Consigning furniture benefits buyer, seller and Mother Earth

What do you do with furniture when it no longer serves you? Whether you are relocating out of state and don’t want to move your stuff, downsizing to a smaller house or transitioning your style from Tuscan to modern, there is a place for your belongings that isn’t at the curb.

Conversely, if you’re looking to set up your college kid’s first apartment or fill in a gap in your home décor without paying retail, there is also a place for you.

While there are many avenues for buying and selling goods inexpensively, including flea markets, thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales and antiques stores, consignment shops differ by the way they benefit multiple parties: They help shoppers save money over retail, earn consigners income and support small family businesses.

Plus, inventory can be rather unique, made of high-quality materials and updates more regularly than it does at new-furniture stores.

“There is stuff I think will stick around forever, and it goes right out the door, and stuff I think will sell quickly will stick around forever,” says Pat Corley, owner of My Home to Yours, 6970 N. Broadway in Gladstone.

The consignment business model has been rebranded from the ‘used furniture stores’ of the past, whose nomenclature tended to make a bad impression.

“It’s come a long way from that,” says Sherry Jackson, owner of Designer Consignment, 12205 Shawnee Mission Parkway. “This is fine furniture from people who have spent good money on it, and they don’t just want to donate it or put it by the curb. It’s served its time for them and still has life left.”

A neutral storefront diminishes the stranger-danger aspect of Craigslist and does away with negotiating or bartering for goods by declaring a fair price at the outset.

“We’re helping so many people,” Jackson says. “I’m working just as hard for them as I am for myself.”

For buyers, the advantage is significant savings over retail.

“Why would you go and spend $700 on a new coffee table when you can buy one here for $150?” asks JoAnn Craig, owner of Couches to Curios, 9012 Metcalf.

For consigners, the deal is a straight commission; there’s no rental fee as there would be in a booth at an antique shop. The national standard for payback is 50/50, though Revival Home Furnishings, at 9001 Metcalf, offers the best rate at 55 percent of the sales price. Owner Debbie Taylor signs about 800 checks each month; the average is for $200-$300.

Anyone can become a consigner. Each shop has a few thousand names in its system. Some are one-timers, while others are regulars. “We are open and welcoming to all,” Taylor says.

When you bring an item to sell, shop owners will take into account receipts showing the original price, online research and data history to determine a fair value. Craig starts pricing at 60 percent of retail and goes down based on wear and tear. For instance, a sofa might be priced in the $400 range.

Some items won’t be accepted anywhere, like linens, mattresses, bathroom accessories, appliances or electronics. Without exception, all items must be clean. “Items need to be free of stains, tears and funky smells,” Craig says.

If your items are large, all the shops require photos before acceptance.

“We can tell you whether there’s a market for that item or space for it,” Jackson says. However, if you have a small box or car load, Couches to Curios can accept the items and price them on the spot.

Turnover is quick at consignment shops. Most shops rarely keep items more than 90 days. After that, you may get a call to pick up your item or donate it and take the tax deduction. The slowest sellers are highly specialized items or items with an undesirable pattern or color tone. The shops may start markdowns after 30 or 60 days to help move the item out the door.

Your 1980s plant stand has as much of a chance of finding a new home as a studded leather ottoman.

You just have to pick the shop that best fits the item to find a buyer. Each shop has a niche, and the owners readily refer customers and consigners to other shops if they aren’t the right fit. Here’s a basic breakdown of a few of the largest consignment shops in the area.

Designer Consignment specializes in high-end, name-brand pieces. Shabby chic painted furniture doesn’t sell well here. Instead, customers seek solid wood furniture and custom-upholstered and leather seating from well-respected companies such as Ethan Allen, Maitland-Smith, Thomasville, Hickory, Henredon and Pottery Barn. Much of the inventory is three to 10 years old

“The structure of the pieces is still good, but maybe the fabric isn’t what the consigners want anymore,” Jackson says. Daughter Ginger arranges the shop in inspirational, curated, home-like vignettes. “It’s a lot of work the way we do it, but try to make it a store that we would like to shop in,” Jackson says.

Couches to Curios fits in the mid-range price category and carries the most decor of the local consignment shops, including items out of production and odd things someone with an eclectic sense of humor would like.

“We sell a lot of chandeliers, rugs and pictures,” Craig says. “It’s the easiest way to redecorate your house.”

Craig, along with her mother, co-owner Sharon Schurer, seek quality and real wood furniture pieces, typically nothing manufactured before 1980. They won’t accept TV cabinets or china, but readily accept bedroom furniture and small sofas, as they sell exceptionally well. This shop is one of the few that offers layaway.

Revival Home Furnishings is the longest-standing consignment furniture shop in the area. Taylor opened the shop 15 years ago at another location and it will be moving once again in September to a new building at 8130 Santa Fe in downtown Overland Park.

Revival consigns furniture only, ranging from antiques to mid-century to contemporary pieces.

“I don’t care if it’s designer or a paint project, but it must be functional,” Taylor says.

She also accepts kids furniture and some pieces that a DIYer would gladly flip for a buck. Bedroom furniture is a regular top seller, and Taylor, formerly in the garment industry, loosely follows the idea of selling seasonally: She stocks up on dining tables around Thanksgiving and desks at back-to- school time.

Revival differentiates itself by selling all new accessories and also offers custom upholstery.

My Home to Yours is a 10,000-square- foot shop in the Northland. It accepts furniture and home décor of all styles in so-so condition. “A lot of people buy items to refinish or repurpose,” Corley says.

This story was originally published July 22, 2016 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Consigning furniture benefits buyer, seller and Mother Earth."