Shore to Shore: An upsale resale boutique without the expensive price tag

SALISBURY, Md. — In the newest edition of Shore to Shore, I did my favorite activity: I went shopping. Benjamins Wear It Again is teaching locals to shop local at a lower price.

Nancy Benjamin, owner of Benjamins Wear It Again, said, “We call ourselves upscale resale because we do. We sell largely from stores, manufacturers, reps, and the very nicest closets, so everything in here is very well curated. It’s first quality. It’s clean, it’s fresh. It’s new or new-ish.”

The business started in 1992, when Benjamin opened Benjamins Wear It Again.

“I had kids who were still in middle school, and I was looking for a business that I could operate closer to home. We had our regular-price store, but it was in Ocean City, and that was just taking too much time away from them,” Benjamin said.

She moved the business to Salisbury, starting out by offering gently loved fashion.

“Primarily at that time, thinking dresses, when people were still going out and dressing up, those dresses could dance again, go to more weddings, go to more parties. But the business has really changed since then,” Benjamin said.

Now, the store offers everything from Kate Spade bags to dresses for all occasions, and even home gifts.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to partner with a number of women-owned, upscale boutiques across the peninsula. So now we feature brand-new boutique bargains that were just in stores last year, and we offer them to our customers at a fraction of retail,” Benjamin said.

Benjamin has made it part of her mission to limit retail consumption on the Shore.

“We share things with Halo weekly. We also receive all the merchandise from other stores, and they receive a portion of our sales. So it’s just a win-win: you’re recycling, you’re putting things back into circulation. That’s always a good thing,” she said.

With a special milestone approaching, Benjamin said she is reminded of the challenges of running a small business.

“My son often reminds me that small businesses frequently don’t last beyond the five-year mark. So I’m very proud of the longevity. But most importantly, of the connections — it’s just been my greatest joy to be able to meet so many wonderful people,” she said.

If you want to stop by and see Benjamins mascots, Midge and Maize, the store is at 720 E. College Avenue, Salisbury.

If you have any recommendations for Shore to Shore you can email me at Haley_Rae@WMDT.com