Consignment Shops
Another Great Avenue to Declutter!
By Jean Marie Herron
You would think that as a professional organizer I would have known all about consignment shops, but I didn't. It had been on my "Opportunity List of Things to Learn" for quite a while. Well, finally, a colleague of mine and I decided to venture out to a couple of them and had an enlightening afternoon.
These places are a wonderful way to Purge, make a little money and help the environment all at the same time. I found the best way to preplan (organize) where you want to sell and what you want to sell is to Goggle "Consignment shops, the area in which you are willing to drive, and the type of items you want to sell". For example, you could type into your search box, "Consignment Shops, Bergen County, Men's Clothing" or 'Consignment Shops, Manhattan, Antiques".
HERE'S HOW THEY WORK IN A NUTSHELL:
- You call ahead to make an appointment to consign your items. They will schedule a time with you and limit you to a certain number of items to be brought in at one time.
- The consignors will receive a certain percentage of the sale price as will you. (This tends to be in the 40-60% range.)
- The store will determine the selling prices on the items brought in. The owners are experienced about current trends and fashions.
- The items should be in as perfect condition as possible. These shops have high standards of quality.
- Unsold merchandise is subject to a price reduction of some kind after a certain number of days and as more times goes on, another reduction.
- There is always a "consignment period" or length of time between the seller and shop and one can come back and pick up his/her merchandise if it hasn't sold.
- Any unclaimed merchandise not claimed after a certain number of days after the consignment agreement becomes property of the business and may be donated.
- Most shops donate to very worthy causes the items that do not sell, so you if decide not to pick up your items and are willing to let them go for free, they usually end up in worthwhile charity.
The first consignment store we went to was Savvy Chic in Ridgewood. It was voted Best Consignment Shop by 201 Magazine. The owner, Randi Morein, is passionate about her one-year-old boutique. She has it stock-full of upscale designer clothing and recognizable brand name accessories. Her consignments are beautiful to the eye and easy on the pocketbook.
The second shop we went to was Barbara Ann's Consigment Boutique in Ramsey. Every inch of this store was packed with interesting items for sale at a fraction of a trip to any department store. (Nancy Petersmith is pictured holding items up where she works at Barbara Ann's in Ramsey. Nancy used to attend POSSE's Pen before we changed the day of our meetings. Sorry, Nancy!)
Anyways, I didn't tell you all this so you'll go shopping and bring home more treasures. The reason for this article is to explain how they work and how they can help you SELL and declutter your home. So, if you can't refrain from the shopping experience, remember our motto, "One In, One Out"!
Happy Consigning...
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At POSSE Partners, LLC (Professional Organizing Solutions Serving Everyone) we cater to homeowners who want one-on-one help with their organizing endeavors whether it's their space, papers or time. Besides transferring these organizing skills to our clients, we also hold organizing classes called Clutter Corrals, have a monthly forum for supporting each other called POSSE's Pen and we also give organizing presentations as well. To learn more about the author and owner, Jean Marie Herron, and sign up for her free newsletter go to www.POSSEPartnersLLC.com.
