Consignment shopping is great shopping
By Emily Maki-Rusk
Consignment store shopping is a new experience for me. On my first outing,
my mission was to find a holiday dress for my 18-month-old daughter.
I had been eyeing an adorable red dress with white snowflakes embroidered
around the hem from an upscale children’s catalog. But with a price
tag of $38, it was outside of our budget. Could I find a dress just as
cute and stay within our budget? I set off to consignment stores to find
out.
Apparently, I am not the only one scouting out consignment stores these days.
The increased popularity in resale shopping is due in part to the public’s
improved awareness of recycling. Instead of adding to the waste stream, consumers
are consigning, donating, or selling their unwanted items. Eco-savvy consumers
would also rather purchase recycled articles to minimize their impact on our
environment’s limited resources. But, undoubtedly, the biggest reason
for the increased popularity is because everyone loves a bargain. Buying clothing,
furniture, and accessories for a half to a fourth of the original price leaves
money for all the other things in life.
My first stop was a children’s consignment shop in St. Joseph. This consignment
boutique was packed with clothes, shoes, furniture and other baby gear. Unlike
thrift and resale stores, consignment stores accept merchandise on a consignment
basis. The stores price and market the goods and if sold, pay the owners of
the merchandise a percentage of the selling price. The stores usually display
the goods for 30 to 90 days. The selection of consignment stores is ever changing,
ensuring something new every time you shop.
While
browsing the racks, the corner of a red velvet dress with white embroidered
snowflakes caught my eye. The dress was of wonderful quality, the fabric
was luxurious and without any stains or signs of wear. Nearly identical
to the
one in the catalog, this dress was only $7.50. I could not believe my luck.
My mission was over before it even started.
Shopping in a consignment shop is a little like treasure hunting. You never
know what you will find.
Second Childhood in Portage is a beautiful store
with brand name clothes for baby, kids, and 
teens. The shop had some new
wooden
toys and other holiday gifts as well. Hand Me Down Rose children’s consignment
in Kalamazoo has a wide selection at great prices. They even have a delightful
playhouse to occupy your children while you shop for children’s shoes
as well as clothing, toys and equipment. Next Time Around, which has moved
to the main street in Vicksburg, carries huge quantities of children’s
things including baby equipment. They also have things for teenagers – both
boys and girls. Kopy Kat opened on December 1 in the Portage Plaza. They carry
the whole gamut of clothing, equipment and toys for children – teen
clothing included.
Shopping at consignment stores makes sense for everyone, not just kids.
For women’s fashions try Quality Boutique in Portage. Name brand clothing
in all women’s sizes can be accessorized right there with a large array
of shoes, bags, and jewelry. 360 Degrees in Kalamazoo specializes in brand
name, trendy styles for guys and girls ages 15-35. Shoppers will find Banana
Republic, Abercrombie and Fitch, J Crew, and everything that teens and young
adults might want, including prom dresses. Annie’s Closet in Paw Paw
carries stylish clothing for the plus sized woman. Finding plus sized clothing
is a bit tricky, and Annie’s Closet fills that niche. Another niche
is filled by Craving Styles in Portage which carries maternity clothes from
junior
to plus sizes. They also carry baby items.
Some consignment shops don’t try to specialize. They are true treasure
troves because you concentrate on the hunt in shops like these. Centsible Treasures
in Three Rivers calls itself a “consignment department store” because
it has a little bit for everyone in a wide range of styles. Shoppers can dress
the whole family at Lisa’s Boutique in Battle Creek because Lisa has
something for everyone including an entire room of shoes and purses. You can
also find a large selection of plus size fashions and jewelry. Battle Creek
shoppers will enjoy visiting the Children’s Closet where they will find
clothing for the entire family in the city’s oldest and largest store.
For the holidays, the store is stocking beautiful new wooden toys as well as
a full range of Hello Kitty items. Another shop that offers gift items as well
as clothing is Ideal Images in Kalamazoo. The gift boutique is brimming with
lovely hand made things including greeting cards, hand lotions and soy candles.
There’s a little bit of everything there.
Consignment home furnishing stores are a great idea. Families can furnish
their entire home from kitchen to bedroom at these shops. Christy’s Fine Furniture
in Kalamazoo specializes in famous maker furniture from living room sofas to
bedroom sets. You can probably find a dining room table for Christmas dinner
in this beautiful store. In Vicksburg, Home Again is a treasure trove of house
wears, home décor and linens as well as furniture and antiques. They
even have videos and CDs to fill your shelves. Suzie’s Sew and So in
Plainwell has quality furniture, decorative items, kitchen goods, crystal
and glassware. Suzie says that she has lots of holiday items at this time
of the
year.
As for me, we are hosting Christmas for the first time at our house
this year. So, I am off to search for a holiday tablecloth and napkins
and whatever other bargains I find along the way. Perhaps I’ll
find a little black dress for New Year’s Eve.
