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Consignment Shop Best Buys – Part Three

October 3, 2021
Photo by Amina Filkins from Pexels

Last Sunday, in part two of this series (Consignment Shop Best Buys: Part Two) we talked about the fashion items that are best buys at consignment shops. The Sunday before that, in my blog (Consignment Shop Best Buys: Part One) we covered the major home categories that are best buys (Art, Lighting, Furniture and China). Today I have four final categories for you, and it’s kind of a mixed bag of deals, but trust me, these are all great bargains at consignment shops all over the U.S. Hope you enjoy and get out there and score some treasure!

Holiday Décor

At Consignments Ltd., my home consignment store in Wakefield, RI, we sell a lot of Christmas. In fact, we start taking Christmas items, by appointment, on September 1st. Of course by mid-October we are all a bit sick of it already, but our customers LOVE it! They buy tons of Christmas décor from us – from full-size, artificial trees to vintage nativity sets, from giant, light-up Santa’s to Department 56 village pieces and carolers. We have stockings, ornaments, wrapping, you name it. Why this starts so early for us and why it’s so wildly successful is that our customers know that holiday décor is a best buy on consignment. And it doesn’t just go for Christmas items – we have best buys for just about every holiday that you can think of – yes, even National Ice Cream Day ( which is Sunday, July 17, 2022 for those of you who want to calendar this one – by this I mean you, Bruce). As an example, a lot of people collect the Department 56 Christmas houses to set up a Christmas scene in their homes. These ceramic building can cost $50-$200 at original retail prices. It’s unbelievable. On consignment, many of these pieces sell for $24-$48! That’s an unbelievably HUGE savings, and that is only one type of item for one particular holiday. So check out consignment shops for this best buy – you’re going to be glad you did.

Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels

Candles

I have already confessed my undying love for the Fall in New England. It’s visual splendor abounds as do the scents that come along with it. I start getting anxious to get out my Crisp Apple or Macintosh Yankee candles and my pumpkin-scented three-wicks from Bath and Body Works sometime in mid-August. I love these scents, but man can those candles be pricey. Enter consignment candles… another best buy in consignment shops. Unused jar candles, pillars and tapers can be found in almost all consignment stores at half (or less) of retail. Why, you might ask? Well not everyone likes candles (don’t understand that one) and not everyone likes the same scents (OK, this one I get, and please never buy me vanilla-scent anything). People consign their cast-offs, and you benefit. Isn’t that terrific?

Photo by Thirdman from Pexels

Kitchen Staples

One thing we can’t keep in the store – butter dishes – oh, yeah, and another thing – glass salt and pepper shakers… and then there’s pie plates, casserole dishes, cookie sheets… you get the idea. Kitchen basics get wrecked, they break, they go missing (especially if you have teenagers -Charlotte was my biggest offender here). Kitchen basics may be basic but they aren’t priced that way. It adds up if you’re replacing these puppies every few years. Hell, it’s pricey doing it at the start. So consignment shops play a great role in acquiring kitchen basics, whether it’s for the first time or for the hundredth. Kitchen basics, like butter dishes, gravy boats and appetizer plates, are always a great buy at consignment shops. Check out your local one the next time you have an oops… you’ll be glad you did.

Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash

Rugs

My parents gifted me a beautiful, hand-made, oriental rug. I gave my realtor, Denny Denelle, fits when I moved back to Rhode Island 19-plus years ago, because I told him I wasn’t buying a house that didn’t have a room for this gorgeous rug. He paced off every home until 21 Caitlin Court; that home had enough room for the darn thing. I swear that it was one of the reasons we bought the house. The carpet was 18 feet by 14 feet and it was stunning. At the time it was insured for about $18000. God-knows what my parents paid for it, but it had definitely appreciated. When I moved to the beach, several years later, and put it up for sale in my own consignment store, I was able, after several months, to sell it for $1800 – 10% of the appraised value! It was shocking to me, but it definitely illustrates the story here. Rugs, especially hand-made Orientals that last generations, are a phenomenal buy at consignment shops. It’s definitely worth your time to check out these treasures.

A Final Thought…

So that’s my take on the best deals to be had at consignment shops, but there are literally thousands of different bargains out there… all you have to do is hunt… and who doesn’t like to search for treasure? As always… be safe out there, my friends… and have fun!

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