Garson & Shaw International Broker of Second-Hand Clothing and Household Items

Company overview

Garson & Shaw is a wholesale supplier of used clothing based at 887 West Marietta Street NW, Suite M-204, Atlanta, Georgia 30318. The company describes itself as a global wholesale supplier and says it has worked in the used clothing business for nearly 30 years.

It is a sales office, not a single sorting plant. Garson & Shaw states that it is the exclusive sales office for four major collectors of credential clothing in the United States and that it represents independent collectors and producers of mixed rags, tropical mix, sorted items, premium quality, shoes and miscellaneous goods from the United States, Canada and Europe.

Product lines

The site lists seven lines. The descriptions below follow the company's own product pages.

Credential clothing

Credential clothing is original used clothing: unsorted, untouched donations, left in the bag and condition in which they were donated. Loose clothing and shoes are re-bagged. The company says the goods come from donation bins and community centers in wealthier neighborhoods, that bins are serviced at least once a week, and that wet clothing and obvious trash are thrown away.

The collection cities named on the site are Boston, Newark, Rochester, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Chicago, West Chicago, St. Louis, Seattle, San Francisco, Anaheim, New York, Wilkes-Barre, Oakland and Baltimore/Washington. The collection facilities are described as experienced in loading 40' HC containers and 53' trailers.

Mixed rags

Mixed rags are what a thrift store cannot sell. They are packed in large bales of about 1,000 lb and used by graders as raw material. The company says they include two kinds of goods: items that hung in the store and did not sell, and clothing judged unfit for the shop floor because of flaws such as a small hole, a missing button or a stain.

Tropical mix

Tropical mix is men's, women's and children's clothing pre-sorted for hot climates and packed in giant bales of about 1,000 lb (450 kg). Some warehouses can offer small bales. The company lists what is excluded: sweatshirts, heavy jogging pants, long-sleeve T-shirts, heavy woven or corduroy garments, and anything torn, discolored, faded or out of shape. The mix also carries household rummage, mainly bed sheets and towels. According to the site, tropical mix is graded mostly in Europe and in Central America, and very few US warehouses offer it.

Sorted items

Sorted clothing is sold by category, quality and season, in No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 quality, which the company equates with Grade A, B and C. Women's, men's and children's categories are offered, with children's items sorted by age band (0-8 years, 9-16 years) or by season. Packing is in small pressed bales of 100 or 120 lb (about 45 or 55 kg). The company states that a 40-foot container takes up to 61,700 lb (28 metric tons), depending on road rules at the loading point and in the destination country, and that sorted items are sold only as a combination of categories and as full container loads. Partners are listed in the USA, Canada, Central America, Europe, the UAE and Pakistan.

Premium quality, shoes and combined loads

Premium quality, which the site also calls shop quality, is the top grade and a small share of collected goods. Garments are inspected for minor imperfections and only items with fashion appeal, strong brands and very good condition are included. It can be bought sorted into categories or as mixed items split into summer and winter, in bags or pressed bales, as part of full container loads.

Used shoes come as credential, institutional and sorted shoes, sold as is in shoe bags or capsacks; credential shoes are usually packed in capsacks or gaylords. Combined loads are containers or trailers mixing soft toys, hard toys up to 12 inches, kitchenware, accessories, mixed shoes and bicycles, built to the buyer's packing requirements.

Service and logistics

Garson & Shaw says each buyer gets a dedicated sales representative who manages the purchase from start to finish, and that in most cases the representative can speak the buyer's language. The team page lists international sales managers by region: Central America, North America, Africa and Asia, Central and East Asia, and Europe and Asia. A separate transportation department is described as advising on compliance and on shipping and receiving procedures. The company also lists several freight options, and its staff help with logistics management and documentation.

Who this supplier fits

The range suits buyers who want original US collections or tropical-climate mixes and who can fill a container. Sorted items are sold only as full container loads and premium quality is offered as part of full container loads, so the company is a poor match for a trader who needs a few bales. Buyers comparing it with second hand clothes suppliers in Europe should read how the American wholesale market works and what the grade names mean before comparing prices. For a wider view of buying by the container, see wholesale second hand.

Before a first order, ask which collector or grader supplies the exact line you are buying, request photographs of bales from the current week, and agree bale size and loading plan in writing. Contact: (404) 879-9915.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Garson & Shaw based?

At 887 West Marietta Street NW, Suite M-204, Atlanta, Georgia 30318, USA.

What does Garson & Shaw sell?

Credential clothing, mixed rags, tropical mix, sorted items, premium quality clothing, used shoes and combined loads, from collectors and producers in the United States, Canada and Europe.

How are sorted items packed?

In pressed bales of 100 or 120 lb (about 45 or 55 kg), sold as a mix of categories and as full container loads. The company states that a 40-foot container takes up to 28 metric tons.

What is in tropical mix?

Lightweight men's, women's and children's summer clothing plus household rummage such as bed sheets and towels, in bales of about 1,000 lb (450 kg). Sweatshirts, long-sleeve T-shirts and heavy fabrics are excluded.

Which regions does the sales team cover?

The site lists sales managers for Central America, North America, Africa and Asia, Central and East Asia, and Europe and Asia.