Hawaii’s first Plato’s Closet is buying used clothing, footwear and accessories for teens and 20-somethings and will begin sales Jan. 8.

Because it’s targeted for teens and young adults, in-the-know tweens also will want to shop in the store where all the stuff for gals and guys will sell for up to 70 percent off retail prices, a plus for parents as well.

For example, blinged-out True Religion jeans that might sell new for $158 will go for about $50 at Plato’s Closet Hono­lulu, said franchisee Suzanne Green.

"Denim is the biggest seller for Plato’s Closet," she said, with some brands starting at $6.

The chain’s founders named the store Plato’s Closet partly because their son was studying the philosopher at the time.

Green’s shop already has "lots of cool scarves" marked to sell at $3, $4 or $6. Small purses including wallets and clutches start at $4, while some higher-end brands that might retail new at $250 will sell for about $50 at the new shop.

Beyond selling merchandise, "the biggest push forever will always be buying," she said. "All day every day, no appointment necessary, on a first-come, first-served basis." Consignment shops generally ask hopeful sellers to schedule appointments, but Plato’s Closet is not a consignment store; it is a resale store that pays "cash on the spot" for merchandise.

"Our retail price is 50 to 70 percent off the retail price of each item," Green said. "We pay the people who are selling to us, 30 to 40 percent of that."

Owners of upscale purses hoping to cash in will have to have an original sales receipt "from an authorized dealer," as ultra-luxe designer bags have spawned a vigorous counterfeiting industry. High-end jeans also are oft-counterfeited, but those are easier to spot.

Sought-after brands at Plato’s Closet include Abercrombie & Fitch, Billabong, Charlotte Russe, Hollister, Levi’s, Lucky Brand, Skechers, Xhilaration and more. Because there are popular surf and skate brands such as Hawaiian Island Creations in Hawaii, "we’re probably the only Plato’s Closet that has board shorts mixed in with regular shorts," Green said.

Items must be free of stains, excessive wear, tears, loose buttons or "any other kind of ‘condition issues,’" said Green. There also will be items that just won’t sell well in the store, say, something that is in perfect condition but 6 years old. Green has trained her staff of 12 in the ways of excellent customer service, so if something needs to be explained gently or diplomatically, it will be, in the hope that hopeful sellers leave happy.

Some of her sellers have educated her about the merchandise mix she should offer, beyond what corporate has told her, such as the woman who wanted to sell her size-14 men’s shoes. Green hesitated, citing limited floor space, but the woman insisted that she just had "no idea" how difficult it is to find size 14 shoes, despite the need for them in Hawaii. "So, we have them in spades," Green chuckled.

She found out about Plato’s Closet from her daughter while on a trip to the mainland. She was encouraged to pull into the parking lot via an urgent "Mom!" Her daughter had learned about the stores on MTV. (Wow, people still watch MTV?)

While her daughter shopped, Green chatted with the owner, who spoke glowingly of the corporate support she received as a Plato’s Closet franchisee, saying her previous franchise experiences had been less than positive.

"I didn’t even know what that meant," Green said. Still, the possibilities stuck with her throughout the years since that mainland trip. She repeatedly looked at the Plato’s Closet website and repeatedly stopped short of filling out information for potential franchisees.

Meanwhile, her career in the nonprofit sector was proving a rocky road. She worked for organizations dealing with domestic violence, foster care and with the Hono­lulu Symphony "and all of those things went away. …I would lose job after job because of budget cuts," she said.

Her husband encouraged her to take the plunge, and ever since being invited to "Discovery Day" in January (in Minnesota!) for prospective franchisees, Green has learned firsthand about that corporate support.

"They send you home armed to the teeth," which helped her secure the right kind of lease and what’s called a "vanilla shell" space to move into in the landmark Occidental Building. "Corporate," in this case Minnesota-based Winmark Corp., designed the space and provided all the how-to details she needed to arrange merchandise in the same eye-catching way she had seen on that fateful mainland trip.

She’s been back since and has seen Plato’s Closet shoppers leave the store with "armloads of clothes."

Green’s name may be familiar to some readers from her years in community theater, appearing in productions at Diamond Head Theatre, Manoa Valley Theatre and Army Community Theatre "when it was there." Her credits include "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," "Ragtime," "The Dixie Swim Club" and "Zombie Prom."

"And I just did ‘Honk,’" she added. "I was the mom." Her Ugly Duckling son, played by Gerald Mandac, is her assistant manager at Plato’s Closet.

One aspect of her first-ever retail business causes the "community activist part of my soul" to get choked up, she said.

Many Hawaii families are not able to provide their tweens and teens the coolest things, which makes the kids feel like outsiders.

"All their stuff is the knockoffs," but after the Plato’s Closet grand opening, "they’ll be able to feel like everybody else," she said. "No matter how hard I have to work, that’s the part that’s always going to make me feel good."

Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.