It might seem like all resale shops are the same. After all, they view their mission as offering clothing and accessories at greatly reduced prices.

But anyone who frequents thrift or consignment shops on a regular basis knows that each store has its own personality. Some favor top-name designer threads. Others fill their racks and shelves with more run-of-the-mill merchandise. Still others carry items meant for certain buyers. Plus Consignment Boutique in Castle Shannon, for instance, is the only resale shop in the area dedicated to the plus-size shopper.

Whatever their specialty, though, most resale shop owners are working hard to attract customers to a kind of shopping that only recently has come into its own in the Pittsburgh region. To wit: Earlier this month, 10 representatives from seven Western Pennsylvania thrift and consignment stores attended the 21st annual conference of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops in Indianapolis.

Along with specialized resale workshops, members attended networking sessions, a motivational keynote speech and a resale trade show. They also took a bus tour of local resale shops to see firsthand how a store's layout, display and marketing can affect sales. (Hint: Make it attractive and a pleasant experience, and shoppers will stay longer and buy more.)

The goal, said conference attendee Terry Chesky, owner of Consignment Cottage, an upscale consignment shop with locations in Moon and Sewickley, was to raise the bar for shop owners and "challenge" them to be better. "We want to be the best we can be for our customers."

To that end, Ms. Chesky said, local resale owners have decided to form a group that will meet on a regular basis to strategize on how to better serve the community's needs. One idea they're tossing around is to come up with a guide to local shops so shoppers know what each offers and where the merchandise came from.

For instance, some may not realize that thrift stores obtain goods through donations and are run by nonprofits to raise money to fund their charitable causes, while consignment shops accept merchandise on a consignment basis. Resale shops, by way of contrast, buy their stuff outright from individual owners.

However they stock their shelves, thrift, resale and consignment shops just make sense, said Ms. Chesky, because they help you to spend money wisely.

"Consumers need to realize that resale shopping is not just for those with limited funds," she said. Rather, it's about expanding your choice and finding bargains.

"It's like a treasure hunt, because you never know what you're going to find," she said.