That silver-plated coffee server you've always meant to use is just collecting dust. Then there's that dress, bought last season, forgotten at the back of the closet. And your son's bicycle with the training wheels - he outgrew that in weeks.
You're surrounded by unwanted or little-used stuff when what you really need, frankly, is some extra cash. But could your discards be another person's treasure? Whatever the item - from clothes to sporting goods to wedding gowns to used tools - there's probably a consignment shop eager to sell it.
Consignment shops, which sell goods for you and take a cut of the proceeds, say their business is surging amid the nation's economic downturn. Consumers, they say, are bypassing malls and boutiques for lesser-known but lower-priced resale shops.
"Since the economy has gotten bad, my business has been incredible," said Beth Joy, owner of Fashion Attic in Fells Point, who describes her customers as young, single professional women. "They're not going to go to the mall and shop in Banana Republic and spend $150 on a shirt when they can come to my shop and get last year's Banana Republic shirt and spend $20."
On the selling side, she said, "a lot of women I know are avid shoppers, and they get rid of things quickly after buying."
Members of the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops (NARTS) have reported significant increases in sales and incoming inventory as consumers tighten spending and look for extra sources of income. In NARTS' most recent sales survey, done in April, 75 percent of the respondents said sales were up over the year before, with sales increases averaging 30 percent.
Consignment shops differ from thrift shops that take donations. They also are a separate breed from resale shops that buy used merchandise, paying the seller up front.
Consignment shop owners sign contracts with clients, agreeing to offer specific items for sale over a set period - usually up to three months. The shop gets a cut on each sale, and the client gets the rest.
Most shops display goods for a set amount of time and mark down prices at regular intervals. Some pay consignors as items sell, others wait until the end of a selling period.
Before you buy or sell on consignment, keep a few things in mind.
Some shops set the prices, while others work out prices ahead of time with their clients. For items that are less than five years old, the shops often charge half to a third of the original retail price. Some shops reduce prices over the course of the agreed-upon selling period, say a certain amount after 30 days and more after 60 days.
When an item sells, the proceeds are split, with the consignor getting anywhere from 40 percent to 65 percent. Many keep consignors' accounts online so the clients can sign in and monitor sales.
Joy said Fashion Attic's apparel and accessories stay in the store for 60 days, and when they sell, the shop splits the proceeds with the consignor 50-50.
"Pricing items is an art, not a science," said Adele R. Meyer, executive director of NARTS. "The store has to know the quality of the merchandise, to check the condition and age, and whether it is in season and whether it is something that is popular and that's what people want.
"They have to have a feel for their consumer and know what they will pay."
Unless an item is an antique, most shops prefer to take items that are fairly new and in good condition.
"I always tell people this: 'If you went to a consignment shop, would you buy it?' " Joy said. "Someone is not going to buy a sweater that is five years old that's stretched out and faded."
Meyer says it's important for consignors to find a store that focuses on the type of merchandise they want to sell. To find nearby stores, check the shopping guide on the resale association's Web site, www.narts.org, where you can search by area or by type of merchandise.
"If you have high-end designer clothing that's a year old, you need to find a store that has that customer base," she said. "If it's St. John knits selling for $1,000 apiece, you don't want to take them to a store selling dresses for $20, $30 or $40."
Many stores ask that consignors bring their items during specific hours or make an appointment. For large items, such as furniture, most shops will make decisions based on photographs.
"When someone comes to us for furniture, we look at pictures, and if it's something we can sell, we agree upon the price together," said Cara Derr, co-owner of Clearing House Ltd. in Timonium.
Clearing House displays items for 120 days, marking down prices by 15 percent every 30 days. The consignor gets 65 percent of the sale; the store keeps the rest, Derr said.
Derr cautions that upholstered furniture is unlikely to sell if it is more than five years old. Anything that goes unsold can be returned to the owner or donated to the store, which sells those items in an annual sidewalk sale, with proceeds going to charities, Derr said.
"Some people have never been in a consignment store, and they think it's stuffy old furniture," Derr said. "We have great current things in the store, things you could buy new."
Some shops also offer pickup and delivery service for larger or multiple items. For example, the Turnover Shop in Hampden, which specializes in antiques and bills itself as Baltimore's oldest consignment shop, takes living room, dining room and bedroom furniture, rugs, lamps, crystal, china and silver.
Consumers who want to be paid for their items up front could go the resale route. Plato's Closet, an apparel resale chain with a location in Towson, specializes in brand names for teens and young adults.
"While a person is in the store, we go through and pick out what we can buy, give them an explanation of what we can't buy and make them an offer. If they accept, we pay them" in cash up to $50 or by check or store credit, said Jeffrey Harden, owner of the Towson franchise.
The shop buys merchandise daily. It asks sellers to bring their items in shopping bags, boxes or containers, so it's easier to store before being displayed.
"Most of our stuff is not more than a year or a year and a half old," Harden said. "This is a demographic that changes its wardrobe rapidly."
Noting that most clothing sells for 50 percent to 80 percent below retail, he added, "Most of our customers are still very fashion-conscious. They're just trying to do it on a budget."
tips
Shopping resale
* Check items carefully before buying. Some sales are final.
* Try on apparel before buying in case a garment has been altered.
* Measure space for furniture ahead of time.
* For children's clothing, bring a garment for size comparison.
* If you don't find what you want, ask the store to contact you when
a specific item arrives.
Selling on consignment
* Ask about the type and age of merchandise a shop accepts.
* Make an appointment to bring in your items, if required.
* Ask how your items will be priced and how long they will be displayed.
* Know how and when you will be paid.
* Sell seasonal items at the proper time to improve your chances for a quick sale.
* Prepare items for sale: Make small repairs, include all necessary parts, polish household goods, clean and press clothing.