Gap Jeans: $10. Banana Republic wool sweater: $7. Not having to sift through junk until something that was worn after 1996 comes along? Priceless. With clothes that look like they might have come off a rack in a Georgetown store, Mustard Seed is no typical resale store. One person's trash becomes another's treasure in this upscale Bethesda shop specializing in used and vintage clothing.
Co-owners Derek Kennedy and Gayle Herrmann started selling used clothing in and around D.C. in 1991. The partners each had backgrounds in retail, and decided there was a market in the area for used clothes. The decision to open a store in Bethesda was a product of their joint ideas.
"We came up with the idea together and decided there were a lot of people in the area, and we could open up a used clothing store, one aimed toward younger customers," Kennedy said. "Most of the places in the area are consignment shops targeting an older clientele, and selling designer lines. We figured that a store for younger people where sellers got paid up front, one that sold more basic clothing, mall brand stuff, might be successful."
But business didn't start for Mustard Seed in a tidy store front in Bethesda.
"When we first started, we didn't have a store. We used to sell at the farmer's market [in Bethesda], and we would sell at the Eastern Market in D.C. on Sundays," Kennedy said. "We used to sell at American University every Thursday, right on campus. When the weather was nice we would set up under the parking garage near [the] Eagle's
Nest, and in the winter, we would sell in Mary Graydon [Center]."
Since 1996, Mustard Seed has settled into its current home at 7349 Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda. The front of the store has racks filled with new clothes, while the rear of the store holds the used and vintage items. According to Kennedy, Mustard Seed is best known for its used clothing, which accounts for 60 percent of its sales. The store stays busy all day long, as potential sellers bring clothes in to be inspected and bought by Kennedy, Herrmann or one of their employees.
"We look for casual clothing, that's in good condition and less than two years old. We also take vintage clothing, items that are more than 20 years old, mostly stuff from the mid '60s to '80s," Kennedy said.
After clothing is accepted and priced, sellers are given cash. They receive 50 percent of the retail value of the items.
"We buy anywhere from 100 to 400 items a day from between 20 and 40 people selling their clothes," Kennedy said. "Things turn over almost daily, as we sell almost as much as we buy every day."
Mustard Seed is not only popular among AU students for its great shopping deals, but the store is almost entirely staffed by AU students, said Kennedy.
"I love working here," sophomore Maeve Reed said, who has worked in the store since the beginning of the semester. "My job entails about a billion things. I'm a salesperson, I get to look through the clothes and decide on things we accept, I put price tags on everything and put it on hangers. I do a lot of merchandising, organizing, making everything look neat, and that takes up most of my time."
Reed likes her job so much, she is willing to balance 18 to 20 hours per week of work at the store a week, 17 hours of classes and a position as a D.C. Reads tutor. Her paycheck isn't all that comes from Mustard Seed; Reed also takes advantage of the clothes.
"I buy all of my clothes here, I don't think I've bought anything at a 'real' store since I started working here," Reed said. "I got my Halloween costume here too, I bought a denim, skin-tight, full cat suit type thing. I don't even know why it was here, it's not the type of thing we normally buy," Reed said.
Just as Mustard Seed passes clothes from hand to hand, the store's name comes from an inspiring story of a man who had good luck passed to him.
"I read a book about the power of positive thinking, and there was a story in there about a guy who was down on his luck and started selling a line of mustard seed jewelry," Kennedy said. "It was a bit of a rags to riches story, and all the jewelry he created had a verse from the bible, 'If ye have as much faith as a mustard seed, you can achieve the impossible.' Neither my partner or I are religious people, but it was an inspiring story, and it's what gave me the idea for the name."
Just like its name, with a little faith, Mustard Seed may have something on its shelf for everyone.
