I don't own a store......

I do not personally own a store, but I do sell to a couple of thrift stores.  I end up with so many "smalls", that I just don't have time to deal with them all.  I try to save a bunch of stuff for my garage and estate sales, but if it still has value but is not quite valuable enough to put up on eBay or Craigslist, I'll box it up and take a load down to one of the thrift stores and they will purchase stuff by the boxes.  Of course the price is dependent on what I bring them, but I kind of know what they want now and try to cater to their needs.  Getting rid of the stuff in this way is just icing on the cake for me, because if I guessed right on the unit I bought, I've already made my money back long ago off eBay and CL, so this is just a little extra "pocket money"!

Thats a good idea, at least you could cover your dumping costs that way. I'm planning on eventually opening a store mid year 2011 and see where it goes. Maybe I'll be one of your buyers! My brother and sister in law started a small antique shop 5 years ago up near Helen Ga. Took a while to catch on and build a clientell but it is doing well enough that they are planning on it for their retirment. Thats kind of where I'm at. Looking 3 to 5 years down the road to doing this full time....

I would absolutely agree with you that the thrift store is not the way to go. Thats nt what my intent is. I actually have a twist on the store idea that I think will fly and nope not letting anyone in on it....sorry

That's what I try to do but I don't have much luck.

There's one resale shop in particular I go to a lot. They are very picky about clothes they take in both in terms of brand and has to literally look BRAND NEW.

I sometimes have nice stuff, good brands but lightly worn or nice brands but not top of the line brands and they don't want the stuff. I'll often offer her a whole laundry basket full of name brand clothes in great or lightly worn condition for like $5 and she still won't take the stuff.

YEEEEeeeepppppp

Does anyone know if those corporate consignment stores purchase items that you bring them in the same manner as thrift stores? There is a chain of consignment stores in my region called "Dirt Cheap". Anyone have success going this route?

As far as I know the large corporate thrift stores do not purchase items. they don't have to because so many people bring them stuff for free, you get a reciept for your donations and use it as a tax deduction or expense write off. I think this is one of the reasons small mom n pop thrift stores are going to have a hard time growing. How do you compete against an organization who is getting hundreds of items a day to sell for free, when you are out at storage auctions buying 100 square feet or 200 square feet of the same stuff for $300, $500, $1000?

Does anyone know if those corporate consignment stores purchase items that you bring them in the same manner as thrift stores? There is a chain of consignment stores in my region called "Dirt Cheap". Anyone have success going this route?

I know the major stores, like Goodwill and the like get most of their stuff for free like CopiaVita just mentioned. Now as far as the local thrift stores, or second hand stores rather (there is a difference in the two) They can offer you a consignement which I have yet done, also they can buy it from you, AT THEIR FAIR PRICE, cause they have to make money too. I understood this when I sold some furniture to another auction bidder that had her own store. I sold them a solid wood coffee table (use to be an entertainment center but was broken so I modified it) and a living room table set of two, solid wood, but was not really solid. Anyway I sold all of it to her for $150. Which I was happy with, was only $10 below what I was listing the price for, just had not sold it off after 3 weeks. I went to her store a few days later, and saw she had listed the living room table set for $65, and the coffee table itself for $170. Pretty sure she sold the coffee table rather quickly, since it did look nice after I modified it.

So if loosing that much money would bother you, I would not sell to a store, go for the general public itself. It did not bother me cause I knew she had to make money off of it as well, since she was only buying to resell it. So I got paid and cleared out some inventory.

I would absolutely agree with you that the thrift store is not the way to go. Thats nt what my intent is. I actually have a twist on the store idea that I think will fly and nope not letting anyone in on it....sorry

Beat this model and your my hero.. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695221704/DI-opening-big-store-in-West-Valley-today.html

I agree with "Ironman", thrift stores are not the good way to go. You can try ebay website for your problem. I thinkyou will surely find your solution.

I just made friends with a few auction house owners and my buddy has a thrift store.  He will buy things that I have, and sell me stuff that I can profit on at the flea.  We also hunt yard sales for items for each other.

For us I sell him everything at 50% of what he thinks he can make.  Or he sells the items and gives me 50%.  Sometimes he makes more money, and sometimes less - it washes out.

This has worked for me as I have a place to take good furniture that I would use to stay away from.