Consignment Stores Offer Big Brands

"Immediate cash for your jeans is one appeal, but a lot of the kids coming in say they really like the green appeal, too," Capenera said. "It's a very big thing for kids now."

At the Top Drawer consignment shop in Granby, owner Sally Mullins said she has seen a 30 percent increase in sales this year, some of which she also attributes to the green appeal.

"It's really two trends acting at once right now," she said."There will always be wise shoppers who take advantage of tougher times to shop more carefully, but now suddenly people are also realizing that this helps the recycling movement. We saw a very real uptick begin last summer because of both of these issues."

For Nita MacCallum, whose A Touch of Class consignment shop just reopened in a new, 5,000-square-foot space at Simsmore Square in Simsbury, up-to-date marketing is key. She has one full-time employee just to handle eBay sales. A Touch of Class aggressively e-mails selected customers who look for specific styles or brands, and it advertises on local cable channels. MacCallum expects her sales to climb from $240,000 last year to more than $400,000 this year.

Ironically, MacCullum said, she receives marketing heft from her competition at the malls.