Setting sales Popularity of consignment deals growing
BY BRENDA SHOWALTER bshowalter@therepublic.com
EDINBURGH — When money is tight, people sometimes look around their homes to see if there is anything they can sell to earn extra cash.
Others wanting to downsize begin sorting through unused items taking up space in closets, basements and attics.
Since not everyone wants the work of listing items on an online auction site or having a garage sale, consignment can be an option.
Consignment includes people paying a fee to have someone else market and sell their items.
Nic Nicoson, manager at Exit 76 Antique Mall, thought the idea would take off at the 600-booth mall next to Edinburgh Premium Outlets.
“We would get at least eight or 10 calls a week asking if we offered consignment,” Nicoson said.
He figured part of the interest stemmed from people hurting from job losses who thought they might be able to make some money.
Consignment coordinator Sandy Roth also found many elderly people downsizing who wanted help finding buyers for their collections and valuables they no longer needed.
Interest increasing
Roth, who started with one consignment booth in the spring, has expanded to three areas offering such items as dishes, furniture, crystal, quilts and jewelry.
Buyers this week also will find a vintage cribbage game, pink art deco lamps, 1975 Kentucky Derby tumbler, butter churn, silver candelabra and a mink hat.
“Thank goodness people love such different things,” said Roth, who also works as manager of Columbus’ Westwood Pine Apartments.
Roth takes 50 percent of the sales price for her expenses and work, which has been more time-consuming than she originally thought.
“It’s been like a second job for me,” she said.
The fee includes her booth rent and mall commission, transportation costs and buying display supplies plus time spent gathering items, research, determining prices and negotiations with buyers.
Even with all the work, Roth has enjoyed her new role.
“I love it,” she said.
Roth first started buying antiques when she was a young bride and couldn’t afford new furniture. She instead found less expensive, but good quality items, at auctions and antique malls.
When she talks with people about consignments, she uses her expertise to guide them through the process
Some might not realize an antique dish that is chipped loses much of its value, and even though someone loved collecting toy figurines, finding a buyer can be difficult.
Business good
Nicoson said the recession has been hard on a lot of people, but, for the most part, the antique mall has weathered the downturn in good shape.
“The number of customers is down, but the percentage of people buying is higher,” Nicoson said.
He believes people enjoy the hunt for something familiar from their past, a unique gift or an unusual item that can’t be found at mainstream stores.
August, he added, also brings in many college-bound students looking for fun things to decorate their dorm rooms.
Information on consignments: 526-7676. What’s it worth?
WHAT: Tim Luke of Home and Garden Television’s “Cash in the Attic” will appraise items.
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 12.
WHERE: Exit 76 Antique Mall in Edinburgh.
COST: $10 per item or three for $25. Six items maximum. No guns, knives, coins or stamps.
FUNDRAISING EVENT: Luke and his partner, Greg Strahm, also will give a presentation and have an auction of items from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 11. Cost is $10 per person or $15 for a couple. Proceeds benefit the Lanier Mansion historic home in Madison.
BRENDA SHOWALTER | THE REPUBLIC
Above: Sandy Roth has turned her love of antiques into a new part-time job helping others sell items through a consignment booth at Exit 76 Antique Mall. Below left: This old cracker tin, selling for $20, is one of the many items found in the consignment section of Exit 76 Antique Mall. Below right: Old dishes and household items line the shelves at this Exit 76 Antique Mall booth, where buyers can find everything from a 1975 Kentucky Derby tumbler to antique wine glasses.
Above: Sandy Roth has turned her love of antiques into a new part-time job helping others sell items through a consignment booth at Exit 76 Antique Mall. Below left: This old cracker tin, selling for $20, is one of the many items found in the consignment section of Exit 76 Antique Mall. Below right: Old dishes and household items line the shelves at this Exit 76 Antique Mall booth, where buyers can find everything from a 1975 Kentucky Derby tumbler to antique wine glasses.
