Bang Bang © Brijesh Patel
What's even better value than a jumble sale? Alchemise your old stuff into fashion gold at London's swap shops. This isn't about fusty old second-hand clothes, it's about boutique style exchanges. Here's Time Out's guide to the best
Bang Bang © Brijesh Patel
391 St John Street, EC1V 4LD (020 7713 5591).
This Islington store stocks high street and mid-range labels from River Island to Jigsaw. Keep your eyes peeled for the occasional designer bargain: a Mulberry bag at £150, say. Read more
50 Blandford Street, W1U 7HX (020 7224 3266).
Andrew Torz runs London's best menswear exchange store, stocking a range of desirable labels from Alexander McQueen to Yohji Yamamoto in tiptop condition. Torz, who purchases mainly from the film and music industries, will buy your designer threads, provided they are in immaculate condition – call for a quote or take items to the shop in person. Expect 50 per cent of what it'll sell for. Read more
34 Pembridge Road, W11 3HN (020 7792 1715).
Located in Notting Hill's thrift heartland, Retro Man sells a good mix of second-hand designer labels including Martin Margiela, Helmut Lang and Gucci. On a recent visit we spotted a Kilgour suit for a bargain £120. If you are selling designer clothes in good knick, expect to get roughly 25 per cent of what it's worth or vouchers for around 50 per cent. Read more
32 Pembridge Road, W11 3HL (020 7598 2233).
Down the road from Retro Man, Retro Woman stocks a vast range of second-hand high street and designer clothes and accessories, both retro and contemporary. Bring in an item and you'll get an on-the-spot offer of cash or vouchers (as at Retro Man). There's another shop along the road at No 20 focusing on designer labels. Read more
75 Berwick Street, W1F 8TG (020 7229 4805).
A sea of designer clothing, where labels like Dolce and Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent and Chanel can be fished out alongside high street names. Retro Clothing offers you about 20 per cent of what it thinks your designer clothes are worth and ten per cent for high street stuff. There's a sister branch at 56 Notting Hill Gate (7229 4805). Read more
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5 comments
wouw!!!! Thank you to everyones comments! i will save my time and sell what i can on ebay and what i cant,i'll give to charity!!! Thank you for saving my time:) We need to set up our own store! and show them how REAL Boutique Vintage Style Shop should work!
I agree with all of the above comments.
All of the retro exchange shops in Notting Hill are corrupt and out for themselves. They have their own rules and treat customers disgustingly. I have £130 in vouchers, but would rather give them away than ever go there again.
A total rip off that leaves you absolutely demoralised.
I'm looking for a new place in W London to exchange designer gear. Anyone have any ideas?
Following by the tirkk and kirsty's comments about whats happening at The Exchange in Notting Hill -is 100% true! You wonder WHY??? Do not waste your money travelling there! Not worth it.
tirkk...............Never a truer word spoken...........completely agree with what you wrote...I got the same pathetic 1p offer for around 200 cd's in their music exchange shop...so gave them all to a charity shop instead.
The Exchange in Notting Hill is an absolute joke. When they say nothing is refused what they really mean by that is they'll take everything, but will pay you a whole penny for the pleasure...I really kid you not. Didn't expect to be offered one whole penny for a last season checkered blazer from Diesel, or a pair of Dexter Wong jeans in perfect condition, alongside a number of other items I know they'd end up selling for at least a thousandth more. To be honest it's actually really quite insulting to be offered such a low amount of money for clothes that aren't particularly dated or in bad condition, especially when you consider in their promotional material how they brag about offering sellers at least 25-30% of the eventual sale price. Naturally I wasn't expecting to walk out of the store with a thick wad of £50 notes, but 1p just seems offensive to me, especially when the rather unpleasant loser serving me clearly got something out of mumbling his offer. When I questioned the guy about the offer he'd made, he informed me some of the items were not in good enough condition, citing for example a Mickey Mouse sweater which happened to have a hair on it. Yes, a hair... this was his reasoning for the low ball offer. Honestly this guy must think we're all cretins. As much as I would have liked to have made some money, I'd rather see the clothes go to charity for free, then have to know these con artists royally ripped me off. Don't bother selling anything to these guys. Ever.