A second act for slightly used clothes
To wear is human; to consign divine.
And it can be a great way for the woman who has too much of everything to discard those worn-once Jimmy Choo shoes or that “had to have” Oscar de la Renta suit taking up space in her closet.
Zofia Bober didn”™t plan a career in consignment couture. She was working for the store”™s owners in the Katonah Shopping Center ”“ the shop is called simply Consignment and Gifts ”“ happily handling their customers part-time and working in real estate.
The former owners opened a second store on the village”™s Main Street to be closer to the retail action. The busier their Main Street location got, the less time they spent at the consignment store. Bober found herself increasingly dealing with the public; her part-time endeavor soon became her daily routine.
“When they told me they were closing the store because they were spending so much time in the new one, we worked out an agreement and I bought it two years ago,” said Bober, neatly arranging the racks of designer suits and nearly new shoes. “I found I really loved doing this and dealing with the public. Everyone loves a bargain … and it”™s nice to see great, quality items selling for much less than new, but they still look as if they just came off the rack. They are ”˜new”™ to their buyer, and I take particular care in what I take into the store.”
One stumbling block has been the occasional consignee who can”™t understand why Bober will refuse an item. “If it smells like mothballs or it”™s stained, it”™s not in ”˜like new”™ condition anymore,” said the store owner. “Since the consignor and I split the selling price 50-50, I want to make sure I can offer the best quality I can to the customers.” (Note to prospective shoppers: there”™s nary a hint of mothballs in Bober”™s shop.)
Bober also makes house calls to the occasional seller who would rather have the shop owner come to her home and give an honest (and private) appraisal of what will sell and what won”™t. “Some women just feel awkward about coming in, so making a house call actually works out quite nicely. I can give the person an honest evaluation in the privacy of her home. I”™ve developed a keen eye for what will sell and what won”™t.”
Quality is key ”“ along with keeping out clutter.
“I visit other consignment shops to see what I like and what I don”™t like,” said Bober. “What I don”™t like is racks of clothing stuffed together so that you can hardly move around. More is not necessarily better. I don”™t like to hang onto inventory for weeks. I keep merchandise moving. If it doesn”™t sell in a few weeks, I will mark it down. Eventually, it may end up on the clearance rack if it”™s still here. I like the fresh feeling you get when you walk into my store, and I believe it is part of the store”™s appeal to my customers.
“I”™ve been very busy, and I”™m very grateful for that. Despite the fact that Katonah is a relatively wealthy area, there isn”™t anyone who isn”™t affected in some way by the recession.”
What sells quickest? “Gold jewelry,” said Bober. “No sooner is it in than it is right back out.” She”™s phasing out everything that”™s not wearable and going to focus solely on fashion. “That”™s what sells best ”¦ and nothing is better than keeping your customers satisfied and have them keep returning to you.”
Bober, who worked as a language teacher and still keeps her hand in real estate, says she”™s found her niche in consignment couture. “It”™s a great feeling when you see someone get a great bag or suit they could never afford at retail price that doesn”™t even look like it”™s been worn. It”™s new for the buyer and it”™s a success all around ”“ for the consignor, the buyer and for me.”