Secondhand, ranked for you firsthand.

Byline: BEST OF ... by The Register-Guard

When it comes to used clothing stores, Team Best of ... turns a tad wanton and unable to commit. Can you blame us?

Springfield and Eugene brim over with shops that recycle clothing.

One week, the Team can't get enough of the whimsy at Buffalo Exchange.

The next, St. Vincent de Paul's Boutique and Books has us squarely in its low-priced little palm.

When we find ourselves on West Centennial Boulevard in Springfield, there's almost no getting around a stop at Value Village.

The Team lacks the panache to strut around in true vintage clothing; thus, you'll find us scurrying past such boutiques as Puttin' on the Ritz on East 11th Avenue or Antrican over on 13th.

Still, we do love to gawk, which is why Buffalo Exchange lures us in. That's where we recently found a pair of spike-heeled, red canvas, midcalf lace-up sneakers and a black umbrella with skull-and-cross-bones motif.

We weren't going to take that stunning ensemble home, but we did pick out a nifty little red wool sweater with ribbed cuffs that buttoned off the shoulder for $16.50.

Sheer bang for the buck action is what brings us to St. Vinny's, specifically, to the location at Sixth Avenue and High Street. It's where the nonprofit social services agency displays its best used gear, and it's where we found an almost-new, two-piece navy wool suit priced $12.99; a short-sleeve, V-neck sweater in gray angora for $2.49; and a brown silk blouse with a scalloped neck for $2.49.

But while we may stray in our affections, we always come back to the mother ship of used clothing: Value Village. The spacious Springfield store gives us plenty of room to browse through the well-organized racks of clothing, which is sorted by type, size and color.

Even when the store is busy on a weekend, there's plenty of room to maneuver. The extensive selection also includes clothes in the plus sizes for Team members who have gotten a little broad of beam.

While the prices are a notch more than those we've found at St. Vinny, the selection and convenience keep drawing us back.

Recent finds:

How about a three-quarter-length mink coat for $40? True, Team Best of ... can't always tell its bunnies from its foxes, but this coat sure felt like the real deal.

(Apologies to our devoted animal rights activists friends. We would never buy a fur, we swear, but we can't help lusting after one in our hearts.)

We also scoped out a sharp, burgundy worsted wool suit with a tailored, waist-length jacket and straight, knee-length skirt for $20 - perfect for that next job interview (not that we're looking); a 100 percent cotton fitted shirt with pockets for $6.99; and a sleek, black silk skirt for $14.99.

While checking out, we almost talked ourselves into purchasing an ornate yet tarnished silver-plated tea service near the checkout stand - tray, two teapots, cream and sugar containers - for less than $30.

But antique shopping's a subject for another day.

Like a fine suit, Best of ... wears well. Find something that fits at the Best of ... archive, www.registerguard.com/bestof.

BEST VINTAGE CLOTHING OUTLET

Value Village

Address: 555 W. Centennial Blvd., Springfield.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday

CAPTION(S):

Tammy Baze stocks what seem to be miles and miles of used clothing racks at Value Village in Springfield.