Furniture Consignment Gallery Blog

Hey this is Christa, your friendly, FCG computer nerd and photographer!

We've had some great new features added to our website recently by our team.We've been on the quest of making the site even more user friendly for all of our valued customers! You may have noticed the red price tags. not only are they snazzy to look at but right underneath that tag we now have the next drop down price and the date it will drop down. That brings me to our first tutorial!

 

TUTORIAL: Email Reminders for Price Drops

This way you can have the computer automatically send you a friendly reminder that that wonderful piece you wanted has dropped to the next price (usually 10% off)! It's really easy to do this:

 

STEP 1: click the button circled in red below that says "Schedule a price drop reminder"

STEP 2. Type in Your name (this helps keep your important reminder out of that automated spam folder)

STEP 3. Type in the email address you would like to recieve the price update to (make sure it's something you check often so you don't miss out on a great item!)

STEP 4. Click the "Set Reminder" button

STEP:5 Click "OK" to confirm the email subscription to the item

STEP: 6 You should see this screen saying you'll recieve an update the day before the price drop and then you can just click the "Close Window" to continue shopping your heart out.

 

TUTORIAL: Email an Item to Yourself or a Friend

The other new feature that you may have noticed in your browsing on our site is the "Email a Friend" button. This little gem will help you email a piece you think would be perfect for that friend or relative without having to copy, paste and send the link from your own email.

 

STEP 1: Click the Purple button that says "CLICK to email This Piece To a Friend"

 

STEP 2: Type your name (so the recipent knows who sent this awesome piece of furniture gold to them and can thank you later for your brillance)

STEP 3: Type the recepient's email

STEP 4: Write a short message it you'd like about why this is right up their alley or leave it blank, whatever you'd like

STEP 6:Click "OK" to send the message on it's way

STEP: 7 Revel in your greatness of finding that perfect thing for him/her and click "Close Window" to return to your shopping bliss.

I'm a great party guest. So when you look down at your Holiday party guest list, think of me and send me an invite! I love all kinds of food and have no problem breaking the ice on a dish in the same way that a ski enthusiast wants to be the first to tackle fresh powder. I drink just enough to laugh a little louder, but won't be the one on the ground demonstrating the proper planking technique for your next visit to the gym (saw this with my own eyes). I enjoy peoples' good company and will chuckle at any attempt at humor. I can even hang in there for a good long while with the guy who has been holstering a year's worth of conversation. I most appreciate a good life-line after thirty minutes of incessant head nodding. The best part about me is that I won't judge your home. Certainly not the way that you do. But I know you are going to judge your home and that's why you want me there. 

You need me there because it's crunch time. This weekend marks the first round of Holiday parties and for the next fourteen days the pressure is on. The time that, as a host, you want your home to look its very best. You want your guests to relax, to feel at home and to have a well deserved night of enjoyment on you.

These moments come at a great expense to, you, the host. Small transactions for cheese plates, holiday napkins, toothpicks and bags of ice, add up quickly. You know ahead of time that the money melts into a puddle with the arrival of the next credit card billing statement. What lasts are the memories, the camaraderie that is gained and the relationships that are mended and solidified. What also perseveres are the more permanent investments that you make to your home to prepare for this grand event. The new lamps, decorative prints, a side table to hold hors d'oeuvres, a buffet server or a decorative accent piece that spruces up a lost corner; those carry on for years to come.

At FCG we plan for these moments. We think of you in your moment of desperate need and know what you need before you know you need it. We are here to be that calming influence that keeps your party in order, the invisible guest that balances the Yin and the Yang. We have exactly the right lamps, the perfect prints and inviting accent furniture for your main event. That is why you would invite me. My address is www.furnitureconsignment.com and my name is FCG.

Somber as undertakers, the couple trekked into our showroom four times in four days. They slipped in through the front door, ignored our cheerful greetings and made a beeline for the section featuring dining-room sets. There, they spent hours grimly examining one particular table and the matching chairs. Our sales associates volunteered their help. The couple brushed them all off abruptly.  

Finally, our most personable – and apparently fearless – associate seized the opportunity as a personal challenge. Ms. Congeniality marched up the staircase to the second floor of our showroom determined to befriend this baffling duo. Downstairs, we took bets on whether she’d get anywhere with “Mr. and Mrs. Meany”.  

“Oh, they aren’t mean at all,” she told us later, after a long chat with the couple. “They are just scared to death.”

Scared? Yes. In fact, they are terrified of decorating their home. Five years ago, the two moved into their home and the place still looks like an vacant warehouse. Paralyzed by fear, they haven’t bought a light fixture for the hallway. The result: a single light bulb dangling from the ceiling.  Walls are bare. Entire rooms are empty.

Now, the holidays are coming and they are looking at the possibility of another graceless meal at the kitchen counter. But the alternative – buying a table and some chairs for the dining room – fills them with abject terror.

We witness such scenes all the time at Furniture Consignment Gallery. Many folks know what they like in furniture, but are afraid their taste is all “wrong.” Some fear making a design mistake with poor choices in color, size or scale. Others search endlessly for the perfect design, without a clear idea of what that might look like.

Often, customers will turn to me and say: “I’m sure your home is beautifully furnished.” Well, the truth is my home is full of the pieces that didn’t sell. There’s a dresser is in our foyer that sat on the showroom floor for over a year; it had been marked down almost to pennies. Finally, I took it home to put it out of my misery. And, believe it or not, we get more compliments on that dresser than almost any other piece of furniture in the house. 

Not everyone has an interior designer on speed-dial. And decorating a bare room can be intimidating. Here are five tips to help you get started:

Break the ice with a small item. Like a sculptor starting with a new block of stone, everything gets easier once you make the first cut. Dive in and buy a lamp or a rug that appeals to you.
After that first decision, things start to fall into place.

Personalize your home. Invest in pieces or furniture or art that matter to you. Loved that safari honeymoon? Display those tribal sculptures and gradually a decorating theme will emerge.  (Think campaign chests and faux fur throws.) Did you inherit a beloved Victorian loveseat from Grandma?  Honor her by using it in your home. How about that sloppy painting your five-year-old hauled home from kindergarten? Frame it! Showcase the personal, the meaningful, and the memorable. That’s the heart of true beauty.

Add some humor to your décor! People are too serious these days. My mom has a sign hanging in her kitchen: “Wine is sure proof that God loves us.” In our own home, my wife and kids have tucked action figures into obscure spots. Those hidden treasures always manage to grab our guests’ attention.  It’s okay to be a bit goofy.  Make your home special for you and your family.

Make a list of what’s important to you. Do you like organization or clutter? Some people feel panicky if things are not in the proper bins. Other feel as though they are in a dentist’s office when things are too orderly.

Relax and look for pieces that make you smile. Your guests can’t help but love a home that reflects a full – and well-lived – life. When my wife, the designer, returns from a job, I typically ask her how things are shaping up at the client’s home. “Good!” she’ll usually say. “It’s not my taste – or yours – but they love it, and that’s what really matters.”

Only a few nights ago, I threw a full-blown tantrum – and I actually think it was justified. Just hear me out. It was 65° -- in the middle of November! -- and I was about to indulge in a guilty pleasure. Our little ones were sleeping and my wife was absorbed in a good book. I slipped off to the kitchen to raid the freezer for my favorite treat. Digging the scoop into the ice cream, I was anticipating the thrill of one last taste of frozen summer when suddenly -- “snap!” I peered into the container in disbelief. My scoop had broken in two. And, yes, I will admit it now. I acted like a two-year-old. What kind of fool would make a utensil so fragile?

A broken scoop wouldn’t derail me under normal circumstances, but I’ve had a bad week with tools and appliances. My new rake fell apart after confronting a small pile of wet leaves. Worse yet, we had to shell out hundreds of dollars to replace our washer and dryer after only four years of service. And those weren’t a happy four years, either.

Ever since we bought those appliances, we’ve had an intimate relationship with the repairman. We had so many breakdowns that first year, we knew his number by heart. By the second year, we were exchanging Christmas cards. After three years, he had his own coffee mug in our cabinet. (Attention, GE: you should be paying attention to this saga.) Much as we loved the guy, we finally threw in the towel last week and ordered a new washer and drier. We’ve been married fifteen years; this is our third set.

I’m frustrated – and I’m wondering how my mother managed to raise three boys with a washer and dryer that, like her, didn’t enjoy a day off for more than two decades. When she downsized to a smaller home, she was bereft to leave them. She knew the trusty duo would be humming away at the laundry for years to come!

As I puttered around my kitchen this morning, the hinges were squeaking on my four-year-old refrigerator. Meanwhile, on the television, a big furniture store was offering customers zero-interest financing for up to four years. I had to wonder how much of the furniture purchased under this program would still be useful when the customer finally paid off the loan. Would the springs be sprung in that sofa by the time the final bill got paid?

We live in a disposable society. Appliances are built with parts that fail after a couple of years of use. Rakes can’t handle a few wet leaves. Even a simple scoop snaps in half when it meets the challenge of frozen ice cream. The solution is obvious. Treasure the well-made products of those few manufacturers who understand the importance of reliable service. Come visit us at Furniture Consignment Gallery. Our showrooms in Hanover and Chestnut Hill are filled with furniture that’s stylish, classic – and built to last.

Interior designers are among our most valued clients at Furniture Consignment Gallery. They provide an excellent service that can make your home more attractive, more comfortable, and in some cases more valuable.   

 

We’re all for the do-it-yourself trend of home improvement, but visualizing the best use of space and color is a rare gift. Some folks can successfully decorate their homes for practicality and comfort, but a designer is a godsend when it comes to creating rooms with professional polish and style.

 

A good designer will save you money and heartache, preventing you from making costly mistakes and helping you work within a budget. And here’s a little-known secret: a designer can save your marriage. Who else can summon up the courage and the diplomacy to tell your husband that his beloved red leather recliner just isn’t going to work in the living room? Or tell your wife that the look is important, but your room still has to be comfortable and functional.  There is often a difficult balance to strike.

 

We see that kind of magic happen in our store everyday. Our in-house, ASID certified interior designer has the talent to combine the unique, pre-owned items on our showroom floor with your treasures, add a dash of something new and make your dreams come true – all within your budget. 

Boston’s leading designers are catching on to the consignment phenomenon. Last week, I was working with a successful designer who told me it is imperative to discuss cost-saving options like consignment furniture with clients.  “Budgets are tighter these days,” she said. “New furniture is very expensive. Even the wealthiest clients would be unwise to spend all their money at the design center.”

She says she gains tremendous credibility with clients when she suggests some pre-owned options for furniture, rugs, mirrors and even lamps. In the end, clients may opt to buy new or custom-built, but she believes that giving them the choice shows she is working hard to stay within budget. “It builds trust,” she said – and that may be the most important thing in her portfolio.

A handsome couple strolled into our new Chestnut Hill Furniture Consignment Gallery. They appeared stylish and well-to-do, judging from their apparel. Clearly, the wife was on a mission to complete a decorating project, while the husband had the pained and weary look of a man for whom furniture shopping held all the appeal of a root canal.

Then, he spotted it.

What caught his eye was no ordinary piece of furniture. This was a Bradington Young, a recliner designed for masculine comfort. Big and muscular in its proportions, the chair was made from a chestnut leather so buttery soft that it sang a siren song to every man who drifted into its orbit: “Beer! Cigar! Sports Center!”  

Unable to resist, the husband circled the chair, examining it closely as he stroked the gleaming leather. Then, he settled into the recliner with a sigh as if he already owned it.

“Get out of the chair,” his wife said tartly, with barely a glance in his direction. “That’s not what we’re here for.”  

He tried quickly to assemble an argument to win her over. “I like this chair!” he announced. “In fact, it’s nicer than the one I have!” He reached down to examine the price tag: $1,299 – for a recliner that typically commands a much higher price at retail.   

Stunned, he turned to me, and asked slowly, “So this is consignment? This chair … it looks like new. Somebody owned it and now they are selling it? I can’t believe the price!” He went from first gear to fifth in an instant as he mentally calculated the savings. He leaped out of the chair and began examining everything in the store.

At that moment, I knew we had gained another loyal customer.  We specialize in quality furniture consignment. That’s a concept that’s challenging for some buyers – until they see the extraordinary values in high-end furniture in our showroom. Our new store, Furniture Consignment Gallery on Route 9 in Chestnut Hill, is gaining momentum every day.

And winning converts like that man makes my job all the more fun.   

 "I am looking for two red leather sofas and a matching set of chairs with ottoman,” the caller said to me on the phone. “Do you have anything like that in the store?"

What an amazing coincidence! Our store had just gotten a red leather living room set that fit his description – perfectly. "We have a beautiful set we just put out on the showroom floor," I told him. His excitement equaled mine. "Great!” he said eagerly. “Don't sell it. I'm on my way to check it out."

Soon afterward, the man arrived with a digital camera. I thought he was going to show me the furniture he wanted to sell to make room for this great set. Instead, he pulled up photos of the very same furniture sitting in our store.

"This is my furniture,” he explained. “My wife and I are going through a divorce. She doesn’t have the authority to sell these pieces.” 

“You’ve got to be kidding!” I thought, my mind racing. “What a mess.” His soon-to-be ex-wife had consigned a lot of items – apparently before the court had finalized a plan to split their assets. Thankfully, after the pair made a few hurried phone calls to their lawyers, they were able to agree that selling their furniture on consignment was a fair and equitable way to proceed.

That incident was a lesson for me. From now on, when we know a potential customer is divorcing, we will be careful to make sure that person has the right to sell their furniture.

Divorce is painful. That’s a certainty. What’s less certain is how to handle the task of splitting up the assets acquired in the course of their marriage. For many, the furniture is a particularly excruciating reminder of the hopes and dreams they once shared when setting up house.

That’s why selling furniture on consignment after a divorce can be a good solution. Why? There are several reasons: 

• Less bickering. A third party – namely, the consignment shop – will assess the value of the furniture and price it to sell. No one has to quibble over whether the sectional should have fetched a higher price. The couple – or the court – can decide how to divide the proceeds from the sale.
• Less work. The consignment shop will pick up the furniture and take it to the showroom where a talented team of designers and salespeople will set it up and sell it. No one has to deal with the crazies on Craigslist.
• Less stigma. No buyer wants to know that the most stunning bedroom set on the showroom floor is being sold because of a divorce. Some might see bad karma in your once-treasured triple-mirror dresser. A consignment shop de-personalizes furniture.  

Divorce demands hard decisions. Selling your furniture through a reputable consignment store is one way to make it just a little bit easier.

"Reproduction" is a bad word in the furniture world, but it shouldn't be.

This week, we were graced by the presence of a haughty designer who scoffed at an incredibly gorgeous Bombay Chest on the showroom floor of Furniture Consignment Gallery. "That's a reproduction,” she sniffed, “and it is overpriced.”

An hour later, the chest sold to a buyer who loved it and thought it was a great buy. It was, of course, a reproduction. The original Bombay or "bombe" chests were crafted in France during the Regency Period. These chests have a distinctive bowed shape and are often embellished with colorful designs of flowers, exotic birds or chinoiserie. Every fashionable home in Paris had one in the early 1700s.

We think this incident is worth talking about because many people get caught up in the semantics of furniture "reproductions". I recall a customer who walked around our store, pointing out each piece and demanding to know if it was a reproduction. I saw where this was going and I tried to explain gently that everything in our store is a reproduction. In fact, just about all furniture is a reproduction of something.

  "Reproduction" simply means that an idea, concept or style has been copied and reproduced. Some reproductions are exact replicas of an original piece that you might find in a museum, while others use the concepts of older pieces to create new styles. Large furniture-makers such as Baker and Century are skilled at taking classic styles and giving them a fresh, modern look. Smaller companies such as Eldred Wheeler are renowned for their authentic hand-made reproductions of 18^th Century pieces using native woods of Cherry and Tiger Maple. So prized are some of its pieces that collectors wait months – and pay many thousands of dollars – for its reproductions.  

So the designer who sneered at the Bombay Chest in our showroom was right – and wrong. That piece was a beautifully crafted reproduction and it was a great bargain. And if we ever do manage to find an original bombe chest that’s been hidden for 200 years in some attic in Paris, believe me, we'll let you know.

Dear Newton, Brookline, Wellesley and Weston:

You’ve got a new neighbor - the Furniture Consignment Gallery in Newton!

Less than ten miles from your home you’ll discover some of the best furniture values in New England. Our new store is located on Route 9, westbound, just a quarter-mile west of the Chestnut Hill Mall. This is just what you’ve been waiting for in a furniture store: a big showroom, full of quality product, all at a reasonable price.

Retailers know that you are among the wealthiest residents in New England, and for years, they’ve taken advantage of that fact with higher prices. That’s been particularly true among those who sell furniture. But we’re different.

We know you are savvy shoppers, and that you are tired of over-paying for everything. We respect your insistence on quality – at a fair price. You don’t have to pretend you live in a less tony town to get the best price from Furniture Consignment Gallery. (Yes, we even know that little trick, too.)

If you have great furniture to sell, we will be on your doorstep ready to pick up your items, as promised, on time. Your furniture will be handled carefully, and then displayed beautifully, at our showroom. Whether we take just one item or fill up our big truck with a houseful of furniture, your pick-up fee is very reasonable. 

Of course, selling your furniture at an estate sale is another option – but you should weigh your choices carefully. The folks who run estate sales folks will use your home to showcase your furniture -- and then they want to bring in some of their furniture to "fill in the holes”.  Buyers will be trooping through your house for a weekend. At the end, the estate-sale folks take a handsome cut of the proceeds for using your address and overhead.

When you consign with Furniture Consignment Gallery in Newton, we’ll be showing your furniture in our stylish, air-conditioned showroom. Your identity remains confidential and safe. Our service fee is 45% of the sale, but, all in all, we believe we provide the greater value to sellers.

If you are in the market for furniture, our newest store offers prices at or around wholesale for newer items from upscale brands such as Baker, Henredon and Century.  At Furniture Consignment Gallery, the pricing fits your budget – and the quality meets your high standards.  No wonder we hear so many of our customers murmuring the same thing when they visit our showroom: "Great stuff!"

 

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Today, a consignor challenged me on a very sensitive topic.

"You know, Jay,” she said, “your competitor pays 5% more to the consignor than you do.”  I thought I was going to get a good ol’ browbeating, but instead she told me why she chose us – despite the difference in fees.

Her reasons were simple and they made sense. For one, she appreciates our marketing. From our website to our magazine advertisements, she said our efforts indicate an appreciation for quality. Our marketing says a lot about the way we run our business, she told me. She said she could tell that we care – a lot – about beautiful furniture. And she believes we also care about the quality of our sales staff, the look of our showroom and, very importantly, the satisfaction of our buyers. Because they are the ones who keep coming back to find those special pieces on our showroom – and they bring their friends.

I know she is right, but I also felt that there are many other ways we justify our service fee of 45%. Our focus is to sell furniture and only furniture.  We don’t accept china, silverware, jewelry, clothing or other small items. Of course, we know how to dress a table with a silver bowl or a floral arrangement so that it will stand out in the showroom, but we don’t do Hummels. We are, first and foremost, specialists in quality furniture. Isn’t it worth the extra 5% to show your beloved mahogany desk in a showroom that isn’t cluttered with figurines from the 1950s?

We take care to merchandise our furniture cleverly so that customers can visualize how an item will look in their home. Our talented stylists place pieces in vignettes, creating a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. We will dress a beautiful bed with a mattress, a fashionable comforter and even pillows and a bed skirt to help buyers imagine re-doing their bedrooms. Our showroom is constantly evolving – like a movie set – but we know this is an enticing draw for buyers. Isn't that worth an extra 5%?

Our furniture is photographed as soon as it arrives and the photos are displayed online. Our website gets over 12,000 unique visitors a week exploring our inventory!  We upload as many as ten different photos taken from every angle to give buyers a close-up of the furniture we are selling.  Our entire staff contributes to the website, which is a hugely effective marketing tool, spurring sales to customers as far away as Wisconsin and Florida. Isn’t this worth an extra 5%?

Our skillful marketing helps us sell furniture that has stalled in other consignment shops. Incredibly, we have picked up furniture that has languished at other consignment shops – and then sold the item within a week, in our store, for a higher price. 

We could lower our fee and offer consignors a higher rate if we eliminated our stylists and our web photographers. We could clutter up the showroom with the small stuff.  But we have made a conscious decision to focus on building a quality consignment business. And here’s the payoff for you: at Furniture Consignment Gallery in Hanover, your furniture sells faster and for a higher price than it would with our competitors. Now, that's worth the extra 5%!

 

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