Lisa Graham Pinckney of Rock Hill has a business that she considers not only "green," but guilt-free.
"With the economy the way it is, you don't have to drive to Pineville, you don't have to go across town," Pinckney said of her ladies' wear consignment shop, Classic Consignment. She pointed out that consignment shopping "is a form of recycling."
One of five girls, Pinckney, 44, grew up in Orangeburg. She studied graphic arts at Trident Technical College in Charleston and Midlands Technical College in Columbia. From 1981 through 2007, she worked in the newspaper advertising and ladies' retail industries in Savannah, Ga.; Burlington, N.C.; Panama City, Fla.; and York County.
Sue Snipes of Rock Hill opened Classic Consignment in 1994. Pinckney moved to Rock Hill in 2000, working in local newspaper advertising.
"I had shopped with Sue during those years," Pinckney said. "When you have children and you need a big wardrobe," it's important to find somewhere affordable to shop. "One day Sue said, I think I'm going to retire and close the shop."
Pinckney didn't want to see the shop close. She consulted with her husband, Andy, who is in the audio-visual industry in Charlotte. They decided it was now or never, and Pinckney bought Classic Consignment in January 2007.
"Sue did such a great job," Pinckney said. "She built up a 13-year reputation here. I really strive to maintain that."
Pinckney considers buying consignment clothing no different from borrowing from a friend or sister.
"Every woman I know has bought something, brought it home and never even taken off the tags, for whatever reason," Pinckney said. She requires that clothing brought into her shop be freshly laundered and in like-new condition.
"I think people's idea of consignment needs to change," she said. "I wanted to give it more of a boutique than a thrift shop, flea market feel." She's done that by increasing the designer lines to include many items from Ann Taylor, White House/Black Market, Cache, Harrolds, Ralph Lauren and Aeropostale. She occasionally receives Lucky and Seven jeans.
Pinckney also carries jewelry, high-end ladies' shoes and designer and handbags from Coach, Dooney & Bourke and Kate Spade.
"Rock Hill ladies have great taste, and I love it," Pinckney said. Her consigners come from as far as Wilmington and Charleston. "Nothing pleases me more than dressing ladies in nice, quality clothing that they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford," she said.
Pinckney says that by consignment shopping, you can have twice as many items in your wardrobe. It can also allow you to purchase a few "fad" items that you might not want to spend a lot of money on. That's why she calls it "guiltless shopping."
Classic Consignment is at 605 N. Ave. in Rock Hill. Details: 803-325-8044. Ashley Barron
