Plato's Closet Review: Ultimate Guide For Customers (2024)

If you’re looking for an in-depth Plato’s Closet review, you’ve come to the right place! But you may be wondering: why should I trust you?

I have been a Plato’s Closet regular customer for close to 10 years, shopping at multiple locations in multiple states. Plus, I was an employee for 4 of those years.

Therefore, due to my unique experiences, I know what it’s like on both sides: being a Plato’s Closet shopper and also working at Plato’s Closet.

Plato’s Closet is a game-changer in the fashion industry, bringing the mission of sustainability to light while emphasizing trendy items and brands. However, to some, Plato’s Closet has a bad reputation when it comes to accepting items from customers and the quality of their inventory.

So, is Plato’s Closet really all that? Is it worth it to shop at Plato’s Closet? Is it worth it to sell your clothes and shoes at Plato’s Closet?

In this post, we will go over everything you need to know about shopping, selling, and everything in between at Plato’s Closet.

Selling At Plato’s Closet

Since Plato’s Closet’s business model runs off of buying their items from its customers, I figured this would be a good place to start. If you have gently used items laying around in your closet, you may want to consider bringing them into Plato’s Closet to sell.

Accepted Items

This fashion retailer accepts clothing, shoes, purses, hats, jewelry, scarves, other accessories, and even some beauty items. Bag up your items and bring them to your nearest Plato’s Closet store.

The Selling Process

Next, an employee will evaluate them and decide if they will accept your items. The amount that Plato’s Closet pays for each item depends on the brand, style, and condition of the item.

You can expect to earn about 30% of the Plato’s Closet sale price. So, for an item they price at $10, you will earn about $3.

This is, a lot of the times, a reason why Plato’s Closet gets a bad reputation. Many walk away from selling their clothes at Plato’s Closet feeling they got ripped off.

So here’s a little perspective. First, by selling at Plato’s Closet, you will be earning more than if you just dropped off your bag at a thrift store.

Second, you can make more money by listing your items on an online marketplace like Poshmark. However, that will require more time and effort to list each individual piece.

Lastly, you can always decline the offer they give you. If you did not make as much as you were wanting from your items to make it feel like it’s worth it, just politely tell them you would like to take your items back instead.

What If Plato's Closet Doesn't Accept My Items?

Another reason why Plato’s Closet gets a bad reputation is that many sellers feel they have quality items and are unsure why their items were not accepted. If this is the case, simply ask the employee why they didn't take your items.

Additionally, the buying process, although attempted to be highly regulated, can be somewhat subjective depending on who is doing the evaluation and accepting of the items. You can always try another Plato’s Closet store.

Each Plato's Closet franchise location is a small business that is individually owned, so the buying rules may vary.

At times, the store I worked at ended up with too much stock of a certain kind. For example, there would be periods when we had too much backstock of long sleeves.

Therefore, for a certain period of time, we were not allowed to accept long sleeve shirts at all, no matter the brand, condition, or style.

Also, keep in mind that it is not the fault of the person evaluating and buying your clothing items. The workers at the buy counter are following guidelines from higher management when it comes to the selection and acceptance of certain items and brands.

Additionally, the computer system is the one that automates the pricing. All the Plato’s Closet worker does is tap the type of item, brand, and condition, and the price is populated.

In conclusion, the process of selling clothes at Plato's Closet can be hit or miss. The process and acceptance rate will vary by location.

The next part of our Plato’s Closet review involves the shopping aspect. We will go over the types of items you can expect to find, pricing, and shopping strategies.

Types Of Items You Can Find At Plato's Closet

When you walk into Plato’s Closet, you will notice that there is a women’s section and a men’s section. You will also see that all of the sections are organized by size and color.

This is a great perk of shopping at Plato's Closet, as most stores are highly organized and make finding exactly what you're looking for a breeze.

You will probably also notice that the shoes are displayed on shelves on top of the clothing racks. There will be signs posted to let you know the shoe size of the section.

Additionally, look on endcaps and other racks scattered throughout to find specialty items. Many times there are displays for popular brands, like a Lululemon rack.

Other times, there are racks for upcoming events like Fourth of July, back to school, New Year’s Eve, and more.

On the walls or in the window display, you may notice styled items and accessories on mannequins. If you are interested in something on display, just ask! Everything is for sale, and an employee can retrieve any item for you.

There will also be items placed behind the counter. Many times these are higher-end items like designer purses, expensive shoes, and jewelry.

Just like with the display mannequins, ask an employee if you would like to see an item that is located behind the counter.

In general, you can expect to find casual and trendy items at Plato's. This includes something you would wear to lounge in every day, to dressing up a little bit on the weekend or for work.

You will not find items like dress shirts, gowns, homecoming dresses, or other items related to those more formal items.

Shoppers at Plato's Closet can find hidden gems for a greatly discounted price, which makes shopping at Plato's Closet 100% worth it!

Sizing At Plato’s Closet

Plato’s Closet strives to include all shapes and sizes by accepting and selling items across the size spectrum. This buy-sell-trade store accepts women’s items from sizes 00-22, and men’s items from sizes 26 to 42 waist.

Plato's Closet carries both men's and women's sizes ranging from XXS to 4XL. Unfortunately, many times the plus-size section does not have a lot of inventory when compared to other sizes.

However, they are always wanting to add more to that size section to allow more variety for their customers. Clothing that falls within the plus-size range is highly sought-after when customers sell their clothes.

Typically the men's section at Plato's Closet is limited, too. Just like plus-size clothing, most stores are always looking for more men's inventory.

Pricing

Plato’s Closet advertises that they sell their items at 70% off of the retail price. Although this will vary, you can find extremely good deals and deep discounts.

Here is a typical range of pricing for each type of item, although this will widely vary depending on the brand.

• Dresses: $8-$12
• Tops: $5-$10
• Jeans: $12-$30
• Coats and Jackets: $12-$24
• Athleticwear: $5-$30
• Shoes: $10-$40

You can find popular items, like Lululemon leggings, for around $24-$40. Additionally, I have found many Patagonia jackets and pullovers priced from $30-$40.

Specifically, I have found this exact Patagonia Nanopuff coat for $30. It didn't quite fit me, but I was able to resell it for $134 with my online reselling business.

If you’re interested in finding items to flip and resell at Plato’s Closet, read our guide on Poshmark for beginners.

Discounts

This wouldn’t be a full Plato’s Closet review if we didn’t talk about how to get an even deeper discount on already extremely affordable items.

Fivestars App

Many, if not all, Plato’s Closet locations offer discounts through the Fivestars app.

On the Fivestats app, you can sign up with your phone number. This will link your phone number to the Plato’s Closet account and allow you to earn points each time you shop at Plato’s.

Each store will structure its program and earning potential differently, so it will vary by location. However, you can expect to earn points towards $5 off, $10 off, or a percentage like 10% or 20% off of a purchase.

It is easy to sign up, and all you have to do is give them your phone number at checkout.

Coupon Cards

Another way to save at Plato’s Closet is by earning a shopping promo card, also known as a coupon card. These coupon cards are given out in one month with the card being valid the following month.

For example, my local Plato’s Closet ran a promo where if you made a purchase in April, you would receive a coupon card to save $5.01 off of any purchase in May.

These cards can be highly valuable because there is no minimum purchase requirement to receive a card. Additionally, there is no minimum spend to use the card in the following month.

Therefore, you could buy a piece of jewelry for a couple of dollars in April, and receive a coupon card for May. Once May rolls around, you can find something for $5 and it will be free!

Many stores allow you to rack up as many coupon cards as you can. Only one coupon card is allowed per transaction when you go to use it in the following month.

Contests

In addition to the Fivestars app and shopping promo cards, you can also get "discounts and money "closet cash" to spend at Plato’s Closet by entering their contests. In order to do this, make sure you follow your local Plato’s Closet on social media.

Many times they do giveaways and offer up gift cards and/or vouchers to the store. Many times this is in preparation for a holiday or sale day.

Plato’s Closet Sales

Dollar Days

One of the most exciting days for Plato’s Closet customers is their Dollar Days sale. Typically this sale takes place over a weekend.

With this sale, clearance items are placed in bins outside and around the store, with each item only being $1! While you can still find some gems and good essential pieces with this sale, it is important to know that the dollar days items were all once deeply discounted clearance items that never sold.

$1, $2, $3 Clothing Item Sales

In recent years, many Plato’s Closet stores have adopted an even better sale day that beats Dollar Days. With this sale, stores run a promo for all items within a section.

For example, my local Plato’s Closet held a $2 dress sale. The best and most shocking part is that ALL dresses in the store were $2- not just clearance items!

It is safe to say I went a little crazy when I was shopping this sale… And I’m not ashamed to say I came home with over 100 dresses.

I have also seen $2 long sleeves/coats/jackets and pants sales and $3 athleticwear sales. Be sure to keep up with your local Plato’s Closet on social media for when these sales are announced!

The "Totes" Sale

Another popular sale day at Plato’s Closet is the totes sale. With this sale, Plato’s Closet gives out a tote bag to each customer.

From here, customers can go around the store and fill the bag to the brim. The promo gives customers 30% off each item inside the bag.

Holiday Sales

Many times, around the holidays, Plato’s Closet will offer a mystery discount sale. For example, many Plato’s Closets have a sale around Easter.

This sale involves customers shopping for their items, and once they’re at the cash register to check out, the customer picks an egg to receive a mystery discount.

The discounts range from 10-30%, with one lucky customer picking an egg that gives them their entire purchase for FREE!

As you can see, there are many ways to save a crazy amount of money while shopping at Plato’s Closet.

Returns

Plato’s Closet accepts returns from its customers. However, there is a certain timeline and only select items are allowed to be returned.

Clothing items are returnable within 7 days. You have to bring in the original receipt and the tags must be attached. If the tags are present but not attached, you may be denied the return.

That is because there is no way to tell that you haven’t worn the item. If the return is valid and accepted, customers can choose between store credit or money back.

Items that are final sale and are not allowed to be returned include:

• Any clearance item (clothing included)
• Shoes
• Purses
• Wallets
• Scarves
• Jewelry
• Any other accessory

Therefore, make sure to inspect your shoes and other accessories closely prior to purchasing them at Plato’s Closet.

Conclusion

And with that, we’ll wrap up our Plato’s Closet review. Overall, Plato’s Closet is a great store for customers to make money while also saving money.

Plus, the company supports sustainable fashion by promoting the re-use of perfectly good clothing items. Here is a summary of the pros and cons that we went over in this article:

Summary: Pros And Cons List

Pros:

• A way to make money on old clothing items.
• Inclusive sizing.
• Racks clearly marked for ease of shopping.
• Affordable pricing.
• Wide variety of items from casual and trendy to luxury and designer.
• Many opportunities for deals and sales.
• Small, locally owned businesses.

Cons:

• Low payout for customers selling items.
• Hit or miss acceptance of clothing items.
• Limited plus-size selection.
• Limited men's section.

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons for me. As a former employee and current customer, I plan to shop and support Plato’s Closet forever!

Do you like shopping and/or selling at Plato’s Closet? What has been your best Plato’s Closet find? Comment below!