In an age of online shopping and direct-to-consumer sales, a new consignment shop on Sudbury Road is making a case for the middleman.
Specializing in luxury items, Resale-Inc strives to make consignment — especially online consignment — safe by handling all the advertising, listings, showings and shipping so that sellers can cash in on their treasures without dealing with unknown callers answering classified ads.
“Our hope is that we’ll make it easier for them,” said Resale-Inc co-owner Ali Walsh. “So they won’t have to do the selling online or the showings in their homes.”
With inventory ranging from raccoon and mink coats to craps tables, Resale-Inc combines in-store consignments with significant business on the store’s Web site, Craigslist, eBay, online auction houses and other specialized selling sites.
Since opening in September, Walsh and co-owner Heidi Kidder say they’ve seen a lot of local foot traffic in the store, with most online sales coming from outside the area.
“It’s been received well,” Kidder said. “A lot of people are saying, ‘We’ve been looking for something like this and we’re glad you’re here.’”
Resale-Inc officially opened for business a few months ago, but Walsh and Kidder have been hawking antique collectibles and designer handbags for a while now. They realized that people were looking for luxury consignments but didn’t really know how to buy and sell higher-end items. So, when their young children hit preschool, the Carlisle residents decided it was time to turn their stay-at-home hobby into a business opportunity.
“We kind of thought that there was a market for luxury, high-end consignments,” said Walsh, a former attorney. “Even in this economy, people like luxury goods and these are communities where people want to buy the stuff and they have the stuff to sell.”
Kidder and Walsh keep Resale-Inc’s shelves stocked with an eclectic mix of inventory. Designer purses, china, silver and other collectibles are quick off the shelves, while quirkier items like vintage clothing and Winnie-the-Pooh etchings also populate the store.
Resale-Inc also accepts for consignments watches, jewelry, artwork, home furnishings, rugs, instruments and sporting goods. When in doubt, Walsh and Kidder will call in area specialists to appraise, date and authenticate items.
“We just want to be accommodating,” said Kidder, a former special education teacher. “There are other places that will just sell it quickly, but we have a 90-day consignment and we try to build relationships with the customers.”
With the down economy, coupled with an aging population looking to downsize and sell off possessions in the process, Kidder and Walsh felt it was the right place, right time when they found an open storefront on Sudbury Road and acquired it this past August. They’re optimistic the market for luxury consignments will stick around after the economy takes a turn for the better.
“We hope there are still going to be people who want the higher end goods and are going to shop smarter,” Kidder said. “I think everyone’s learning a lesson in this economy.”
Because the storeowners have young children, current store hours mirror preschool hours from Monday through Thursday. Walsh and Kidder said they hope to expand them soon, and both are also available by appointment.
