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Links For Resale, Consignment, and Thrift Businesses

Sites about the resale biz, retailing, small business

Resale shops of all types

Helpful reference links

Products and services for the resale shopkeeper

Rainy-Day Fun

For Canadian shops, resources, etc, just look for:

About the resale business, retailing, small business

Places to locate shops 
How To Consign is about all forms of resale, and its Clickable Map/ Directory sends shoppers and suppliers directly to full information about each shop. 
The National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops  lists their member shops.
For phone-book-type listings, some with maps and reviews and the ability to add or enhance your shop listing, try GTE's Yellow Pages
and Infospace
(Infospace has many nifty features. You can even see what other shops nationwide have the name you covet! Don't use their search engine, though, it's wacky. )
For Canadian listings, it's Canada411 

Running your shop:
More Business has useful small-business info
The Idea Cafe
is good too.
Despite typos and bad spelling, Small Business Opportunities has some straightforward articles.
 The How-to Network has lots of articles on small business, in easy language.
Also,  About has a retail industry area.
Trying to get a business plan together? This PDF contains it all in one page. Thanks, Oprah! Her info comes from Jim Horan and his booksSo You WannaAmerican Express has some info as well. The Small Business Administration on business plans.
Need an employee manual? Try Restaurant.org and Ehow.com, as well as MAP for Non-Profits... then grab a little from Econosystems.
Too Good to be Threw: The Complete Operations Manual. Of course. You could run your shop without this manual, but why handicap yourself?
Articles about retail and small biz in general: Baby Shop Magazine (Loyal Reader Goodie: "not just for baby shops, a lot of the info can be used for any resale shop.") 
Canadian Info on businesses here.

Web Design
Deb from our Sharing Page was a consignment shopkeeper. Now she's a full-time web designer. See her work at Designs by Deb.

Your tax dollars at work! 
Firstgov
is "The US Govt’s Web Portal" with connections to just about everything on the books.
Wondering what legalities your business must satisfy? Business.gov will direct you.
The Small Business Administration talks about business plans (and plenty more!) 
The U.S.  Small Business Administration (SBA) administers the Small Business Development Center Program to provide management assistance to current and prospective small business owners.
If you’re a woman in business, check out the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership.
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) offers free in-person or e-mail counseling.
A Guide to Business Credit

Free enterprise sites:  
Findlaw
is a source for legal questions
Nolo has "do-it-yourself legal solutions for consumers and small businesses"
This site, For the Love of Business,  is written for accountants who use QuickBooks.
Payroll-taxes.com for employee/payroll questions and links
Scads of info at Business Owners' Toolkit
Loads of informational links (magazines, newspapers, more) at CEO Express 
A site developed for teens which has very good basic explanations: YoungBiz.
Feeling lonesome? Visit Working Solo
Bulk mailing rates, how to use direct mail, and so on at Direct Mail Quotes.
Or try the U.S. Postal Service site.
For those who agree with me that less government is what we need/must have, visit the Libertarian Party
Canada has Libertarians too!

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Resale shops of all types

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Helpful Reference Links

Consumer safety. For safety recalls, check out Consumer Product Safety Commission.  
This site might be easier to use: www.recalls.gov  


Learning about your merchandise. Apparelsearch.com has almost too much info. Examine their drop-down menus carefully: there's a glossary of fashion terms, size conversion charts, and much more.
For more fashion info, try Infomat.
Learn about plus sizing here.
 Thrift Shop Romantic has wonderful ideas that will help you improve your merchandise's appeal and perceived value. 
 

Learning about your clientele
Think cheap. Find great ideas to share with your customers and use yourself at Debt-Proof Living (formerly Cheapskate Monthly).
Fakes
. They are theft. Read this NARTS article "The Facts on Fakes!"  Adele, NARTS honcho, adds: "The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition has added a form to their Web site that allows people to report a person or/and store that sells fakes. They also added a Counterfeit Gallery. www.iacc.org "
Fake Vuittons, and so much more, at My Poupette.  Also, Fashionphile shares lots on Vuittons and more.   Burberry info here.
And thanks to the many hard-at-work vendors such as http://ihatecounterfeitbags.info/ (go to her "Menu" for other designers besides Kate Spade)

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Products and Services

Software:
Consign Pro Software markets software for the industry.
Consignment SuCCEss does as well.
  ConsignmentTill is a Canadian developer.
Liberty Software by Resaleworld is another resale market software provider.
SBS Solutions has "The Consignment Shop" software.
Workplace Software has several software programs.

Store fixturing, displays, supplies:
Even if you never buy "new", these sites have on-line catalogs to browse. Use these to do research on how much things should cost, explore your fixturing options, and more. If you are buying new, compare prices with shipping added!

Store Supply Warehouse ships from three locations, bragging they "reach 96% of the U.S. in two days or less"
National Store Supply is in Vermont
Naythons Display in Philly is also a good reference
NEC, in Kansas City, has lots of goodies
Gershel sells new and used
Displetech is in Quebec province, Canada. In Toronto, Sharers have used www.recycleddisplays.com and Acme Shelving
Here's a just-for-fun link:
Mannequin Madness sells and rents mannequins in the SF area; even if you have no interest in that, see wonderful ways to paint and decorate mannequins (once you see the creations and $$, you may be inspired to start a sideline business!)
Price tags to use with your software are available from the software vendors, and an independent supplier is Tags by Markat CC in NC
Another popular company for price tags is Forms Plus
VA Aardvark is a company that sells quilting supplies, but they have an interesting selection of things useful for your shop, and in small quantities, no minimum orders and reasonable shipping. Plus, they have a how-to page on loading your tagging gun and changing the needle: How's THAT for customer service!
Need security tags? Try this site.   Always wondered how anti-shoplifting devices work?
The custom cloth bags that NARTS uses for Conference, and that so many shops use as an eco-tool? They're from Anchor Packaging. Tell 'em Kate sent you, maybe he'll give me a deal ;-)
I just love Wall Words. I think your clientele will too.

Some suggestions from readers:
Vistaprint for almost-free business cards: design, proof, pay online. Another resource would be Overnight Prints
Custompostcards.com and Postcardmania for postcards.  Also Vertical Response
Stickerz. Easy-to-order, easy-to-use, easy-to-pay-for vinyl lettering (as you know from reading the Manual, a MUST for your shop windows)
DesignOutpost is a site where you post a "prize" for designing a logo, then view/ discuss participating artists' work: Recommended by Adele Meyer of NARTS
And many, many of our Sharers have happily had their logos designed by Brody USA
Kwikticket, rumour has it, is still selling the electric tagging guns so many shopkeepers swear by.
 Need to get organized? Mary loves these see-thru, stack-em shoe boxes.
Promotional items and advertising specialties: Some suggestions from Sharers are: Leaders Promos and the lipstick pens at Promotional Products.
An eBay seller who sells small quantities of printed plastic bags:  Speedgift
More links
on our merchandise-specific pages, such as our Kidswear Page and our Womenswear and Furniture Pages.

Buying stuff wholesale for resale, giveaways, etc:

The most unique item for your shop, whether you sell it, use it as a premium with purchase or as a door prize, is one that you can ONLY buy here, from Kate.

About the following listings: I haven't dealt with all these companies, so use your best judgment. Our "Sharers", those who hang around our Sharing Discussion Board, often mention sites where they have found items to resell in their shops.

JelliJewels is something different for your shop.
Whirled Planet: silver jewelry, saris, and so on

Wholesale EZ has a listing of all sorts of wholesalers. 
Wholesale Central does, too.
Oriental Trading
has great giveaways, Pt-of-Purchase merchandise
Artifacts has an interesting variety of things,  giveaways, even packaging
Roden Imports in Alabama has some unusual items for selling or gift giveaways
Banian Apparel
has kids' undies, sox, more
Those grocery-cart covers are at Clean Shopper and Table Topper.
Nubi was suggested for hats, jewelry, scarves
Simon & Simon, an offprice apparel seller, might have what you need.
Wholesale Sterling for just what their name says.  Another silver-jewelry company some Sharers have liked: Silvex.
Charles Albert has sterling/ natural stone jewelry
Jenny's Place is a favorite of many Sharers as is Jeannie's and Ruby Imports.
More jewelry and accessories at Hannah D's
  Wholesalewholesale has sarongs, jewelry, and so on.  This is their Canadian site, but you can access their US site from here as well.
Other sites readers have recommended: Extratrading.com , Fancyimport.com and Goldenstella.com as well as  HJ Liquidators and Amazing Wholesale Scarves
Wholesale accessories suggested by readers: Youngstrading.com, SWImports.com, Diva Designs, NCE for gift items. Handbags Central, Watchus.com, even products for curly hair at Jessicurl and bath products, wholesale, at ScrubYourButt.com.
My absolute favorite (could be yours if you adore Tiki mugs, hula girl dusters, boxing nuns etc) is Accoutrements.
There's Best Hair Bows for children's bows, headbands, and boas for the kid in you and Eastern Off Price sells kids' and adult clothing and accessories on line
Unusual POP and add-on items, perhaps, depending on your marketplace: Tag Tamers and similar products 
And, of course, KATE sells just about everything educational you need to make your shop a success. So hustle on over to our Products for the Professional Resaler Shop right now!

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Rainy Day Fun

Hey, we're not just Resale Goddesses. Sometimes, we just wanna have fun. Here's some sites I like. You may too. . .  or you may not. Such is life.
Having a bad day, feeling low about the rest of the people on this planet? Do You Realize will make you glad to be alive. Again.
Make your own (artistic!) e-cards. To have time enough to play with this site, you need a blizzard.
Need a new bra? Make one yourself out of a plastic bag, courtesy of the BBC

The Red Block Game, otherwise known as the Ultimate Time Waster.
So you wanna has everything from hosting a bridal shower to speaking Swahili. And well-written, too!
Silly clothing questions (alas, no answers) at Gadzillion Things
Take a look at our resale cousins at YardSaleQueen.
The Straight Dope is a fun site, especially if you've ever wondered just what a mojo really is. And take a gander at their tag line/ mission statement.
Need bubbles that glow in UV? A rhinestone bra? (And these are just the things listed before they get to the category "weird stuff"!) Take a gander at Costumer's  Manifesto. PS: Great place to find fairy wings for your romantic 6-year-old, too.
Take an instant IQ test . Don't wanna do that? The same page has a skin-care assessment test.
Play dress-up furreal at The French Toast Girl.
Fly Lady is always full of fun stuff
Here's a site that not only can teach you to dance, but even how to do collage. It's called (for no reason I can ascertain) Zefrank.com

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TGtbT.com is the premiere web site for professional resalers. Start a consignment, resale or thrift store with our free articles and Products for the Professional Resaler. Interested in business plans, operating your shop, consignment software and selling secondhand clothes, upscale designer fashions, children's gear or used furniture? Consignment shops, resale stores, thrift stores and consignment sales use Too Good to be Threw. As a lifelong member of NARTS and a consignment consultant, our information is designed for the resale industry.

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