Cape & Islands News

Thrift shop business brisk, consignment activity is really on the rise

Recessions continues to change how Cape Codders shop, sell and give

   A shopper searches for bargains at Our Lady of the Cape Thrift Shop in Brewster.

By Bethany Gibbons

The stagnating economy hasn’t sent hordes of Cape Codders scurrying for second-hand bargains at local thrift shops, but tight budgets also haven’t hampered giving, as volunteers continue to sort through a consistent level of donations. What has changed on the second-hand scene is the volume of items brought in for sale to consignment shops.

"It's a big store and it's full"

Second Time Around on Main Street in Hyannis.

“We’re taking in 200 to 300 hundred pieces a day,” said Deb Devlin, owner of Penny Lane Consignments in Sandwich. “It’s a big store and it’s full.” The store takes consignments by appointment, but with appointments every 15 minutes, it isn’t hard for the 5,000 current consigners to arrange for the sale of their goods, which net them a 45 percent return.

With shoppers hungry for top-notch items at rock-bottom prices, Penny Lane sees plenty of takers for the deals they offer. “We’re seeing a lot more traffic now,” said Devlin. “There are a lot of new faces. People would rather buy this way than go to a mall. The retail stores are marking things down a lot more now, but we’re still way lower than that.”

High-end brands grace their racks, and the consignment store draws savvy shoppers with bargains in mind. “We have clothes from j. jill and Chico’s and other expensive name brands,” said Devlin. “Something that would normally go for $60 might be marked down to $30 in the mall store, but we have the same brand for $15.” Unlike thrift stores, consignment outfits benefit from a process that weeds out less desirable inventory. “We go through everything,” Devlin said.

The Cape Toddler in Harwich has been unusually selective in choosing inventory. “We have twice as many people as last year bringing items in for consignment,” said owner Amy Bates. “It has allowed us to be much pickier.” In addition to seeing more consigners, Bates noted an up-tick in the quality of items. “We’ve had an increase in brand name and designer clothes. Right now almost half of the items in the store still have their original tags.”

The time is right for great deals on gently and never-used children’s clothing, and Bates opened another store in January to handle her big inventory. Kids Wear House is located next to Ocean State Job Lot on Route 28 in Chatham, and Bates hopes the two stores will continue to “feed off each other,” as she put it. “Sales are up,” she said, “But they haven’t been in line with the increase in consigners.”

Asked if the high quality items she sees coming in would have otherwise become thrift store donations, Bates explained that there may be some small percentage of items diverted from the thrift shops, but that most of her consigners would normally pass these clothes to friends with younger children. Bates continues the circle of handing down by donating items that linger in the shop past the 90-day consignment period. The Harwich Food Pantry receives any clothes that consigners do not want to take back after their time is up.

"Greening", a sign of the times

Glassware and other household items on display at Our Lady of the Cape Thrift Shop in Brewster.

Making a choice to recycle useable clothing and furniture is a sign of the times, according to Patricia Bloom, who owns Second Time Around on Main Street in Hyannis. “A lot of people are ‘greening,’ they’re thinking about recycling and either buying or selling these things so they don’t get thrown away,” she said. Thinking about ‘green’ may have a different meaning for some of the people bringing in items for sale. “We have a lot more people who want to consign items,” she said. “They want to make some money.”

Second Time Around has had a surge in furniture and furnishings, and Bloom said that Spring is always a busy time for those treasures, as second home owners and landlords open up cottages and apartments for the new season. Instead of heading to the mall, some of those homeowners may be replacing their old with not-quite-new. “Furniture sales are definitely up, “said Bloom. “Everyone is looking for a deal. There is a higher quality of items coming in, and people are very willing to pay a little more for nicer items.”

Consignment networking

Bloom takes names and numbers for “everything” her customers are looking for. Cape consignment store owners meet monthly to talk about the business and dish about the new goods in their stores. “It allows us to shop each other’s stores,” said Bloom. “If someone comes to the meeting and talks about a great leather couch that just came in, I can connect a buyer to that item, referring them to that store. There is so much to go around.” Conscientious shop owners like Patty Bloom and Amy Bates make it easier for these items to get around.

The Saint Christopher’s Episcopal Church Thrift Shop in Chatham is both thrift and consignment shop, and has seen the difference between the two kinds of incoming inventory. “Consignment donations are up, because people want to make some money,” said a volunteer there. Director Barbara Cromarty said both sales and donations are up. “There has been an increase in traffic,” she said. “Sales are slightly above where they were a year ago. There has been more interest and I expect it to get even busier.” As she talked about the state of the thrift shop, a few browsers decided on purchases and settled up with the cashier – a backdrop similar to most of the stores interviewed. “Donations are up,” said Cromarty. “People are downsizing… people may be more cognizant of other people’s needs and they think of us.”

People are also keeping the Sea Captain’s Thrift Shop in Brewster in mind, which is helpful, as the tiny space behind Brewster’s Town Hall might otherwise be overlooked. “We’re loaded with stuff,” said a volunteer there. “We’d like some more people to come in to buy, but we’re waiting for summer visitors to pick up the pace.”

Church affiliation proves good for the thrift biz

A savvy thrifter looking for a steal at St Joan of Arc Thrift Shop in Orleans.

The volunteer at Saint Christopher’s said it “definitely helps to be affiliated with the church,” in terms of garnering a continuous stream of donations. Anne Mason, manager of the Our Lady of the Cape Thrift Shop in Brewster echoed that sentiment. “There are over 2,000 families in the Parish,” she said. “That is a big base for donations. We’re the first place they think of when they want to get rid of things.” Mason also indicated that parishioners may see their valuable donations to the shop as a way to give to the church.

Shopping is hopping at Our Lady. “We’re busier than we’ve ever been,” said Mason. “I’m looking out at 20 people shopping – it looks like Filene’s Basement.” In addition to the daily and weekly regulars that every thrift and consignment shop seems to get, there have been a few more young people searching for deals. The money from the store helps to fund a Parish scholarship fund, the church’s Haiti Club and their mission there, the Needy Fund and the St. Vincent de Paul fund. They also provide clothing free of charge to the very needy who call in search of support.

St. Joan of Arc Thrift Shop in Orleans also benefits from a large and generous Parish, and donating is made simple by a drop-box open all hours in front of the Canal Road store. Donations there are picking up and sales are slightly better than usual.

The Cape Cancer Thrift Shop, which donates every penny earned to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, recently moved to a new location after more than 30 years in the same locale. Now located at 1085 Route 6A in West Barnstable, the shop reported very generous donations and good sales and traffic.

Jesse Kirshman of the Visiting Nurses Association’s Thriftique in Yarmouth boasted of the having “the best quality of any thrift shop on the Cape.” While their overall volume of donations and sales has been level, Kirshman said their inventory is very good because it is provided by nurses, physicians and patients. VNA’s Thriftique will be holding a large sale of jewelry, art, antiques and fine furnishings donated from a few families who wished to sell their estates. The sale will be at the Route 28 shop from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 20, but late-risers be warned. “Almost everything goes in the first hour or so,” said Kirshman.

   More thrifty shoppers at St. Joan of Arc.