Plato’s Closet is a clothing store that “buys and sells the latest looks in brand name gently used clothing and accessories for teen and twenty something guys and girls,” according to the shop’s website. What makes Plato’s Closet different from other thrift stores is that it sells newer, higher-quality name brand items as opposed to a thrift shop that sells older or vintage items.

There are many locations because it is a franchise, but in Maryland, there are stores in Glen Burnie, Laurel, Hagerstown, Frederick and Towson.

When you first walk into Plato’s Closet, it’s a lot to take in at once. On the left side are tons of dresses, t-shirts and shorts. The middle of the store contains the shoes and accessories, the back holds all the menswear, and the right side displays all the bags. If you’ve ever walked in to a Forever 21 store, you know exactly how an individual might feel overwhelmed.

Visitors can buy and sell clothes at any store. The workers do a great job to ensure that the quality of the clothing is high and that it has been only gently used. They inspect each item carefully to ensure there are no tears, stains or holes and also look up each item online to see how much it is worth.

The disadvantage to Plato’s Closet is that it does not offer much money in exchange for your items. The policy is that it will sell the item for 50 percent of the original price but only offer 10 percent of what they’re selling it for. When trying to sell a pair of Coach boots, for instance, that were valued at $150, Plato’s Closet only offered me less than $10 for the item.

Although the sell-back deals were less than amazing, there were some pretty good finds. After spending about 45 minutes in the store, I was able to find two pairs of shoes, both Steve Madden brands, and a dress, an H&M brand, for  a total of $25.60.

Plato’s Closet has become popular because no one realizes that you’re wearing second-hand clothing! I would recommend this store to anyone who wants to save more money on shopping or college students who want to spend less than $50 on professional clothing.

All in all, if this experience had to be rated, Plato’s Closet would receive a solid 7.5 out of 10. The store is great because of its savings, but the store’s neatness and the sell-back experience could be improved.