The 4th’s a family holiday, and God love ‘em.

Well, the 4th is almost over (’cept for the fireworks, which is of course the WHOLE POINT.) Have you had your fill, for a while, of family?

Gotta love ‘em, ain’t allowed to shoot ‘em. This lady is one I’d be proud to claim in my family. Couldn’t you just HUG her? (The only new do in my family, since I have only male relatives, is more-scalp-showing- than-last-time-we-saw-you.) But don’t tell the boys I said that.

The only language with “making money”

Somewhere, I once heard that American English is the only language with the phrase “making money”. That’s what came to mind when, on our discussion board at Too Good to be Threw, one consignment shop owner who attended the NARTS Conference said she heard resalers of all types making comments like:

“I don’t think it’s fair to buy something from someone for $1 and sell it for $6.”

How that rankles me! This is

Day 4: Focus on the Big Picture

(If you’re just arriving here at Auntie Kate’s Blog, we’re in the midst of a mini-series, or, if you will, a modest stab at a virtual consignment, resale and thrift Conference. Read our beginning message.)

It’s really easy, in any business, to get hung up on the little stuff…dare I say the petty stuff? And in retail, there are petty details galore to draw your attention, energy, and concern. Add to the standard retail issues, the unique twist of RESALE and consignment, where every piece of merchandise is unique and requires individual attention, and you could have the makings of a disaster on your hands…unless you remain aware of The Big Picture.

And just what, you may will ask, IS The Big Picture?

I’m so glad you asked. The Big Picture is

Day 3: Collect all available info

(If you’re just arriving here at Auntie Kate’s Blog, we’re in the midst of a mini-series, or, if you will, a modest stab at a virtual consignment, resale and thrift Conference. Read our beginning message.)

The lesson implicit in the 3rd question of our quiz is collect all available information before you answer or act.

Where’s the available data?

If you’re trying to make a decision about your consignment, thrift, or resale shop, the first thing you need to do is

Day 2: Think about the consequences of your actions

(If you’re just arriving here at Auntie Kate’s Blog, we’re in the midst of a mini-series, or, if you will, a modest stab at a virtual consignment, resale and thrift Conference. Read our beginning message.)

The consequences of your actions. Sounds like something your mother would say to you, doesn’t it.

But it is a real problem for some folks. They forge ahead with a policy or procedure in their resale or consignment shop without projecting forward and examining what they have just set in motion. If you plant pole beans,

Day 1: Don’t overthink

(If you’re just arriving here at Auntie Kate’s Blog, we’re in the midst of a mini-series, or, if you will, a modest stab at a virtual consignment, resale and thrift Conference. Read our beginning message.)

Lesson #1 Consider simple answers before looking for complicated ones.

(Thursday at Conference is WindowWalk. For more, go to my Too Good to be Threw web page about it. The actual WindowWalk “fact-finding brochure” is available for free download, and when I found out that alas, WindowWalk was going to be a self-guided tour since I couldn’t attend Conference this year, I wrote a letter explaining what I had hoped to show folks.)

No one said the giraffe was too tall for the fridge, did they? You just assumed that, didn’t you? You looked for a complicated answer when a simple one would have worked. Fold the poor animal’s legs all up or chop off

4 Days to Resale Success!

To all my consignment, resale, and thrift store buddies who aren’t going to NARTS Conference this year for whatever reasons, I will be offering a simple

4 Days to Resale Success Series

right here on Auntie Kate The Blog, starting right now.

(If you ARE attending Conference, you’re welcome to come visit here too. Don’t mean to leave you out. Follow along with us.)

Okay, now, by a strange coincidence, Conference is 4 days long, too. So our 4 lessons will relate to the four days at Conference.

But first, a quick overview of the 4 Daily Lessons.

I’ve been meaning to tell you….

Do you know your neighbors? I don’t.

Oh, I do know the lady to the south, and like her. To the north? An extended family lives there… several generations, whose language I cannot identify, yet alone understand. They have a nice dog, though. Across the street? One of a half-dozen folks I know.

A woman around the corner

Poking one’s nose in other people’s business

One of the great advantages of running a retail resale, consignment, or thrift shop is that you get to nose around in other shops disguised as a customer. We don’t often appreciate this. I mean, rocket scientists can’t through other rocket-scientist-labs and widget makers are usually banned from other widget workshops.

But we, lucky little entrepreneurial spirits that we are, can sashay into any darn shop we like and flex our thumbs up or down. Looking at other shops, be they Kohl’s or Tiffany’s, can be enlightening. But it’s especially helpful

Favorite Thing: New Dressing Room Curtains!

I’m a great fan of changing one’s consignment shop around quickly and inexpensively. I am also GA-GA on word of mouth. So I suggest that every shop with dressing rooms that have curtains, have a wardrobe of seasonal changes.

I’m not sure what “season” this wonderful tattoo fabric covers, but I think it would be terrific for a vintage, reconstructed, teen-oriented shop… and what word of mouth!

Not your shop’s style? I found a wonderful “kids-pirates-treasure-hunt” fabric (if your shop is childrenswear or has the word “Treasure” in its name), and a slew of other ideas. One thing I love to see