Getting started in resale

Sounds tempting, doesn’t it, to open a resale shop? After all, you have "no costs" for your merchandise, if you consign. That’s all, unfortunately, some vendors of "consignment shop information" focus on. 

Help, not hype. But of course there’s a lot more to it. It's not as simple a business as it might seem to a shopper. You can make a lot of money at this...or you can fail. If you want to increase your knowledge, your profits, and the ease with which you operate your shop, we're here to help.

The first investment in your own shop is Too Good to be Threw, The Complete Operations Manual for Resale & Consignment Shops. Save tens or even hundreds of times its price. Read what shopkeepers have to say about The Manual.

Read about:

• Gathering information

• The fun part: Naming your shop!

• The Most Frequently-Asked Questions about Resale

• Thinking of buying or selling a shop? Business Valuation Worksheet PLUS Selling/Buying a Resale Shop

• Print out our catalog.

Gathering information

Overwhelmed by all the Products for the Professional Resaler on our site? Here’s the basics you need to start with:

Too Good to be Threw The Complete Operations Manual for Resale & Consignment Shops.  Read the Introduction.

Shop SIZZLE Make your shop look like a million (without spending it, of course!)

Secrets of Successful Resalers All 5 of our Solutions for Small Business are worth their weight in gold.

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Already open, but not quite as successful as you had hoped you'd be at this point? Our Products for the Professional Resaler can get you into the fast lane.

The Most Frequently-Asked Questions about Resale

I know you have a million of them, but here’s the top 7!

How much space do I need?
For clothing, a minimum of 1200 square feet. You can certainly start smaller (I did) or larger, but 1200 is manageable by one or two people, and gives you enough space to offer a wide selection. A smaller shop will not be able to hold the selection that you need to encourage frequent visits. A much larger store will mean you need more people to help than you likely can afford to start. Ideally, a location that’s expandable is perfect, so as your business grows you can enlarge sideways. This saves an expensive move to larger quarters. If you will sell larger items such as furniture or sporting goods, you will need more space.

Should I choose a less-expensive, less-visible spot for my shop, or a more expensive, prime location?
Landlords aren’t dumb. They charge more for prime locations. Of course, what’s prime for one type of business isn’t for another. What makes a space perfect for resale? Visibility to foot and car traffic, an easy-to-locate address, parking and access to the parking lot, signage, and neighbors who attract the type of customers you want. Choose the spot which offers all the above. Saving money on rent is not the best way to make money. A large rent is scary, but a bad location is deadly. There's hundreds of ways to save money elsewhere so you can afford to spend it on rent. More on choosing a location (and being able to afford it!) in the manual.

How do I get merchandise in before I open?
Alert family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Shop for items you can resell in your shop, even if the profit margin is not terrific, so you have the merchandise that will motivate the kind of consignments you want. Garage sales, discount close-out stores, charitable thrifts, even the clearance racks of far-distant consignment shops are possible sources. Display only the types of items you wish to deal in. There's all sorts of ways to make your shop look "full" even on Day One in the Manual.

What’s the best way to advertise?
With e-mail, fliers and mailed pieces. Once all these elements are in place, you will start using the media. In most cases, this is a local weekly newspaper. Save the city daily paper, radio, and television for when you can afford it.
Words that Sell! will help you, as will several of our Short-Stops.
ALL our Products for the Professional Resaler
Read about Kate's mystery, The Picker Who Perished, set in the world of consignment shops, if you want a taste of the business!

How much can I make?
There are shops which are pleased to net $20,000 a year for the owner, other shops net many dollars over $200,000 for their owner. The sky is truly the limit. With energy and commitment, the only thing that could hold you back is lack of knowledge. That, we can offer for the reading.

Okay, Kate, I want to get started learning how to be a success!
The complete catalog in downloadable PDF file. Print out to read in the bathtub.  

The first, the only, Consignment Shop Mystery: The Picker Who Perished: A Too Good to be Threw Consignment Shop Mystery Wendy Sam Miller, consignment shopkeeper, doesn't believe her friend had an accident...she thinks it's murder. Can she solve the mystery before she too has an accident? Can she keep her hands off Detective Tom Litwin? Buy it today, online, or see if YOUR favorite consignment, resale, or thrift shop carries it.