrift-shopping, only two said they do. Yet, neither of the two knew of any consignment or thrift shops in Fayetteville. Despite there being a healthy number of shops that caters to an audience that delights in "thrifting," students are either uninterested or uninformed, both of which are causing them to miss out on out-of-this-world sales.
These resources are invaluable, especially during economic hardships, as well as enjoyable for people with only small amounts to spend.
From clothing to furniture to books to home décor, often thrift shops offer steep discounts on otherwise pricey finds. In addition to the $4 suits available at the Prize Thrift-Boutique, $150 nook-tables were available at New and Nearly Thrift shop, while used bookshelves at the Goodwill ran as low as $32.
In addition to purchasing, many of these shops also accept donated items that you may be looking to get rid of or sell. Saks Consignment Shop sells approved women's wear items, home décor and other select products consigned by individuals. Once the item sells, the individual gets a portion of the money.
Whether buying, selling or donating, thrift shops are unique establishments who are able to sell products at discounted prices due to the nature of their businesses. When used correctly, they can save shoppers hundreds, or thousands of dollars. Some thrift store owners will even accommodate loyal customers who may be experiencing hardship, by offering them bargains on products they can't afford, or layaway.
They are gold, but right now the undiscovered treasures in Fayetteville are being treated more like coal. A mystery, especially for a shop whose suits cost less than then average McDonald's value meal.
Thrift Shops in Fayetteville
Fabulous Finds
228 Tallywood Shopping Center
Fayetteville, NC 28303
(910) 864-3690
The Goodwill
is a member of the 
