Let's go SHOPPING!! After all, we love to shop...and we can even (most of the time!) consider it educational research. (At least, that's what we tell our spouses...) From time to time, we'll use this page to suggest items that you can find in your town, or on the Internet, that will help you be a better, more professional, and more profitable resale shopkeeper.    Online Shopping Garage Sales! Going out of business sales... Dollar here, dollar there.. Shopping the Holiday Clearance Sales!   Online Shopping There's a world of shopping at our fingertips. Here's some things Kate's found that seem to be good possibilities to make your shop even more fun than it already is! These French leaves, designed originally for use to line your cheese platter at you next "do"...make a terrific backdrop in your showcase. They are reusable year after year, so at 20 for $10.50, could be just what you need. Go ahead, splurge. Buy several packets. Absolutely irresistible inflatable monkeys. Can't you just see calling your next clearance sale Monkeyshines or using this in your window with a sign: Don’t be a silly monkey, shop MyShop for Back-to-School? (I dare you to give away a banana with every purchase!) Don't you just love your consignors? Wouldn't these heart bags be perfect for creating your New Consignor Welcome Packet? Okay, I admit it. I have a soft spot in my heart for Oriental Trading Company...and an even softer spot for anything that acknowledges the Hidden Princess in us all. Here's tiaras for your next After-Hours Queen for an Evening event. Don't do those? How's about a shop promo focusing on We treat you like royalty?   Garage Sales Who can resist the temptation? Besides buying items to resell in your shop, here's some things to keep an eye out for: Small display or storage pieces for the shop. (Carry with you the measurements for that little corner that could use a shelf unit) Wallpaper sample books, wrapping paper: great for filling "empty" picture frames, rendering them more saleable. The more subtle patterns work well as backgrounds in showcases or as "place mats" under home decor items. Things to use as risers in your jewelry showcases Little goodies for your "wall of prizes"  Use your imagination: bridge lamp = dress stand, set of 3 coffee tables = platforms and risers for a display window, broken rattan princess chair = great display prop to drape clothing on. Baskets. Usually dirt-cheap at garage sales, envision them spray-painted, to hold POP items at your register. Silk flowers. Even the most "battered" bouquets work great if you dismantle them to strew blossoms and leaves as flooring in a display window. Save the better silk leaves for unique and attractive earring "cards".   Going out of business sales.. Stores that are going out of business are terrific places to find unexpected goodies for YOUR shop. How do you find businesses that are going out of sale? By keeping your ears open, listening to gossip, and paying attention. If you're unsure of whether a shop is going out of business and you don't want to offend them, you might simply go in, admire their fixtures, and mention that if they ever remodel, you'd be interested. That may get a "Gimmee an offer" response. Be prepared to either cart items away immediately, or wait until they've held their Going-out-of-Business sale. But if you can't come back, let them know you'll buy it now...or never. Hopefully, that'll open their eyes (But I wouldn't count on it...some folks, you can understand exactly why they're closing up shop....) While you're buying, keep talking. "I could use an extra tagging gun... do you have those little hook attachers? Any earring cards? Did you use garment bags?" Chances are, there's lots of things you could use that they might otherwise overlook. Gather up everything you want, from shelving units to tissue paper, and ask for a package price. You'll usually do better than asking piece by piece. Know your prices from store supply catalogs so you don't overpay. There's a list on online companies on our Links page so you can be prepared.  Here's one time when you really do want to deal with major nation-wide chains. They just want to clear the space, so they will be motivated to sell multiples of racks for very little (plus, hey, they got a quantity price when they bought them!) If you're leery of buying too much, contact your fellow resale shopkeepers and share the deals. Dumpster dive. Businesses that are closing often just junk their equipment, supplies and fixtures...or the landlords do when the tenant is gone.   Check out the dollar stores... they're full of goodies! Year 'round, good selection of colorful shopping bags. You're sure to find the right color and scheme to complement your shop's decor. Include them with bags from real stores, and use them to fill a sale-time window, line up on the ledge above your wall racks...or simply give them out to favorite purchasers! More paper goods: note cards for thank-you notes to your top tier clientele...paper cups for refreshments at your next event... Picture frames to hold signage in your dressing rooms: Remember, you're allowed to have both at our prices! And while you're thinking of your dressing rooms: Wall Creations self-adhesive stickers. Use a different picture for each room, and you can call them The Daisy Room, The Rose Room, and so on. Sometimes there are great giveaways for kids...here's the 10 colorful rubber tree frogs Kate found for $1! Or imagine a slew of these in your jewelry showcase... You'll be hopping with delight in our great accessories! Shop with an eye to displays: cheerleader pompoms for a Homecoming window? Colorful plastic pails turned upside down for risers in a display? Metallic confetti in a "50" shape, designed for birthday celebrations, but a fun way to glitter up a 50% off jewelry showcase. Flag banners: black-&-white checkered flag for a b&w window, "Congratulations" for a "You've found us!" window. Small statuettes give height and depth to jewelry cases. Bright foam visors for your mannequins for a "Made in the Shade" summer window.   Shop for clearance-priced holiday items for next Christmas (and other times, too!). Bargains to look for: Shopping bags to pouf with tissue, use as store decor. Colorful gift boxes and wired ribbon to make risers for displays (Buy plain red, gold, silver: useful for other celebrations as well!). Tiny ornaments to buy by the bagful as giveaways next November and December. Even better if you can find ornaments that relate to the merchandise you sell: they make great door prizes for a special event, promotional gift-with-purchase, even gift-certificate tie-ons. Look, too, for non-holiday specific ornaments on sale that you can build a promotional theme around such as hearts (We LOVE Resale) or little houses (for a home decor promotion!) Stock up on tiny, non-fad toys. Use them for good-kid treats, your children's birthday basket, or simply as gift with purchase. Household shop? Votive candles and/or holders make little gifts, as do candle rings or holiday-themed plastic cookie trays. Pretty holiday stationery or blank cards become shop gift certificates next Christmas. Light strands at clearance prices to use year-round in windows or to rev up interior displays and showcases.  Stock up on garland and pinecones for a skiwear display in February, a camping display in August. Who says artificial Christmas trees are for Christmas only? Trim with hearts for Valentine’s Day or use several and construct a tree fort for a charming children’s window to use for months. Wreaths, too, to trim for year-round use: shells for resort, eggs for Easter, yellow pencils and apples for back-to-school. (Note: Before you spend money: If you put up a sign in your shop the day after Christmas that you'd like these...we'll bet some customers would love to donate them to you!) Silver garland makes a great prom window; white trims a bridal display.