The catch is many of these clothes have been worn before. But unlike at some charity resale stores, it’s difficult to tell the clothes are used. Many local businesses are successfully selling used clothing, accessories and furnishings in a time when the economy is slow but fashion still moves fast.

Twice a Lady, located on Route 33 near the Stratham traffic circle, is full of designer clothes, shoes and handbags, for casual, business and formal occasions. There are 400 consigners contributing items and more call every day. Consigners get 50 percent of the sale price and the rest goes to the shop. Taylor said it’s a way for people to earn extra income in a weak economy. The business is about 9 months old and Taylor said, “I guess I started it at the right time.”   

If items stay on the sales floor for more than 90 days, Taylor moves them into a room where everything is 90 percent off. That’s a deal, especially considering many articles of clothing are about $15 each. She donates items that still don’t sell to charity-based resale stores.

Charity stores such as Goodwill and Salvation Army usually have the lowest prices, but not the brand names or like-new condition. Shoppers often have to sort through racks and stacks of throwaways to find a treasure. Not so at downtown Portsmouth shops Second Time Around and Upscale Resale. These stores have more than one location, exemplifying the popularity of resale shops. The National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops reports that the industry has grown about 5 percent in each of the past three years.

Second Time Around opened in Portsmouth about three years ago, though the store recently moved down the road from its original location on Congress Street. The chain of about 14 shops started in Boston. The Portsmouth store also has a 50/50 split with consigners who bring current clothes that are in season and sellable condition, said owner Angela Drew. She said she gets in about 400 new items per week and sells about as many. The appeal is getting your money’s worth. “People are psyched to get a Gucci bag for a third of the cost,” she said.

She said looking through hundreds of old articles of clothing, rejecting most of them and tagging and organizing the rest can be tedious, but the business is rewarding. “I do love clothes. I like yard sale and thrift shopping,” Drew said. “Here, the treasure hunt is daily.” 

The store has a range of brand names, from the inexpensive Old Navy to the outrageously expensive Prada, but all of them are less than new. Drew does some research to keep the price appropriate by looking at what’s selling online at Web sites like eBay, where shoppers can purchase virtually anything new or used.

Second Time Around has long racks of women’s clothing organized by size or color, as well as a corner for men’s clothing.

There is also a section for items that are 50 percent off. There are several fitting rooms in the back—a good idea, considering potential shrinking from previous owners. Also, at stores like this there is usually only one size in each style or color. It becomes a matter of luck to match up both a size and a style you’re looking for, so it’s sometimes best not to have any particular item in mind.

Upscale Resale has a relatively small quantity of women’s clothing and accessories, but focuses on quality. Some of the items are new and possibly irregular or out of season, but most are used. The Portsmouth store owned by Janet Solomon is at 278 State St., modeled after the store owned by her mother, Ruth Solomon, on Route 1 in Ogunquit, Maine.

The displays are seasonal and conservative. A closet-full of items that haven’t sold are marked down 50 percent off the already less than suggested retail price, where a Banana Republic silk skirt costs around $15.

But if even that is too pricey, there are many traditional thrift shops in the Seacoast area. These include Second Generation Thrift Shoppe & Generation Gap Furniture Barn on Tide Mill Road off Route 33 in Greenland; the Fair Tide Kittery Thrift Store at 15 State Road, which benefits the Transitional Housing Program; and the Yankee Thrift Shop, located on Main Street in South Berwick, Maine. At Two Flights Down on Water Street in Exeter, a half price sale runs through the month of July. Customers may want to call first at 603-772-5988, as the store is closed on particularly hot days.

Church thrift shops often have limited hours and sometimes are seasonal. These include the North Church Nearly New Thrift Shop in Portsmouth at 355 Spinney Road, St. John’s Economy Shop under St. John’s Church in Portsmouth at 101 Chapel St., the Thrift Shop at Rye Congregational Church on Washington Road in the center of Rye, and the Stratham Community Church Clothes Attic at 6 Emery Lane. The latter, for instance, is only open Wednesdays and Saturdays. The church receives 40 percent of the sale price and consigners get the rest. Though there are few designer labels, they are only a few dollars.