Designer Styles Still Fashionable 'Second Time Around'

When consignment chain Second Time Around opened a location on Main Street in Madison at the end of April, the borough's downtown got one more shop that adds to its draw as a consignment shopping destination.

Madison has several consignment stores and each offers a different shopping experience. Together, they also increase the chances people can find what they're looking for.

If a shopper sets out with a particular item in mind—say, size 7 Michael Kors shoes or a Louis Vuitton bag—they often end up "consignment hopping," said Olesia Senezak, the manager of Second Time Around's Madison location.

That's what she calls it when people go shop to shop to find what they're looking for.

Second Time Around sells shoes, clothes and bags people bring in at around 30 percent of the retail price. If an item sells, the consignor who brought it in gets 40 percent of the sale price.

Senezak said some people already have brought in dozens of items and some shoppers and consignors were introduced to the store during the Madison Chamber of Commerce's Ladies Night Out.

The new store is Second Time Around's fifth in New Jersey. Its other New Jersey locations are in Summit, Westfield, Englewood and Haddonfield. The chain has 41 stores in 12 states.

On a recent afternoon, Carolyn Fabrizio of Florham Park checked out the Madison store after hearing about it from a friend in Chatham. Fabrizio had commented on her friend's shoes and learned she bought them there.

Fabrizio, a makeup artist, said she likes consignment shopping and mixing and matching high-end and low-end items.

As she browsed, a red dress caught her eye.

"It's edgy," she said. "That's why I like it."

Second Time Around is located at 42 Main Street. It posts its latest items online.