After my post in September in which I shared about great used clothing bargains I found, I was asked by a number of people for the details on where I went. I don’t track my readers, and though I know there are people reading my blog in a number of different countries, it’s been an eye opener that so many people in Israel were reading this well before I moved here!
There are clothing exchanges (gemachim) all over the country, but I don’t know about most of them yet, and probably won’t, since I’m not going to travel all over to get used clothing! Here’s the details on where I went in Ramat Beit Shemesh, which is about a forty five minute drive from Jerusalem.
1) 23/2 Reviim – this is where I started, and where I recommend anyone going starts out. Their prices are the least expensive and there’s a very large selection. The woman running it is an incredibly special person who a good friend of mine has told me about for years who I had long wanted to meet – I was just sorry to learn what her last name was later that evening, after I was long gone! The prices are 2 shekels for a pair of shoes, 2 shekels per item for kids ages 12 and under, 3 shekels an item for over age 12.
Dd11 is tall for her age, so the clothes I bought her were size 16 – 18 (girls), but I was told that since I was buying them for someone below the age of 12, to pay the children’s price. That was very nice, don’t you think?!
They also have backpacks, purses, some linens, and tzitzis. I think the backpacks were a shekel each, I don’t remember now for sure, but the tzitzis were definitely a shekel a pair. That was an amazing price since I needed a few pairs, which would have cost me about 30 shekels each. The woman who runs this is an English speaker.
2) The second place I went wasn’t a clothing exchange, but was a person who every couple of weeks does a used clothing sale. I’m going to include her information here, since she does it regularly enough for it to be a good resource to be aware of. Her address is 3/16 Nachal Zohar, the third floor. You can call her beforehand to find out when she has a sale – 050-678-9422. She is a native French speaker, so you’ll need to speak to her in Hebrew unless you speak French.
The used items were 5 shekels each, and she had a bargain box of things that were damaged or for whatever reason not selling (eg kids clothing with words on it) – anything in the box was 3 items for a shekel. She also has brand new things – I bought brand new womens’ skirts with the tags still on for 10 shekels.
3) 40 Sorek – this is the most expensive of the places I went, and I think it’s good to go to the most expensive places last – if you can find what you want more cheaply, than why not? The entrance to this isn’t in a building, but down a huge flight of stairs outside – maybe three flights down? This is also run by a lovely woman who is an English speaker.
I believe the prices were 5 – 20 shekels per item; 5 – 10 for children’s clothing, depending on what it was, and the ladies clothing was 10 – 20 per item. There were some very nice things there and you can really find something lovely for Shabbos or the holidays.
For my Israeli readers: have you ever gone to any of these places? Are there other gemachim that you’d recommend and can share the address of? For my non-Israeli readers: where have you found great bargains on clothing?
Avivah
WOW if it weren’t an hour bus ride each way, I’d love to go!
There’s some really awesome gmachim, both maternity clothes and non maternity clothes in Yerushalayim. I’ll have to get exact directions from my friend who took me there, but I got used maternity stuff for 5-10 shekel, and brand new maternity stuff (name brand, with tags still on it, like motherhood maternity ultra stylish stuff) for 25-35 shekel a piece. Some really terrific stuff, and the gmach is in Romema…Thats for a specific maternity gmach, and then there’s a regular clothes gmach in Sorotzkin area with everything 2 shekel an item, and they have kids, adults, etc… as well as fabric. Again, I don’t know streets or numbers, but I can try to get them.
I’d love it if you can share the details of these places – it would be so helpful!
Wow . Thank you Aviva. I know about the one on 40 sorek. There is also another one under the supermarket called Yesh.. Thanks for the list as I live in RBS A.
Thanks for letting me know it was helpful, Ita!
I’d love more info. on the gemachim in Jerusalem Ronit! I could use some winter wear.
Aviva,
Can you post the hours these gemachim are open. I’d hate to get there and find out they’re closed. Also, Ronit, if you can get addresses and times that would be great.
Chava, I’m really sorry but I don’t have the hours, and I don’t have phone numbers to contact the women who run them. It seems to be they’re usually open during the morning hours, and possibly in the afternoons as well but I can’t say. The two gemachim both are in freestanding buildings in the yards of the homes of the people who run them, and I think for that reason they seem to be pretty flexible – I got to the last place after 2 pm, and just knocked on the door of their apartment, and the teen daughter showed me to the gemach. I think the last name of woman who runs this is Lepon. The last name of the woman who runs the first place is Gergel.
Also, I was told after I was there to ask for a magazine called Connections, and there’s a list in the back of lots of different gemachim. I wasn’t sure if this was an RBS publication or the Jerusalem area, though.
I think the Gergel Gemach is opened from 10 to 6 during the week and until 12 on Fridays. The Lepon Gemach is opened from 8 to 8 if i recall correctly but it’s probably better to call both places just to be sure there are no changes. Connections is a Beit Shemesh area publication, I think and I think they have a web page. For those in Philadelphia area , as of 6 years ago, there was a second hand store called Greenstreet that had great secondhand clothing at very good prices. There was also a great place in West Philadelphia call the Philadelphia Furniture Trading Post, where one could find LOTS of great secondhand furniture, often for fantastic prices – I once got a gorgeous vintage china closet for $99, but that was probably 10 years ago or so. Hope this helps.
Thanks, Regina, this is great information!