Big cathartic costume cleanout
It’s known for being cluttered, but now the Costume Cave is having a clear-out to make way for the next generation of getups.
Owner Kate Railton-Jacks decided it was time for a fresh start last year and planned a mega-sale in an attempt to declutter and rejuvenate the 25-year-old costume hire business.
‘‘I just want to modernise, bring it into the future and allow people to be able to come in and actually move around.’’
The first day of the three-day sale saw people lined up outside the Wakefield St store ahead of its opening.
‘‘Seeing all these people coming in and picking stuff up is so uplifting, it’s quite emotional,’’ she said.
Amongst the thousands of items up for grabs were a few pieces with more sentimental value than others, but
"I want a space people can come in and enjoy themselves.''
Railton-Jacks said it was time to let them go.
‘‘I had a dress that one of my best friends gave me when I was 16 that I have hired and hoarded but I don’t fit it anymore so someone else will be able to give it a new lease on life.’’
After the sale the plan is to create a modern space where customers can rummage without things falling onto the floor.
‘‘I want a space that people can come in and enjoy themselves and that’s what it’s really about,’’ Railton-Jacks said.
‘‘We have so much stuff so I want to be able to take photos of everything, put them on our website so we can move forward and become more technologically efficient.’’
While the cull is a big change, RailtonJacks said it would not be the end of her collecting days.
‘‘I don’t think I can stop hoarding . However I think this is a great way of moving into a different way of collecting and finding things that are based on what we need for the future.’’
She said it was also a way to compete with online stores and bigger chain retailers who sell costumes cheaply but without tailored customer service.
Regular customer Alexa Casino was amongst those who braved the first day of the busy sale, scoring herself a jacket worn on the set of Peter Jackson’s 1996 film The Frighteners.
‘‘It was worn in the actual movie so it’s pretty slick,’’ she said.
The three-day sale runs till tomorrow with leftovers donated to charities including Womens’s Refuge.