Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 24, 1991 TAG: 9103220143
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ROBERTA GREEN/ SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Consignment shops, such as those located in Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Radford, have made it possible for shoppers to find bargains and to turn their clothes into cash.
Here's how it works:
People interested in selling fashionable, well-cared-for apparel on consignment make an appointment to bring items to one of the consignment shops.
Most often, the decision about what the shop will accept and try to sell depends on whether the clothing is in season and whether it is the kind of merchandise likely to be sold in that store.
Then a price is agreed upon and the accepted apparel is put on the racks.
Dorothy Eggar, owner of Second Seasons Inc. on North Main Street in Blacksburg, describes her customers as "an unbelievable mixture of people."
She said about half of her customers are students and half are professional women, bankers, professors, insurance salespeople, young mothers.
"Some have no need to consign clothes, but they take the money they get from it and buy more clothes," she said. "Other consignees are on tight budgets and consign for money they make for the little extras."
Eggar cites a study by a graduate student in the clothing and textiles department at Virginia Tech.
"Out of any specific retail customer, the consignment shops draw the most educated segment of the market," she said. "We attract women with elevated backgrounds, interesting, challenging, not predictable women."
Nine years ago when Eggar started her store, however, it was not a field with significant research. Instead, she followed the idea of stores she had seen in Europe.
"I wanted to have a clothing store, but I didn't feel secure enough to invest the capital," she said. "I kept remembering a store I'd seen in Zurich that was run very much like this. It seemed a great idea. Not only were the start-up costs low, but I could also do this easily with my 18-month-old daughter."
Eggar took some business courses at Tech and researched how to set up a business.
The store is still expanding, selling not only women's clothing but also children's and men's.
In addition to well-known brand names (such as Calvin Klein, J. Crew, Gunne Sax), Second Sesons sells formal attire, coats (including furs), suits, dresses, slacks, sweaters, ski wear, boots, shoes and a variety of accessories.
At Second Seasons, the consignee typically receives half the selling price. Price tags are dated and prices are reduced over a period of time. By the sixth week, the price will be cut in half.
Eggar, a self-proclaimed shoe fanatic who cares about what she wears, keeps in mind that shoppers are a lot like her.
"You really have to demand quality things."
Linda Kirkner, owner of Classy Consignment and Novelty Shop on Roanoke Street in Christiansburg, began her business two months ago because of her interest in alternative kinds of shopping.
"There seemed to be a need for this kind of store here," she said. "Lots of the people I know, my family and my friends, enjoy consignment shopping and enjoy shopping yard sales, looking for interesting things at a bargain. It's also something I'm interested in doing."
A consignment shop can take the place of yard sales and ensure a better selection of goods, Kirkner said.
"Also, with a recession, I think people are being more careful, and consignment shops are a way to have nice things and be thrifty at the same time."
Classy Consignment specializes in womens' everyday apparel, but it also carries handcrafts and novelties."
Kirkner is settled into her new place, and finds that business grows through word of mouth and customers that just stop in.
"It's a nice shop, quaint and cozy. And a lot of the people who come in just to shop end up asking about consigning clothes. We already have repeat customers!"
The consignee and Kirkner set the prices together.
"I've enjoyed it so far, and I see a very positive-looking future ahead," Kirkner said.
Unique Boutique, in Christiansburg until last May, is settling into Radford, where it is already drawing regular customers to its shop on Norwood Street. Part of the attraction, manager Lisa Lewis says, could be that the shop looks for the latest fashions to sell.
"We look for consignees who bring in the things they can hardly stand to pull out of their closets," she said.
"We also sell specialty items, like wedding gowns. We have four in the store right now, for instance. And one of the things that does best for us is two-piece suits."
And the Unique Boutique approach seems to work well for many customers.
"We have many regular customers who come into the store once a week to see what's new," Lewis said. "Because we get in new things consistently, our merchandise changes quickly."
Unique Boutique uses a mark-down policy similar to those used by other consignment shops, except on specialty merchandise like the wedding gowns.
by CNB