Kirsty Roefs - Consignment from Home: A Step-by-Step Guide Written from Two Decades in the Retail Trenches

CONSIGNMENT

FROM HOME

A Step-by-Step Guide Written from

Two Decades in the Retail Trenches

KIRSTY ROEFS

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my awesome husband, George.

Without him, none of this would have been possible. He has been my biggest supporter and my rock. Heres to many more years of living the dream. Kids. Chaos. The works!

Cover Photos by Sierra Boice, Sierra Rain Photography

INTRODUCTION

My purpose in writing this book is to enlighten anyone who yearns to open their own resale store. This book is not only for those new to consignment but also for the many seasoned professionals I've had the pleasure to meet. Our shops bear many similarities, no matter what the contents of our resale inventories may be. My hope is to offer encouragement to those of you who are feeling at odds with the consignment gods.

As with any profession, there are days in which we doubt our path. After being in the business of resale since the year 2000 I have ridden the rollercoaster of emotions, but Im extremely grateful that I stayed the course. Recently I had a horrible day, which led me to venting to my good friend Miranda Couse, a fellow entrepreneur. She listened attentively as I ranted about all that was bothering me. After a bit she suggested, Close your shop and find another profession. It was such a matter-of-fact statement that it shocked me out of my stupor. Miranda knows me better than most people, and she knew that I needed a swift kick in the backside at that moment to shake me out of my pity party. My heart actually hurt at the thought of ever closing my doors. In that instant I realized that I needed to buck up and persevere.

My entire life led me to this industry and all that I have built. We are all human and life has its bumps, some of which are larger than others. There isn't a career path or business that is without great demands and difficult times. My hope is that this book brings you some peace of mind that you are not alone. I also hope that revealing my greatest disasters and learning moments will help you deal with yours along the way.

PART 1

BEGINNINGS

OTHER PEOPLES THINGS

To understand my store and all the resale knowledge I gained from it, it's important that I take you back in time to one of my earliest memories. After all, our experiences are what mold us.

Ever since I can remember, I've loved looking through peoples things. My grandparents owned an old farmhouse and it was packed to the rafters with over 40 years worth of accumulation. My sister and I would love to play dress up with all the clothes, shoes and especially the costume jewelry. When my cousins would come to visit we would put on shows and make home movies using all the props and paraphernalia we could find. My grandmother would let us raid her closets and use whatever we found. Looking back, I don't know what in the world she was thinking, even though she would always bellow, Just make sure you put it all back! It never got put back.

Every kid growing up should have cousins. Cousins are amazing relatives to have and are so important while learning to adapt to adulthood. Some of my fondest memories are of my sister and me hanging out with my cousins, which consisted of playing, fighting, playing, fighting, repeat. One of my earliest business opportunities took place on our annual family camping trip at a nearby state park. My cousin Jenny and I planned on making big money that summer. We saved our money and stocked up on penny candy from our local grocery store. Where we camped, on the top of a hill, there were no concessions stands. We smuggled our candy loot in along with our camping gear, dollar signs in our eyes. Our first store hours were a hit and we successfully sold our measly inventory at an insanely inflated price. With several pieces of candy still in stock, we couldn't wait to expand sales to the other kids at the campground.

My mother is many things, but a businesswoman is not one. When she learned of our candy business she immediately issued a cease and desist order. No amount of explanation would get her to change her mind. In one swift motion she put us out of business. Even though I explained the larger picture of exploiting the other campers, she was having none of it. Not only did we have to issue a full refund to my cousins and my little sister, but they had already devoured the merchandise! How unjust! Even my initial investment was gone. It kept me up at night.

Another year I sent away for a catalog so that I could sell wrapping paper. The problem was that I lived on a dairy farm in the middle of nowhere. My poor neighbors! They must have cringed every time they saw me pedaling my banana seat bicycle up their driveways.

Just as important as our experiences and knowledge is our support system. My life has been enriched by my husband George. His support from the very beginning gave me the confidence to grow my dream to all that it is today. My dream started in the home, hence the title of my first book Consignment from Home! the first much shorter version of which I wrote back in 2002. George helped me create a space in our home to accommodate consignors dropping off items for me to list on eBay. From there my vision grew and flourished. By working from home I was able to test the buying patterns of locals as well as consumers from all over the world. It also afforded me the opportunity to distinguish what was worth listing online and what had little to no resale value. Some of my current consignors came from those first days. What better way to do research without a high cost of doing business? With a lot of hard work and determination, I now own a large brick and mortar store, which is thriving on a picturesque village main street. All things are possible and it is my hope that this book gives you the encouragement to pursue a career in this wonderful world of resale. To all of you reading this who are already in this industry, may this book give you the encouragement to stay the course and reach your full potential.

MY FIRST SUPERHERO WAS A JANITOR

Growing up poor is something that you either understand or you don't. While we had a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, there are certain things that define your childhood. Christmas, in particular, was extremely trying. All the kids in my class would write letters to Santa and ask for all sorts of toys and luxuries. Writing my list always gave me such hope. I would spend weeks honing my Christmas list from the toy book that would come in the mail. Then Christmas Day came and my list never bore fruit. Nevertheless, it was all still exciting and magical until I returned to school from Christmas vacation. All the other students would be boasting how Santa brought them expensive gifts. I berated myself, wondering what I had done to incur the wrath of Santa. Sure, new socks and a few toys were swell but why didn't he bring me that Cabbage Patch doll I so desperately wanted? This is very trying on a poor kid and lets face it, self esteem is hard enough to come by without adding this stressor.

So Santa was never a huge hero in my world. There was, however, a man who did assume that role and he probably never even knew it. His name was Mr. R and he was a janitor with a heart of gold. He was from the bustling metropolis of New Jersey and had a summer home near our family farm. Whatever drove him to move to upstate New York is still a mystery to me. It is the closest thing to divine intervention that I will ever encounter.

The first time I met Mr. R was on a hot summer day in the early 80s. One of my favorite pastimes back then was to take my five Matchbox cars and make roads in the dirt. This entertained my little sister and me for hours. Our imaginations would take us to all sorts of destinations on those dirt roads. One day, we were outside playing when a wood paneled station wagon came rolling up. Not only was the wood paneling a showstopper, but so was the amount of smoke billowing out the drivers side window, as the man was smoking a sizable cigar. Our lives would be forever changed from that moment forward.