Secondi has operated on the second floor of 1702 Connecticut Avenue NW since 1986, making it one of the longest-running consignment shops in Washington, DC and a fixture of the Dupont Circle shopping scene for close to four decades. The address sits about two blocks north of the Dupont Circle Metro station, tucked into a stretch of Connecticut Avenue known for independent bookstores, cafes, and small specialty retailers rather than chain storefronts, and the shop’s second-floor location above street level has become part of its identity, with a narrow staircase leading up to racks of designer clothing that regulars know to seek out.
Inside, the focus is entirely on women’s designer and luxury consignment: clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry, and accessories from labels ranging from Chanel and Prada to newer names like The Row and Reformation. The buyers maintain specific brand guidelines determining what they will accept, which keeps the inventory consistently higher-end than a general secondhand shop, and it means a visit can turn up anything from a barely worn cocktail dress to a structured handbag from a major fashion house, all priced at a fraction of original retail. Because turnover depends on what current consignors bring in, the selection changes constantly, and longtime customers often check back every few weeks rather than treating it as an occasional stop.
One detail sets Secondi apart from other consignment shops in the district: it was the first consignment shop in DC to offer in-house authentication services through Entrupy, giving both buyers and consignors a certificate of authenticity for designer handbags. That service costs 45 dollars per item, with Hermes bags authenticated at a higher rate of 149 dollars given the complexity and value of verifying that brand specifically. For a category of goods where counterfeits are a persistent concern, that authentication option gives shoppers a level of confidence that is not standard at most resale boutiques, and it reflects how seriously the shop treats the handbags and accessories side of its business.
Consigning at Secondi requires a bit more planning than simply walking in. First-time consignors need to schedule an appointment rather than dropping off items unannounced, typically starting by emailing photos of up to five pieces for a preview approval before bringing anything to the store in person. Accepted items are split evenly with the consignor, who earns 50 percent of the eventual sale price, and anything that does not sell within the shop’s window is donated to local charities on the consignor’s behalf rather than simply returned, closing the loop on the clothing’s second life. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from noon to 6pm and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm, hours that fit easily into a Dupont Circle afternoon of errands, dining, or a stroll through the neighborhood’s tree-lined side streets.
For anyone who has shopped Dupont Circle over the years, Secondi is practically synonymous with designer consignment in that part of the city, having outlasted plenty of retail turnover since opening in 1986. Secondi is a designer and luxury women’s consignment shop above Connecticut Avenue in Dupont Circle that has operated since 1986 and was the first in Washington, DC to offer Entrupy handbag authentication for its consignors and shoppers.
