Consignment stores have a loyal following, but for those of you who have never shopped consignment, you don’t know what you are missing! If consignment store brings to mind worn-out and dirty then you need to take a peek! America is a country of consumers, we find ourselves with clothing and household items that we have only used a few times or never used at all. Many items arrive in our consignment store new and, occasionally, with gift wrap still stuck to the box. As a general rule, the larger the store, the larger the selection.

Household consignment stores are a great place to find quality used items to furnish a college dorm room or a first-time apartment. Dishes, pot/pans, tools, linens, furniture, towels, shower curtains, lamps, small appliances, pictures, vacuum cleaners - you need it - chances are you can find it (inexpensively) in a consignment store. You are only limited by your creativity. Low on the creativity scale - the staff at the consignment store might be able to offer some suggestions. How about stacked vintage luggage as a side table or an old enamel top table as a student desk - don’t hesitate to ask for suggestions.

Household consignment stores are also great places to locate discontinued patterns in baking ware and dishes. We had a customer come to our store after she had been referred to us by the Corning Ware Outlet Store. They told her that FRATZ’ handled the largest selection of discontinued Corning Ware in the area. We didn’t know that! Our consignors do consign quite a bit of old Corning Ware - now we know why it sells so well! The best part of the story is that the woman did find the piece she needed in her pattern. Most consignment stores have a “Wish List” and they will call you when they consign the item that you are looking to find. It really is a great system!

Sell on eBay? You cannot skip the local household consignment store. Consignment stores are designed to sell merchandise as quickly as possible, not just because it is more profitable, but because high turn-over keeps people coming back to see what is new. Items are priced to sell. You need to visit weekly. You should always shop with a profit margin in mind. After the cost of the item, time to list the item, the listing fees, the final fees and Paypal fees, how much do you want to make? Know your target category, search completed auctions, do a web search and see what like-items are selling for on the “web-market”. Use reference books - but do not expect to get the listed price - my general rule-of-thumb is 50% of the book price for a very good to excellent piece. Consignment stores are also good places to find unused or like-new linens, silverware, tools, glassware and home accessories. Sell what you like - it makes the eBay experience much more exciting!

Consignment stores have always been a favorite hang-out place for antique dealers and “pickers” (people who buy for antique stores). It is a whole different ballgame for the professional shopper. To antique dealers I would say, don’t assume that the consignment store owner is without expertise. Additionally, do expect that they don’t have expertise in every area. If you think that an item is over-priced ask them how the piece was priced. I am always suspect when a consignment store tells me that they checked it on eBay; inexperienced sellers don’t always understand that a high price on may be because that item has qualities that make it rare compared to the common piece that they are selling in their store. There is also the issue of resale tax exemption. Not all consignment stores offer this service. Our consignment store does not. The paperwork is time consuming and difficult to track. We were told by one antique dealer that it was against the law to not provide this service. We contacted Lansing and were told that this is an optional service. It pays to call ahead and request information about the consignment store and the services that they offer. Our store has a 3 day return policy to let you take it home and do some research. FRATZ’ is also a wireless internet provider so you can bring in your computer and research it before you buy it!

If I haven’t convinced you, stop in and visit us in Fenton! We will be happy to see you! Consignment shopping is fun and affordable. It is the best way to shop!