Plato’s Closet, a new clothing store on Erie Boulevard, is opening for business at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and some local residents are already making plans to ensure they are among the first to get their hands on the store’s merchandise.

‘People are coming into our store now and telling us they are camping out the night before the opening,’ said Diane Joseph, the store owner. ‘It happened to us when we opened the franchise in Rochester. We know that is going to happen again.’ 

Plato’s Closet buys and sells gently used clothing for teens and young adults. Joseph said the store carries the latest trends and styles from popular designers for 70 percent off mall prices.

Plato’s Closet has been open for seven weeks to people interested in selling articles of clothing. The grand opening on Saturday marks the first day the public can purchase the store’s merchandise.

Along with city residents, some Syracuse University students have expressed excitement for the opening.

Jill Gonyea, a freshman health and exercise major, said she is excited to browse through the merchandise.

‘I would like to see the new store,’ Gonyea said. ‘I hate spending money that I don’t have. It would be great to save a little, but still have the clothes that I want.’

Joseph first decided to open the store after she watched her friend open up a successful Plato’s Closet franchise in Buffalo.

‘I thought it was a great concept, selling recycled clothing and giving cash for clothes people are not wearing,’ Joseph said. ‘The store gives children and parents a chance to wear brand name clothing that they could not afford.’

Joseph pays customers 30 percent to 40 percent of the price she plans to resell the garment for. She said most customers are happy with the amount of cash given, but some decide to try other means to sell their clothing.

‘They tried to sell it on eBay, and then would come back to us and say it was not worth the aggravation,’ she said.

Joseph said although the clothing in Plato’s Closet is used, she checks before it is sold to make sure it isn’t damaged.

‘People come in and can’t believe these clothes are used,’ Joseph said. ‘We do not even look at clothing that is stained, ripped or if it smells like basement or smoke. It is just really important that we don’t appear as a thrift store.’ 

Joseph said she hopes the new store location will bring in people from all parts of Syracuse. She purchased the franchise two years ago and spent a long time studying the city’s demographics to decide where to locate the store. She settled on Erie Boulevard because it is easily accessible from every area in Syracuse.

Chris Shepherd, a sophomore in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science, has shopped at a Plato’s Closet in his hometown, but does not necessarily plan on visiting the location in Syracuse. 

He said he sees potential problems for students without transportation getting to the store.

‘I think its target audience is teens, so I don’t know if I would find anything in the store,’ Shepherd said. ‘Around here, it works if you have a car. There might be students at SU who wish to go there, but have no means of getting there.’

hklevin@syr.edu

Published on October 13, 2010 at 12:00 pm