Playing with lightning

Do you feel, sometimes, like there’s lightning crackling all around you, great ideas that flash into your resale shopkeeper brain…

and just as quickly fade away?

And then, when you need to come up with a clever idea, a nifty solution or a unique

A Winner of a HowToConsign.com listing!

The Randomizer has spoken: the winner of our Wacky Wednesday Giveaway is

Elizabeth Sowers of Mommy’s Lil’ Rascals in Pennsylvania!

This is the second time Elizabeth

Things you can learn from First Ladies

Maybe there’s a harder job than consignment shopkeeper or resaler. (Though personally, I doubt it.) If so, these ladies might have had it.

The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not our circumstances. — Martha Washington

More…

Fabulously Green

Explore a (apparently-abandoned)  blog on looking/ living fabulously while paying attention to one’s green-ness.

Even if it’s not breaking news, there’s some great ideas and info here. Even, dare I mention it, some good copywriting examples you might highlight as your Wacky Wednesday Giveaway contribution and chance to win at

Your Favorite Consignment or Resale Phrase

Ready to be overwhelmed with incoming?

Soon your shop will be bursting with great incoming goods for the new season.And some not-so-great.

Whether you consign or buy outright, or even operate a donation-only thrift store, you see

The 3 Secrets to Success by a guy who probably doesn’t even know what resale or consignment is.

Click the book cover for Resale Success Secrets.

I love reading secrets to success, even if they are written for another industry than resale & consignment. Here’s my 30-second takeaway from an article I found.

The 3 Secrets to Success

Success secret #1: Take action

…advice can make you lots of money, if you know the success secret: You actually

Wacky Wednesday: Your Favorite Consignment or Resale Phrase

Today’s Wacky Wednesday Giveaway is sponsored by Once Again Consignment in Roswell New Mexico. Why? MollyB says

HowToConsign.com has brought Once Again Consignment to the top of Google. With a common name, I was struggling to be recognized online. With the additional exposure and links at HowToConsign.com my store is now on page 1 for every search (other than the generic Once Again, which was a TV series). I know that there are new customers finding me because of my listing on HowToConsign.com, and I know that those customers are well educated about resale. A sponsorship listing on HowToConsign.com has proven to be a great asset to Once Again Consignment.

Molly will give a HowToConsign.com Sponsorship from now until June 30 2010 if the winner is not now a Sponsor (a $29 value.) If the winner happens to be a Treasured Sponsor by this Sunday February 7, that shop will win a full year, Treasured Sponsorship until June 30 2011! (a $99 value.) If you’re not yet a Sponsor, you can join now to increase the value of the Giveaway.

The Wacky Wednesday topic is:

Everything you wanted to know from little paper people

I love, love, love these Common Craft videos for several reasons: they explain things, they look great, they’re fun and well-done.

And wow, can I totally SEE a TV commercial along these lines for OUR “explanation of how a resale shop makes sense and cents for you”!

Keep that in mind as you explore

What if you had to save your shop?

Not that you want to have to be a superhero one day,

but really, read then file this for possible reference (preferably somewhere where fire, flood, or tornado won’t get it!)

Here’s something to Twitter, Facebook or blog about, or send your email list….

Need a quick “why-shop-with-us” message? To Twitter, put on Facebook, to blog about or send your

Need art?

Some of my favorites. I can just see these in dressing rooms, above wall shelves, anchoring

Where’s my 87 cents? A Guide to Increasing your Prices for Consignment & Resale Shops.

Is it time to raise your prices in your resale shop? It could be.

It might be time to take a fresh look at your pricing structure if you’ve been at the same place, price-wise, for a few years.

According to the Consumer Price Index Calculator, what $25 would buy in 2007, costs $25.87 now.

That means that for every

Wacky Weds: How do you make your shop STICKY?

It’s Wacky Wednesday once again. A free giveaway for consignment, resale, and thrift shop owners/ managers.

You want your shop’s name (and tag line, if all goes well) to STICK in people’s minds whether they’re looking for something specific, gathering up

Make your own jewelry cards for your consignment / resale shop

Beckie and Debbie of My Sister’s Closet prepared this great page for their consignment and resale peers at Sharing a while back. Perhaps you read it then.

It’s worth an “Encore”, especially now when you may have the time to catch your breath and think about ways to make your shop more polished…

and to increase the Perceived Value of your merchandise!

(Here’s 

Zoomable Map Bustin’ at the Seams!

Welcome to the last