Author Topic: primitives discuss thoughts on consignment (Read 4120 times)

franksolich · « **on:** October 01, 2011, 06:45:35 PM »

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=403x4037

Oh my.

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Paper Roses (1000+ posts) Tue Sep-27-11 07:43 PM
Original message

Dealers, what are your thoughts on the trend toward consignment?

I have recently been attempting to sell some real good merchandise to local shops and they all want to take it on consignment. Some want to drop the price 50% after 30 days. These shops stock just about anything. I have to offer good antiques, about 300 items at a foolishly low price just to move it on.

These are things I have collected for years. No-one wants to lay out cash anymore. I guess I understand that aspect but when the goods are good....not granny's old jelly glasses, I wonder where their thinking is? In this business, sometimes you wait a little longer for the customer but the return is better.

Your thoughts?

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Vinca (1000+ posts) Wed Sep-28-11 08:03 AM
Response to Original message

1. I sell larger items - furniture I refurbish - on consignment.

There really isn't much other choice. If your items are smalls you should really think about renting a booth in a shop for a few months so you can control the pricing. An auction house nearby has been holding "estate" sales in addition to their auctions. They set up a section of the auction house with priced items and open the doors for a couple of days. Something like that might be an option if you want to sell it all at once. Of course, you'd be on the hook for a commission so you wouldn't get the full value of the item.

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grasswire (1000+ posts) Wed Sep-28-11 11:25 PM
Response to Original message

2. my only experience with consignment was that I got burned..

...by the owner. She moved her shop and took my merchandise with her. When I was able to find her, she said she would call me back. I lost the stuff.

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Vinca (1000+ posts) Fri Sep-30-11 08:06 AM
Response to Reply #2

4. You never got your stuff back? That's outrageous.

The woman is guilty of theft and lucky you didn't call the cops.

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mopinko (1000+ posts) Thu Sep-29-11 10:45 PM
Response to Original message

3. as an artist, i have been burned.

unless they can convince me they have the inventory control practices to keep track of my stuff in their store, i wouldn't do it.

delilahmused · « **Reply #1 on:** October 01, 2011, 07:03:13 PM »

I've had some of my more "artsy" jewelry in galleries for about 20 years. It's always done on consignment. A small gallery would go out of business if they had to buy outright everything they sell. Even something small like my earrings are ridiculously overpriced at $90 a piece. We're talking $2 worth of beads and an hours work. Of course, they are in places like Portland & Sisters where rich liberals love to buy "trendy" stuff they pay too much for.

Cindie

GOBUCKS · « **Reply #2 on:** October 01, 2011, 08:40:01 PM »

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grasswire (1000+ posts) Wed Sep-28-11 11:25 PM
Response to Original message

2. my only experience with consignment was that I got burned..

...by the owner. She moved her shop and took my merchandise with her. When I was able to find her, she said she would call me back. I lost the stuff.

It's hard to accept the concept of DUmmy grasswire owning something that someone else would want.

franksolich · « **Reply #3 on:** October 01, 2011, 08:42:33 PM »

Quote from: GOBUCKS on October 01, 2011, 08:40:01 PM

It's hard to accept the concept of DUmmy grasswire owning something that someone else would want.

I'm having trouble with the mopinko primitive's allegation that her "art" sells, too.

Ballygrl · « **Reply #4 on:** October 01, 2011, 09:12:56 PM »

Why not just have a garage sale? People who buy antiques always go to them.

franksolich · « **Reply #5 on:** October 01, 2011, 09:27:50 PM »

Quote from: Ballygrl on October 01, 2011, 09:12:56 PM

Why not just have a garage sale? People who buy antiques always go to them.

But perhaps you don't see the game the vindictive primitive, grasswire, and the chronically-helpless primitive play here, madam.

"Other people" are supposed to have the garage sales, for these three to plunder and pillage.

To pay Dollar General prices for Wedgewood.

And to charge Wedgewood prices for Dollar General goods.

As the vindictive primitive once said, "You've got to be sharp; you've got to cheat the other guy before he cheats you."

After all, they're "professional" re-sellers.

You know, given that flea-marketry can be a rather precarious living, I wonder if any of these old women ever thought that if they'd just gone to work in the local factory, leaving the antique market to professionals, by now they'd be sitting on a pretty good pension.

GOBUCKS · « **Reply #6 on:** October 01, 2011, 09:33:23 PM »

Quote from: franksolich on October 01, 2011, 09:27:50 PM

After all, they're "professional" re-sellers.

You know, given that flea-marketry can be a rather precarious living, I wonder if any of these old women ever thought that if they'd just gone to work in the local factory, leaving the antique market to professionals, by now they'd be sitting on a pretty good pension.

I suspect that when they were starting their professional careers in resellery they thought that by now they'd be sitting pretty on
an enormous mountain of Beanie Baby profits.

Chris_ · « **Reply #7 on:** October 01, 2011, 09:42:03 PM »

This is what happens when lonely old people watch too much 'Antiques Roadshow'. They think the next cheap trinket is going to be their ticket to getting on television and meeting one of those gay brothers that appraise old furniture.

Chris_ · « **Reply #8 on:** October 01, 2011, 10:48:01 PM »

These amateur reseller assholes have absolutely killed the second-hand market. You used to be able to score a used police cruiser on GovDeals for a few hundred bucks. Drive it until it falls apart or swap the motor/transmission into something interesting like a Triumph Spitfire and sell the body and frame for scrap. You could almost break even on it. Now these douchebags are driving the price of a 150k-mile Crown Vic up to $4000. It's ridiculous.

Ballygrl · « **Reply #9 on:** October 01, 2011, 11:05:52 PM »

Quote from: franksolich on October 01, 2011, 09:27:50 PM

But perhaps you don't see the game the vindictive primitive, grasswire, and the chronically-helpless primitive play here, madam.

"Other people" are supposed to have the garage sales, for these three to plunder and pillage.

To pay Dollar General prices for Wedgewood.

And to charge Wedgewood prices for Dollar General goods.

As the vindictive primitive once said, "You've got to be sharp; you've got to cheat the other guy before he cheats you."

After all, they're "professional" re-sellers.

You know, given that flea-marketry can be a rather precarious living, I wonder if any of these old women ever thought that if they'd just gone to work in the local factory, leaving the antique market to professionals, by now they'd be sitting on a pretty good pension.

Oh! I didn't even think of that.

shadeaux · « **Reply #10 on:** October 01, 2011, 11:27:12 PM »

I wouldn't buy anything from a DUmmy. They're too dirty. 95% of the pictures these "collector's" post on DU are living in disgusting houses.

Imagine buying a table from someone that is everything you wanted and you find out on DU that table being described in a post was one they had sex on.

OH HELL NO.

And last time I looked, Mo Pinko toilet paper art wasn't in big demand.

Chris_ · « **Reply #11 on:** October 01, 2011, 11:29:19 PM »

Quote from: shadeaux on October 01, 2011, 11:27:12 PM

Imagine buying a table from someone that is everything you wanted and you find out on DU that table being described in a post was one they had sex on.

If it's old enough or has traded enough hands, sex has been had on it at least once.

shadeaux · « **Reply #12 on:** October 01, 2011, 11:33:57 PM »

My mother gave me a table when she bought a new one.

Ya think ??????

Chris_ · « **Reply #13 on:** October 01, 2011, 11:37:43 PM »

It's possible.

I remember my mom went though this 'mod' decor thing in the late 80's/early 90's. Our coffee table was this peach-colored three-foot plastic cube. I don't think they were getting busy on that, but I bet someone has.

jukin · « **Reply #14 on:** October 02, 2011, 10:43:47 AM »

What about opening up your own shop?

I know that would be the four letter word no DUchebag likes W-O-R-K.

JohnnyReb · « **Reply #15 on:** October 02, 2011, 11:46:37 AM »

Good idea DUmmie, don't sell it on ebay, lay it out for all to see. If he lived around here then I could probably go through it and say, "This was stolen last week, those were stolen last month, that last May and all that is from the big one in Febuary."

TVDOC · « **Reply #16 on:** October 02, 2011, 12:39:48 PM »

Quote from: chris_ on October 01, 2011, 10:48:01 PM

These amateur reseller assholes have absolutely killed the second-hand market. You used to be able to score a used police cruiser on GovDeals for a few hundred bucks. Drive it until it falls apart or swap the motor/transmission into something interesting like a Triumph Spitfire and sell the body and frame for scrap. You could almost break even on it. Now these douchebags are driving the price of a 150k-mile Crown Vic up to $4000. It's ridiculous.

To veer off topic for a sec........most of what you describe is due to Obama's "Cash for Clunkers" program, which decimated the lower end of the used car market.......there just aren't any under $4,000 vehicles left......they all had their engines intentionally seized, and went to the scrapyard. Perfectly good vehicles for those of limited means to buy basic transportation. The effect was to increase the price of an "entry level" used vehicle by about 250%.

To add insult to injury we (the taxpayers) paid for it......

[/threadjack].......

doc

BattleHymn · « **Reply #17 on:** October 02, 2011, 08:28:44 PM »

Quote from: franksolich on October 01, 2011, 08:42:33 PM

I'm having trouble with the mopinko primitive's allegation that her "art" sells, too.

For anybody that missed it, here is mopinko's "art" gallery:

http://entertainment.webshots.com/album/265045534ChjXWH

GOBUCKS · « **Reply #18 on:** October 02, 2011, 08:31:35 PM »

Quote from: BattleHymn on October 02, 2011, 08:28:44 PM

For anybody that missed it, here is mopinko's "art" gallery:

http://entertainment.webshots.com/album/265045534ChjXWH

She is to sculpture as the CalPig is to poetry, and as the Pittster is to writing.

DumbAss Tanker · « **Reply #19 on:** October 02, 2011, 09:33:56 PM »

Quote from: jukin on October 02, 2011, 10:43:47 AM

What about opening up your own shop?

I know that would be the four letter word no DUchebag likes W-O-R-K.

You would had to have read some of her descriptions of her major financial coups, and read between the lines a bit as well, to know this but her commerce is FAR more hand-to-mouth and spotty in terms of return on investment to even remotely support the overhead of running a shop.