Nothings New

Nothings New is a consignment shop located at 11 Funston Ave in Reading, Pennsylvania, 19607, in the southern end of the city near the Shillington and Kenhorst area. The business deals in secondhand clothing, accessories, housewares and home goods that are resold on behalf of the people who bring them in. Shoppers can reach the store by phone at +1 610-775-1286.

Consignment retail works differently from both traditional thrift donation stores and conventional retail. Items belong to the person who brings them in until they sell, and the shop and the consignor split the proceeds according to the store's terms. In practice, this arrangement gives a consignment shop a reason to be selective: merchandise that will not move takes up floor space without producing income for anyone. Nothings New is known locally for applying that selectivity closely, keeping its racks and shelves stocked with items that look close to new rather than simply used.

What the Store Sells

The inventory covers a broad range of secondhand categories, with clothing forming the backbone of the selection. Sizes run from infant and children's wear through adult sizes, including plus sizes, and recognizable labels turn up regularly alongside everyday basics. Because stock depends on what consignors bring in, the mix changes constantly, and regular shoppers tend to treat the store as a place to check often rather than a place to visit with a single purchase in mind.

Beyond apparel, the shop carries categories that commonly appear in general consignment retail and that customers associate with this location in particular:

• Handbags, purses and small leather goods
• Costume and fashion jewelry
• Shoes and accessories such as scarves, belts and hats
• Household items including dishes, glassware, serving pieces and small kitchen goods
• Home decor, picture frames, lamps and decorative accents
• Seasonal and holiday decorations rotated through the year
• Children's clothing, from infant sizes upward
• Toys and children's accessories

Holiday and seasonal merchandise is a recurring feature rather than an afterthought. Displays shift with the calendar, so Christmas dinnerware, Valentine's themed goods, autumn decor and similar items appear and then give way to the next season. For shoppers furnishing a holiday table or decorating a house without buying everything new, this rotation is one of the more practical aspects of the store.

Two Locations on Funston Avenue

One distinguishing feature of the business is that it operates out of more than one building on the same block. The main shop handles general merchandise, while a separate space across the street functions as a warehouse dedicated largely to children's clothing and toys. Parents and grandparents shopping for growing kids benefit from the separation, since children's apparel is organized on its own racks rather than compressed into a corner of a larger store. Children outgrow clothing quickly and often wear items only a handful of times, which makes kids' wear one of the strongest categories in secondhand retail generally and a logical focus for a dedicated space.

Shoppers planning a first visit should know to look across the street as well as into the main building, since the two spaces hold different stock and a trip to only one gives an incomplete picture of what is available.

Presentation and Layout

Nothings New is frequently described by shoppers in terms more often applied to department stores than to resale shops. Clothing is sorted and hung rather than piled, housewares are grouped and displayed, and seasonal goods are arranged together. That approach takes labor, but it changes the shopping experience: customers can scan a section and understand what is there instead of digging through bins. It also makes the quality of individual pieces easier to judge, since garments are visible on hangers rather than folded and stacked.

The store's selectivity about condition supports the same goal. Merchandise that is stained, torn, missing buttons or otherwise flawed does not make it onto the floor. Shoppers can generally assume that what they see is intact, which reduces the inspection most secondhand buyers are used to performing.

Accessibility and Practical Information

The business has a wheelchair accessible entrance and a wheelchair accessible parking lot, which makes the main shop usable for customers with mobility devices, strollers and walkers. On-site parking is a meaningful convenience in this part of Reading, where street parking can be tight and where carrying bulky purchases such as housewares or seasonal decor to a distant space would be awkward.

Because inventory depends on consignment intake, customers with specific needs are generally better served by calling the shop at +1 610-775-1286 before driving over. A phone call is also the simplest way to ask about current intake policies, what categories the shop is accepting at a given time of year, how items are priced and what paperwork a consignor needs. Many consignment businesses limit intake seasonally, accepting winter coats in fall and summer wear in spring, so timing matters for anyone hoping to sell.

Selling Through Consignment

For Reading area residents clearing out closets, consignment can be an alternative to donating or discarding usable goods. The general process at shops of this kind involves bringing in clean, current, undamaged items, having them reviewed by staff, agreeing on terms, and then receiving a share of the sale price once an item sells. Items that do not sell within an agreed period are typically returned to the consignor or handled according to the store's stated policy. Since Nothings New is known for screening merchandise closely, sellers should expect items to be looked over carefully and should bring goods laundered, pressed and in working order to improve the chances of acceptance.

Place in the Local Retail Scene

Resale and consignment occupy a steady place in Berks County retail, serving budget-conscious households, collectors, bargain hunters and shoppers who prefer reusing goods over buying new. Nothings New fits into that landscape as a family-run operation with an emphasis on condition and presentation, drawing customers from Reading proper as well as surrounding municipalities including Shillington, Kenhorst, Mohnton, Wyomissing and the wider southern Berks area. The appeal for many regulars is the element of chance: stock turns over continually, so each visit brings a different selection, and finds that would be expensive new can turn up at secondhand prices.

For anyone unfamiliar with the shop, the practical summary is straightforward. It is a consignment store on Funston Avenue in Reading with two buildings, a general merchandise floor and a children's warehouse, organized displays, screened inventory across clothing and household categories, seasonal rotation through the year, accessible parking and entry, and a phone line at +1 610-775-1286 for questions about current stock or consigning.