Luxury Goods for Less

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The secondhand market is thriving in the Central Valley with more shoppers looking for brand name items for a discount.

Valley businesses are recognizing that demand as an opportunity, providing some unexpected luxury for less. Paulette Ricardo enjoys visiting her favorite Goodwill store on Blackstone Avenue in North Fresno. "They're my size and they're a great brand," Ricardo said while browsing.

Her first stop was the shoe section. "So, I got these here and they're BCBG," Ricardo said. "They are."

She wears her recent purchase with pride. "I still have the price tag in them because I like to prove I only did pay $8 for these," Ricardo said. She scours the aisles about once a week finding brands like Justice and Juicy Couture for her daughter. "I mean, $3 and it's brand new," Ricardo said. "This is my lucky store. I mean, I find everything here. I have found amazing deals. I've saved hundreds and hundreds of dollars."

Store Manager Chan Thach said while much of the store's inventory come from donations, Goodwill also purchases higher-end items from other retailers at a discount. "We get many new customers and they're very surprised. You can actually get new items in its original label as well as the tags still on the item," Thach said.

The racks and shelves are updated hourly and all merchandise must pass a quality inspection. "It's one of the ones they have on display and they're doing a lot more with the colors," Thach said.

Down the street at Fresno Coin Gallery, they've carried luxury items like watches and jewelry for years but this year debuted their designer handbag section when they noticed a demand. "How many people in the valley love Louis Vuitton or Chanel and luxury handbags," said store manager Stephanie Thompson. "But they have to go out of the area to get them, or even risk buying online."

Instead, customers can go to their showroom and peruse their collection. Each nearly new handbag has a 100 percent authenticity guarantee. "We have current items, limited edition items, they're all pre-loved so we can offer great prices," Thompson said.

For example, a Louis Vuitton monogram duffle retails for $1,350 but at Thompson's store, it's $745. "People are ecstatic," Thompson said. "Plus, you can't go to one of those boutiques and get layaway like you can get here."