Looking stylish is important to most people, but it often comes with a high price. Luckily for the North Shore, those wanting to wear designer labels can find high quality clothing, shoes, handbags and jewelry for an affordable price at Worth Repeating in Locust Valley, a consignment shop that has been growing steadily since taking root in 2006.
“I’ve always liked retail. I like meeting people and every day is different,” said owner Betsy Gibbs. “Especially in this business, you don’t know what people are going to drop off.”
Gibbs has spent most of her career in retail, opening up her first store in Sea Cliff, The Good Lite Lady, in the 1980s. She rewired and designed lighting fixtures before eventually moving on to clothing.
“One day I walked into my favorite consignment store in Sea Cliff, Eileen’s Closet and [the owner] was on the phone talking about how she was ready to retire. When she hung up, I said, ‘I’ll take it.’ Two weeks later, I took over that store,” said Gibbs.
She ran the shop for a number of years before closing and relocating to Locust Valley, where Worth Repeating is currently celebrating 10 years of business. She attributes her success, in part, to being upfront and honest with her customers, which has helped her gain trust with the customers who sell their items through her.
“I try to educate the customer, especially on high-end things, so there are no surprises as to what they might get,” she said.
Gibbs takes all designers and offers items at all price points, from the $5 rack in the front of the store to the back room with high-end designer shoes, handbags, jewelry and dresses including Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Hermes. Currently, she said she has more than 2,000 customers, from around Long Island as well as those who ship their items from California and Florida.
When it comes to researching pricing for items, she said the Internet has been a big help. On the flip side, she said, consignment has gotten very competitive, so she does what she can to keep her customer base.
“I carry a little bit of everything,” she said. “I carry all sizes and I try to be extremely fair in my prices.”
Also, she said, there are a lot of fakes out there and people need to be careful before spending a lot of money online.
“They know what they’re getting with me,” said Gibbs. “And I’ll stand behind it.”
With her experience, she has gained knowledge of the designer brands and can tell, in most cases, if something is authentic just by looking at it. She also only accepts authentic items that are in good condition—no holes, no stains, no missing buttons.
She said she has customers who will come in and spend several hours shopping.
“I’ve become very good friends with a lot of my customers,” she said, noting that she has even talked some customers into keeping items they intended to sell because she knows they will never get the return on it. And when it comes to shopping in the store, she will also advise them on what works and what doesn’t.
Gibbs sells everything on consignment and does her best to help items sell. Anything that doesn’t sell is donated to local churches, temples and the Boys & Girls Club, because she believes in giving back to the community. A Glen Cove native, she stays active in the community and because of this has been honored with a leadership award from the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce in 2012 and the Community Service Award by the Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club. She also sits on the board of the North Shore Sheltering Program.
“It’s nice to be able to give back,” said Gibbs.
Items from Worth Repeating can be found on Instagram and Facebook as well as in the store, at 83 Birch Hill Rd., Locust Valley. For those who like a bargain, Worth Repeating will hold its bi-annual end-of-season $5 blowout sale on Tuesday, Aug. 30, from 3 to 10 p.m., with a super sale on beige ticket items. Regular hours are Tuesday 2 to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Call 516-759-5726 for more information.
