Looking for stuff to open consignment store

[kmtsn]

Hello I am trying to help a friend find stuff free or cheap to set up a consignment shop in Iowa around the Des Moines area any ideas of where to look? Thanks

[rebeccam]

I would wait til spring and start hitting up yard sales. You could also put ads on craigslist for people
to bring you stuff. I take all of our clothes we're tired of to a local consignment store. Good luck!

[kmtsn]

Thank you

[Taterbo]

What kind of shop are you looking to open??

What about hitting up storage lockers when they go up for auction???Many times people leave good sell-able stuff behind--- Also what about a second business of cleaning out foreclosed homes..Again a lot of goodies left behind.

Now if you are looking for high end clothes and accessory's resell items you need to make some good connections and let folks know you are looking to start up a business and are needing items to display in your shop... Make up some fliers and see if you can post them in office buildings where you would find the kind of clients you are looking for..Even in the ladies rooms of trendy upscale clubs..Sounds a tad strange but you never know.

Good luck with your venture.

[kmtsn]

She is looking for hangers,shelves,clothes racks that kind of stuff once she gets that people from her town will bring in their things to sell she just needs the stuff to get set up. Thanks

[CARROLIN]

Taterbo has given some great advice! Especially, with the club idea...retro, especially "gaudy"
jewelery, belts...are always mixed into new fashion trends..to make a look more unique. Also,
since you are calling it a "consignment" shop...most things that are "donated" are not...they get
an actual percentage of the sale, so be ready with a small contract...remember, they are using
your floor space, and they usually demand 10% of the sale...so choose wisely, as you are paying
out of pocket for the space the item takes, and a lot of people would rather go to organized isles
of thrift stores, estate sales.. Yard, garage, and rummage sales, even flea markets are your best
bet...but remember to make a profit, you'll at first have to charge at least 75% above the price you
shelled out to recoup "the overhead" alone...and that's a good day...okay, i'm assuming you are actually
opening a "store"...how about renting a space at a flea market first? Just to check the waters so
to speak, with some of your items...you can do this for like $20 for a whole weekend with a small plot,
that's for outside ones of course, the indoor flea markets..have no clue, i know they have a lease...and
most of their items are new. Okay, i'm rambling...but have been thinking on this since you posted looking
for work at home, about a year or so...i don't want you to get in over your head. Also, you have a good
idea, but if you decide on even just having yard sales...each state is different, but most will make you
get some sort of permit after having a certain amount...it will then be construed a buisness, tax reasons...
I wish you the best of luck, and in today's economy...what with recycle, retro, money issues, just needs of
others will get you there, if you can keep the prices down, for yourself...remember...some will come, give
sad stories, haggle, even tug at your heart because their baby wants that so bad, but we need this, and can't
afford that, so put it back! Of course you'll want to just throw that in. I have some things, but i can't
even get to the post office (wheelchair)...and shoot! Postage? Ha! Not worth the amount.

Hope this helps...best of luck!
Smiles.
Carrolin

[SLance68]

She is looking for hangers,shelves,clothes racks that kind of stuff once she gets that people from her town will bring in their things to sell she just needs the stuff to get set up. Thanks

Craig's list is a good place to start or ebay or even freecycle. She is doing consignment not a thrift store so she won't need clothes.

[rebeccam]

If you are looking for racks and things like that, look for clothing businesses going out. I know a couple of years ago here, Goody's went out of business and they were selling everything in their store CHEAP, all the racks and shelving and everything. Or look around for shops that are empty but not cleaned out, someone might want to get rid of stuff they are not using from a failed business. In my opinion, consignment stores do well right now because of the economy. I know I went in the one yesterday where I take my clothes and she was packed with customers.

Look for auctions, too. My husband and I go to estate auctions all the time and come out with some great buys (like the $1000 king size iron bed we got last weekend for $115). The estate auctions we usually go to have box lots that they sell and usually people get those for about $10-$50 filled with all sorts of things. The people who buy those boxes are people with consignment/antique stores for the most part.

[sunniekiss]

Jeeze too bad you didn't live close to me I could have given you 3/4's of my mom's house! So much of her stuff is either really great retro or really good household items. We did get rid of all of the junk. I am still kinda kicking myself that I tossed a really cute white cat suit from the 80's that I don't know how she had & this really cool suede jacket. Oh well.

[kmtsn]

Thanks everybody for telling me all this good information I appreciate it.

[dv8grl]

If you are looking for items to stock the store with, check to see if you have a Goodwill Outlet in your area whre they sell items by the pound. I've been to 3 in 3 different states, so there is a good possibility that they have one near you.
Also, if you have Salvation Army stores, call and ask if they do auctions. The store I worked at had auctions for the stuff that was a month old & hadn't sold, to make room for new stuff that would sell, they'd box up a ton of it and auction is off for pennies on the dollar. I never worked an auction, but was told by the guy who did that you can get amazing stuff, huge boxes of good stuff for $20-$30.

[janelle]

Does anybody go around to garage sales anymore and offer to take what they have left? They may let you do it if they do not want to put it all back. You can haul it off for free.

We have "Junk boys" around here but they charge for the service. Not sure what they do with the items but they may re-sale them too.