I have a lot of brand-name preppy clothes from my middle school and early high school days that don’t fit me anymore: Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie, American Eagle, Quiksilver, O’Neill, and all that. There’s a place here (I guess it’s a nationwide chain) called Plato’s Closet that buys these kind of clothes from people. (All of mine are in good condition.)
How much money can I expect to get per item of clothing (mostly sweatshirts and sweaters?)
Is it a consignment shop, or what?
If so, most consignment stores sell stuff for 25% of retail, and you get between 40-50% of the final selling price, depending on the store.
So for a $100 sweater, you can expect to get $12.50 or so.
Also, consignment stores don’t pay up front - they pay when your items sell.
However, I’m not super familiar with Plato’s Closet, so perhaps they operate differently.
(Honestly, when I opened this, I thought it was going to be a philosophy question about Plato’s cave. Oops.)
Same here, Alice. 
Maybe it would be a modernized version, featuring a bunch of guys being tied up in a small room with candle light, until one of them gets up and comes out of the closet. 
Actually it’s not a consignment shop; they pay you right away.
Why not take in two or three items and "try them on for size$.
Is the shop named after Dana Plato by any chance?
I cannot speak to what Plato’s closet pays but if it is anything like Half Price Books (which buys your used books) don’t expect much. I took in over a hundred hardbacks that we didn’t have room for (including a first edition of Silent Spring by Rachel Carlson) and they gave me six dollars!!
So, this is for people who can’t be bothered to pick through non-name brand stuff like at an Arizona Trading Company?
Sigh.
I can’t speak as to what they pay. I guess you’ll just have to try them out.
They’ll pay you $1000 per article of clothing and give you a wide-screen HD TV as a bonus.
Seriously, why don’t you drag your ass down there with some of your mall duds and ask THEM what you’ll get for your troubles? Get some fresh air.
Wait, you gave your books to a little used book store instead of selling/sending them to other Dopers?
Woah.