Uptown Cheapskate
Uptown Cheapskate is a private upscale resale clothing franchisor that buys and sells gently used apparel, shoes, and accessories through more than 280 franchise storefronts across 32 U.S. states, serving budget-conscious teens, young adults, and sellers of secondhand clothing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersNorth Salt Lake, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Uptown Cheapskate does
Uptown Cheapskate is a privately held upscale resale clothing retailer operating through a franchise model under parent company BaseCamp Franchising, headquartered in North Salt Lake, Utah. Founded in 2009 in Salt Lake City, the company runs more than 280 storefronts across 32 U.S. states and select international markets as of 2025, where it buys gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories directly from consumers for cash or store credit, and resells those items at prices up to 70% off original retail. Its core technology is a pricing software that evaluates item condition, brand, current demand, and store-specific inventory to generate buy offers, and its store locator and franchise recruitment funnels run through the corporate website.
Uptown Cheapskate monetizes as a franchisor, earning from franchise fees, royalties, and shared services on a network of independently operated stores, with combined BaseCamp Franchising system-wide sales (Uptown Cheapskate plus sibling children's brand Kid to Kid) surpassing $300 million in 2025 at over 20% year-over-year growth. Pricing to sellers is structured as a take-rate: cash payouts for accepted items, or store credit valued 25% higher, with store credit valid only at the issuing location for up to three years. Biannual Charity Fill-A-Bag sales and per-transaction donations fund a buildOn partnership that has raised over $650,000 since 2015 to build 21 schools across seven developing countries. The target customer spans budget-conscious teens and young adults seeking premium brands at discount, environmentally conscious secondhand shoppers, and individual sellers monetizing unused clothing. The company has no public funding rounds, no venture or private equity ownership referenced, and operates as Uptown Cheapskate LLC.
Uptown Cheapskate firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Uptown Cheapskate
- Legal name
- Uptown Cheapskate LLC
- Website
- https://uptowncheapskate.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Uptown Cheapskate is a private upscale resale clothing franchisor that buys and sells gently used apparel, shoes, and accessories through more than 280 franchise storefronts across 32 U.S. states, serving budget-conscious teens, young adults, and sellers of secondhand clothing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Uptown Cheapskate industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Resale Clothing Retail
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Off-Price Luxury / Designer Resale & Discount Boutiques (CRAEABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Urban Small-Format Value Stores (CRAEAJAA)
Keywords
Where Uptown Cheapskate is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Salt Lake
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Uptown Cheapskate business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Retail Clothing Resale: The company operates a consignment-style retail model, purchasing gently used clothing from consumers for cash or store credit, then reselling those items at significantly discounted prices (up to 70% off retail) in their physical storefront locations.
- Store Credit Upsell: Customers who choose store credit receive 25% more value compared to cash payouts, incentivizing store credit that can only be redeemed at the issuing location.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Cash payout for sellers |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Store credit for sellers |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer purchases |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Charity Fill-A-Bag Sale |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Uptown Cheapskate product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Uptown Cheapskate operates upscale thrift and resale clothing stores that buy, sell, and trade gently used apparel and accessories. Customers can bring clothing in to sell for immediate cash or receive 25% more in store credit, then shop premium and mainstream brands at up to 70% off retail prices. The model is replicated through a franchise network of 280+ locations across 32 U.S. states.
Product overview
Uptown Cheapskate operates as an upscale thrift and resale clothing store offering a unified platform for buying, selling, and trading gently used apparel and accessories. The core offering consists of their retail resale store operations where customers can sell clothes for cash or store credit (receiving 25% more credit value). The company also runs an Upcycling Impact Program focused on sustainability and community giving, facilitating clothing donations and hosting Charity Fill-A-Bag Sales to support buildOn school construction globally. Franchise ownership opportunities are available through BaseCamp Franchising. The business model emphasizes affordability (up to 70% off retail prices), sustainability (reducing carbon footprint by 60-70%), and community support (90% of spending stays local).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Uptown Cheapskate Resale Clothing Store Upscale thrift and resale clothing store where customers can buy, sell, and trade gently used apparel, shoes, and accessories; shoppers find premium brands at up to 70% off retail.
- Clothing Selling Service
- Charity Fill-A-Bag Sale
- Franchise Ownership Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Sellers can earn cash instantly or 25% more in store credit for accepted items
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Uptown Cheapskate
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Uptown Cheapskate technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Uptown Cheapskate partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- buildOncorePartnership to build schools in developing countries. Uptown Cheapskate hosts biannual Charity Fill-A-Bag sales where customers pay approximately $20 to fill a bag, with all proceeds going to buildOn. Additionally, the company donates 5 cents per customer when customers opt out of taking a plastic bag. Since 2015, over $650,000 has been raised, resulting in 21 schools built in Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Haiti, Nepal, Malawi, and Nicaragua.
- Kid to KidcoreSibling brand under parent company BaseCamp Franchising. Both brands focus on upscale resale of children's and teen/young adult clothing respectively.
- BaseCamp FranchisingcoreParent company of Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid upscale thrift brands. Manages the franchise operations and growth strategy for both brands.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Uptown Cheapskate competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kid to Kid: Direct sibling brand under BaseCamp Franchising (same parent as Uptown Cheapskate); operates an identical upscale resale franchise model targeted at children's clothing, sharing corporate infrastructure and franchisee base.
- Plato's Closet: Largest direct competitor — a teen/young-adult focused resale franchise operated by Winmark Corporation with a similar buy-sell-trade model and store footprint across the U.S. Closest single comparable to Uptown Cheapskate on customer, format, and franchise structure.
- Buffalo Exchange: Company-operated (non-franchise) upscale resale clothing chain with stores across the U.S., competing head-to-head for the same teen and young-adult buyer/seller demographic.
- Crossroads Trading: Upscale resale clothing store chain offering cash and trade for used apparel — directly overlaps with Uptown Cheapskate's positioning around premium-brand secondhand fashion.
- Once Upon A Child: Sibling brand to Plato's Closet under Winmark Corporation; while focused on children's resale rather than teen/young-adult, it is a directly comparable franchise resale concept under common ownership and operational infrastructure.
- Clothes Mentor: Winmark Corporation franchise concept for women's resale apparel; similar upscale buy-and-sell model targeting an adjacent (women's 25-55) demographic to Uptown Cheapskate.
- Style Encore: Winmark Corporation women's resale franchise; operates the same franchise resale playbook as Plato's Closet and shares real-estate and operational synergies with Uptown Cheapskate-style concepts.
Broad incumbents
- ThredUp: Largest online resale operator in the U.S., offering a marketplace and resale-as-a-service platform; competes for the same consumer wallet share as Uptown Cheapskate but through a digital, national-scale model.
- Poshmark: Peer-to-peer resale marketplace, especially strong in women's and youth fashion; competes with Uptown Cheapskate for sellers offloading used apparel and buyers seeking discounted branded clothing.
- The RealReal: Publicly traded luxury consignment marketplace; not a direct competitor on price point, but competes for the same consumer demand for branded secondhand apparel and validates the resale category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Uptown Cheapskate social profiles
Digital presenceUptown Cheapskate financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Uptown Cheapskate leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Uptown Cheapskate funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Uptown Cheapskate M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Uptown Cheapskate
What does Uptown Cheapskate do?
Uptown Cheapskate operates upscale thrift and resale clothing stores that buy, sell, and trade gently used apparel and accessories. Customers can bring clothing in to sell for immediate cash or receive 25% more in store credit, then shop premium and mainstream brands at up to 70% off retail prices. The model is replicated through a franchise network of 280+ locations across 32 U.S. states.
Is Uptown Cheapskate a public or private company?
Uptown Cheapskate is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Uptown Cheapskate founded?
Uptown Cheapskate was founded in 2009. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Uptown Cheapskate based?
Uptown Cheapskate is headquartered in North Salt Lake, United States, in the North America region.
How does Uptown Cheapskate make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Clothing Resale is the primary driver. The others are store Credit Upsell.
Who are Uptown Cheapskate's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kid to Kid, Plato's Closet, Buffalo Exchange, Crossroads Trading, Once Upon A Child, Clothes Mentor and Style Encore. Broad incumbents are ThredUp, Poshmark and The RealReal.
Does Uptown Cheapskate have an API?
No public API is recorded for Uptown Cheapskate.
What industry is Uptown Cheapskate in?
Uptown Cheapskate's product category is Resale Clothing Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAEABAE, Off-Price Luxury / Designer Resale & Discount Boutiques, with a secondary code of CRAEAJAA, Urban Small-Format Value Stores. Its NAICS code is 459510 and its SIC code is 5600.