Furniture Consignment Gallery Blog

After the last few days in the store, we've decided to build a confessional into our showroom. Here you can recite your Act of Contrition, and you'll be absolved of all of your furniture purchasing sins, mortal or venial.

     All week long, a long line of penitents funneled through our door and poured out their hearts to us. "What was I thinking?" cried one consignor, admitting she had blown her budget for a decade on a furniture shopping spree. "Never again," another winced, recalling how she bought an enormous mansion at the peak of the market and furnished it lavishly.

      We heard every variation of the seven deadly sins. One greedily wanted a house bigger than her sister's. Another lusted after a friend's inlaid mahogany desk until she found one even more exquisite - and pricier - in an antique shop.

Their stories were all slightly different, but they had one thing in common: they wanted absolution - and some money back, too.

     Haven't we all been there?

     I can recall attending a live auction several years ago. Consumed in the bidding process, I vaguely remember g-forces driving my paddle up in the air faster than I could think. The heat of the moment, the competition, the will to win! All three took command of my soul. And, suddenly, "Sold for $275! The hutch goes to the gentleman on the left." 

     When I was bidding, I was riding a motorcycle on a winding country road. When the auctioneer banged the gavel, I hit a brick wall.

     The large mahogany hutch looked like a bargain when it was $50. After other buyers got involved in the fray, its value seemed to soar. Once they announced the new proud owner was moi I started to sweat at my poor decision-making. I did some fast math: $275 plus the auctioneer's commission of 12%, plus sales tax 6.25%. I had to move it within the next forty-eight hours and worse yet, where am I going to store it until I figure out what I can do with it?

    I raised my hand. "Excuse me, sir... I'd like to apologize to the folks that I outbid. You see, I really don't need this hutch. It's not the money. What I was thinking? Can I give it back? This guy over here bid $250. Maybe you could sell it to him. I'll cover the extra $25."

     I was looking for absolution and my money back. The room went silent. The man I outbid shrunk down in his seat. Clearly, he had gotten caught up in bidding, too. Now, he just wanted me to go far, far away.

     Yes, I have been there. Haven't we all at one time or another? Life goes on. We make mistakes. Forgive yourself and move onto the next great thing in your life. And when it comes to fixing those mistakes, come see our new confessional at Furniture Consignment Gallery. We promise to listen - with sympathy - and help you get some money back, too.

     6:35 AM Today:  "As of last night at 7:00PM papers are signed, and more importantly money is finally down!! I would like to proceed with consigning the furniture -- if that is alright with you. Are you available on March 2nd?"  

     All week long we have been fielding calls from customers eager to schedule furniture pick-ups. The signs are there that the Spring real estate market is coming in like a Lion!  "As soon as we have the sales agreement in hand, you can come get the furniture" says one, happy to be setting off on a long-anticipated retirement adventure consignor. Another is joyfully moving into a new home. "We move on March 6th. Can you sell our old dining room set? It is too big for the new dining room. And I found a new set in your showroom that will fit the new house perfectly!"  

     After years of waiting out the recession, people seem to be on the move again. That is always an emotion-filled journey, one that we're happy to share with our customers. When we are helping customers who are moving, we witness the full range of emotions in those who are selling and buying homes. Sellers are sifting through memories of lives well lived and coming to terms with the decision to make a change. Buyers are eagerly looking forward to fulfilling their dreams of creating a new home.

    A big move creates anxieties, but it is typically mingled with excitement and anticipation. Decisions must be made. Some hesitate and fret over the details. Others leap from one decision to another with the speed and agility of a star hurdler.

     One of our customers is making her fifth move - in five years. Having seen her through all these transitions, we are beginning to feel a bit like family. We were at her home this week swapping out beds, cleaning out some high quality pieces from her basement and trying to get her squared away before her 2PM showing. She was calm -- I was stressed! "We've got to get these beds made!" I exclaimed. "Don't worry. They'll either like the home or they won't", the wily moving veteran said with cool composure.  

     In the next town over, we recently sold a dining room set for a customer who was moving out of a lovely colonial in the suburbs. We were back at the same house the following week - delivering a different dining room set to the new homeowner.

     Strange things happen during a move. Emotions run high. Some folks make good decorating decisions under stress. Others don't. Furniture that fit perfectly in that big family colonial may not work in the chic new retirement condo. The formal dining room set that looked so elegant in Newton may not work in your casual house on the Cape. Some people are able to anticipate that certain pieces won't work in the new home before the big move. Others incur the expense of moving the items, try to cram furniture built for a large home  into a small home and then make the decision to consign the items. 

     We wouldn't think of offering advice about moving - every family handles that challenge differently - but we do have one suggestion: Keep Furniture Consignment Gallery on speed dial.

     You never know when you might need us. And we promise we'll do our best to help you.  

     7:03 AM Today: "Let's do Thursday, March 1. I'll make it work." says yet another client on the move. 

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.

If you are Selling your home and you have furniture that you no longer need, the buyer of your home should be the first option to purchase these items and here is why:

• If you can secure the sale of your furniture with your buyers, you remove what can be a stressful task from your list of things to do.  You have enough to worry about when moving so take this off of your plate right away if you can.
• You may be able to avoid costly moving and storage fees.
• You get your money with less hassles and get it right away.
• You eliminate the risk of damage by leaving the furniture right where it is.

How do you agree on price?

• Don't be greedy.  
• If your furniture is 5 years or older be prepared to sell it for a quarter of what you paid for it.
• If your furniture is newer than that and in "Showroom" condition, then push your asking price to half of your original purchase price.  
• For the sake of simplicity, you are willing to sell the items at a discount from what you could achieve on the open market and you need to explain this to your buyer.  

Too many people make the mistake of shooting for the stars and turning off the most logical suitor -- the buyer of your home.

If you are unable to work out a deal with your buyer, it is not the end of the world.  If you have upscale items in excellent condition, then the next stop should be a high end furniture consignment store.

Though it is true that there are many Craigs List-selling-success-stories, it's important to remember that the Craigs List business model lends itself to every scheme imaginable.  On very rare occasions, those schemes can turn into unimaginable tragedies.

It's important to remember that Craigs List is a completely unregulated market.  While you could easily have a seamless, painless, and fair transaction selling your items on Craigs List, there is a chance you won't. The real problem lies in the transactions that don't go so well. As a result, experts are advising potential sellers to take precautions by taking their items to public places where there are many watchful eyes. 

On last Friday's Good Morning America show on ABC, there was a segment highlighting the best ways to handle a Craigs List transaction. One of the suggestions was to meet in a coffee shop or a busy parking lot.

Furniture is different. It is large and hard to move (a dining or bedroom set is not the easiest thing to whip out of your SUV and set-up in a Best Buy parking lot for evaluation). This means that people usually need to look at your furniture in your home.  Though we all try to assume the best in people, you never know an individual's true intentions.  So take precautions to protect your home address and to qualify the character and seriousness of your buyer.

If this latest round of issues teaches us anything, it is that predators can be anywhere, and that there is tremendous value in privacy and confidentiality when selling your items.  If your furniture could be considered upscale, a predator could logically assume that the rest of your possessions are also upscale. While this risk may be relatively small, it is smart to consider all the options.

One option is a trustworthy, local, consignment store to sell your high-end furniture or home furnishings.  With this option, your identity is protected and your confidentiality preserved.  An upscale consignment service should also have the ability to pick-up items from your home to save you the aggravation of transportation. 

It is possible to net equal or even greater profit through a private sale than through consignment. But, if you net a little less and are able to market your furniture anonymously without the aggravation and risks of selling and moving your furniture; it may be well worth it in the end.

On the other hand, there are other individuals who will make a spectacle of selling an old coffee mug. So how you sell your personal items, and specifically your furniture, depends on your personality, how much time you have and how much effort you are willing to expend. There is a different method of selling for each seller!

Consider the Newspaper: If you have vintage non-antique items dating from the 1940s through the early 1970s.  It is true that the newspaper readerships are plummeting faster than a piano out a seventh story window, but buyers for pieces from that time frame still tend to get their information from old fashioned print. Therefore, print media still has its place. Newspaper advertisements run from $15 - as much as you want to spend depending on the publication and size of the ad.

Consider CraigsList: If your items have minimal resale value associated with them. For starters, it is free to post an item on there. Secondly, there is a great market on www.CraigsList.com where individuals are looking for something functional for a low price. This is the perfect place to sell your sofa for $50.

Even for high-end furniture CraigsList can still be effective. If you have the time, like the sport of selling your pieces and want to maximize your proceeds from the sale, CraigsList can get the job done. You may have to deal with some missed appointments, low ball offers, and a shady character or two, but you may be pleased with the results. Spend some time researching the active scams before agreeing to an offer.

eBay: is the most difficult avenue for selling furniture as most people want to see it, feel it, sit on it and touch it in person.  Though furniture certainly sells on ebay, it tends to be expensive to ship.  eBay does a great job of maintaining privacy and confidentiality for sellers.

An Auctioneer: is a great option for vintage 1940s pieces and older.  Auctioneers are especially effective if you have a rare piece, have items that include collectibles, jewelery and silverware, etc.  An auctioneer is generally not going to be very interested in "newer" items.  Auctioneers operate on a percentage basis and also charge a buyers premium.  A good auctioneer should offer a pick-up service for your items.  Be sure to check reputations and references before selecting an auctioneer.

An Estate Sale or Tag Sale is another great option for an upscale estate looking to sell many pieces of furniture. This option allows for quick payment and divestiture of your items. Your estate sale specialist should be extremely trustworthy, a good marketer and have a plan for items that don't sell.  Comfort and trust are paramount in an Estate Sale as they will be dealing with handling the general public in your home while you are not there. Estate Sale specialists will take anywhere between 15% - 35%.

Consider Consignment for most situations. Similar to an estate sale, it is important to be comfortable with and to trust the business owner. Consignment stores generally have space constraints and serve a specific market based on their business model. It is important to partner with a consignment business that sells the types of things that you have. A well-run consignment store should have good customer traffic, and as a result will be able to show your items to a lot of buyers. This allows you to achieve a strong purchase price. Merchandising is also important in a consignment store. If you had a living room grouping in your home that was coordinated to go together, it would be great if the store has the appropriate space and layout to display the pieces together.

Unlike an estate sale, consignment stores offer anonymity and confidentiality when selling your items. They protect your home and your name from the prying eyes of the general public. Most importantly, consignment stores give your items time to land in the hands of the right buyer. A consignment store will take a higher percentage for the conveniences and overhead that they must supply.  Consignment stores take anywhere between 30% -70% for the sale.

There are positives and negatives associated with all of the options. The solution is different for each individual.  Sometimes the right solution is a combination of the available options.  Someone might swear that CraigsList is the answer and that he or she would never pay a consignment store half of the sale. The next person would never subject him or herself to the in-home risks of dealing with anonymous strangers from the Internet under any circumstances. Every piece of furniture, seller, and buyer is unique. Likewise, so is every sale.