Freeport’s Trail of Resale
Shopping beyond the outlets
The racks at ReStyle Consignment Shop are constantly updated within-season women's styles, including these colorful dresses. COURTESY PHOTO
By Raine Raynor
In the heart of downtown Freeport, Haberdashery Resale Clothing Co features high-quality modern brands at more affordable secondhand prices. COURTESY PHOTO
Freeport has long been known for its name-brand shopping—and now it may become a favorite destination for sustainable and secondhand style, too. The Freeport Trail of Resale is a new initiative started by Greta Scheibel to highlight the area’s growing collection of vintage, thrift and antique stores.
In addition to the obvious environmental benefit of diverting pre-owned items from the landfill, resale businesses also keep money in local economies. Instead of paying a global corporation to ship a shirt across the world, proceeds from consignment and resale shops filter back to locally based sellers, employees and business owners.
“I want to make the circular economy accessible and attractive to everyone,” says Scheibel, who owns a resale shop, mend bar and event space called Mothertree Collective. “The trail helps people visualize and understand their options for secondhand.”
She created the Freeport Trail of Resale to help reach people beyond existing avid thrifters who want to shop sustainably but don’t yet know where to go. “I believe if people have a choice to shop sustainably—a really good alternative, not just the odd thrift shop—then they will adopt more sustainable shopping behaviors,” she says.
It seems to be working: Scheibel has seen everyone from teenagers and twenty-somethings to multi-generational families thrifting the trail.
Several of the shop owners are collaborating to activate the trail in real life, such through a punch card or passport. “I have a vision that one day Freeport could be known not as an outlet town on the way through Maine but as an innovative sustainable shopping destination,” Scheibel says.
The Freeport Trail of Resale consists of shops along Route One betweenFreeport and Southern Maine as well as in the walkable downtown district. Let’s set off!
Route One
Freeport Emporium
308 U.S. ROUTE 1
Two stories of antique housewares and vintage oddities fill this shop on Route One. Different sellers rent out each booth, and new items arrive weekly.
facebook.com/freeportemporium
ReStyle Consignment Shop
475 U.S. ROUTE 1
Specializing in contemporary women’s styles and affordable luxury clothing, you’ll also find shoes and accessories at this secondhand boutique. Sign up online for consignment appointments.
restyleconsign.com
Pillars Antiques
475 U.S. ROUTE 1
This longstanding Freeport antique store recently moved into the same plaza as ReStyle. The artfully arranged shop features pre-owned furnishings, housewares and décor.
pillarsantiques.us
Sweet Repeats Children’s Consignment Shop
554 U.S. ROUTE 1
This consignment shop specializes in children’s gear, toys and clothing from newborn to size 12. To consign, just bring in clean, used items any time during business hours.
sweetrepeatsmaine.com
Downtown
Freeport Community Services Thrift Store
53 DEPOT STREET
Purchases from this resale shop support the nonprofit Freeport Community Services’ food pantry, transportation services and other programs. Find a wide selection of clothing, shoes, housewares and furniture. Look for $3 bargains on the third Thursday of every month.
fcsmaine.org/thrift-shop
Giving Home
27 BOW STREET
Old meets new at Giving Home, a boutique combining refurbished furniture, vintage goods and modern artisan gifts.
instagram.com/givinghome.freeport
Mothertree Collective
16 MIDDLE STREET
What started as a vintage pop-up is now Mothertree Collective, a 2,200-square-foot shop and mend bar offering vintage clothing, art and décor. Sign up for a class to learn skills from natural textile dyeing to visible mending.
mothertreecollective.co
Haberdashery Resale Clothing Co
114 MAIN STREET (and 305 Commercial Street, Portland)
Across two locations, this secondhand store focuses on high-quality modern brands in both women’s and men’s styles. Looking to sell? Haberdashery buys clothes outright; simply drop off your items during business hours.
haberdasheryresale.com
Kargos
4 SCHOOL STREET
This secondhand shop specializes in women’s clothing and accessories, especially those featuring natural fibers, color and texture.
instagram.com/kargosfreeport
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