bit different from consignment. Welk buys sellers’ items upfront, and the profit then goes to the store. Since opening, she said shoppers and sellers alike have made for steady traffic. “Tere are people who have been shopping consignment since forever. And there are people who are now find- ing it necessary, ” Welk explained. “It’s good for the environment. It’s local. It’s a great alternative to buying new.” Consigning Women & Men, in
Crickentree Village along Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, is equally busy. Af- ter years in West Ashley, owner Ann Shimer expanded the business east of the Cooper River in November 2010 because of customer requests. Unlike her original store, the Mount
Pleasant location accepts and resells men’s clothing. Shimer offers labels
Bottom: Jackson poses in a coral short-sleeve collared shirt by Vineyard Vines.
Melyssa, right, looks beautiful in a sleeveless, V-neck black
top layered in lace with white maternity jeans. Riley, center, wears a green and white
gingham dress with a white, long-sleeve sweater from Angels and Rascals.
such as Prada, Gucci, Coach, Ralph Lauren, J. Crew and Banana Republic. “It’s like Christmas every day,”
Shimer said. “You just never know who’s coming through that door.” She believes a struggling economy definitely boosted shop activity – both through consigners and shoppers. But she also maintained that consignment popularity began peaking even before- hand, due to the “green” mentality. “I think it’s just because people
are more aware of recycling – be- ing better to the environment. Why buy something new when you can buy something, perhaps even better, used?” she said. “What a cool way to get rid of things you’re not using.” NARTS’ Meyers agreed and said,
“Part of what makes this industry successful is that we’re a primary source for recycling.” Tat vision extends beyond cloth-
ing. According to NARTS, furniture is one of the fastest growing segments of the resale industry. Te Coleman Collection – in Northcutt Plaza at the corner of Houston Northcutt Boulevard and West Coleman Boule- vard – is one of a few Mount Pleas- ant consignment shops that specializ- es in furniture and home goods. Te three owners, who opened the store in March 2011, are all professional interior designers with a combined 75 years of experience. “It’s what they know; it’s what they love,” said store manager Stephanie Rhodes. She noted that Te Coleman Col- lection is extremely particular with the goods it accepts for resale. “Everything is handpicked, high- end and well-priced,” said Rhodes. “Like brand-new items or antiques.” She said the designers realize that no matter what the consumer’s budget
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www.iLoveCharleston.com 59
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