consignment
Joe’s bike was stolen last week. Emailing the renter’s insurance rep about it, trying to estimate the value from afar…It got me thinking about possessions. Loved, lost, cast aside, and in between. Will I always remember the sweatshirt I lost on Mackinaw Island, amidst the fudge and the horse-drawn carts? And how my mom told me I lost it because someone else was meant to find it. I hated that she said that, and yet it is still how I comfort myself over lost items to this day.
Let’s not turn this into soliloquy but I can tell you that somewhere in my head is a carefully noted legal pad with everything I’ve ever lost unexpectedly. I’m not proud of it, but it gets pulled out every now and then, and added to, and I read it over and think, DAMN IT I LIKED THAT JEAN JACKET.
The zillions of things I’ve purged to goodwill? Not so much.
I’m not sure why consigning things appeals to me. It takes time–you usually have to spiff up your castoff clothes, and call ahead to schedule an appointment. You have to time your purges with the changing seasons so you’re not showing up with flip flops in October. And I do believe in the mission of a goodwill or a Salvation Army, goodness knows I love to shop them when I have an afternoon to myself. Joe and I frequently remark that the drop-off experience at Goodwill needs to be remade by a big name consulting agency. They make you feel furtive and ashamed for showing up and giving them all your stuff. Like, “uh, sure, just dump that here. Thanks, I guess.” Consignment shops, on the other hand, make your stuff feel valued. They say, oh this is lovely, Sure, we’ll take it and sell it for you, someone will love it. Poor Little Rich Girl, my preferred Boston consignment shop, types up a list of all your items with their remarks, like “100% cashmere sweater. So cute and the best color for this season.” And you walk away thinking, yes that was a good buy, it just didn’t work for me at the time!
Do you ever consign your things? Oh, and I really enjoyed Allie’s carefully built wardrobe post–that’s a big SOMEDAY dream for me.
11 Comments
bridget
Consigning things as we speak!
On lost things, sometimes I have just no idea where it could have gone. Fell off a truck between moves? I mean, a shirt. Something I couldn’t have just taken off at a coffee shop and hung on the back of my chair cause then I’d have been almost naked. WHERE IS IT? Just recently I saw a picture of myself in something and thought, “I LOVE THAT. WHERE IS IT?” Probably still in the recesses of my closet.
Your keeping a list made me laugh.
Rachael Ringenberg
It’s really the weirdest when you see a photo and think, wait WHAT happened to that? And of course we’ve completely forgotten that one tragic stain that forced us to get rid of it.
beaktweets
See, I’ve only consigned things once and it made me feel like such a loser. They took only a few pieces of what I brought in. I guess I need to try again and see if I’ll leave feeling more valued 🙂
And yes, I have one of those mental checklists too. We once drove all the way out to Amherst so Chris could buy a UMASS sweatshirt that was only found in the bookstore there, only to leave in at the laundromat a few days later. That story makes me majorly sad. Also, I am a major purger and sometimes go overboard. I donated a coat when we first got here and I regret it whenever it gets chilly (mostly because I ended up buying a toddler-sized twin version for Meredith soon after).
Rachael Ringenberg
I’ve totally had that happen too! I expect them to reject my entire bag, and I’m surprised when they take some. My standards are low, I suppose.
Joe and I often *often* give away things that we soon regret. But not often enough to stop purging for the sake of simplicity for all. : )
Erin
The pain of losing items aside, finding them is thrilling. I still remember a plastic gold pen shaped like a fish that appeared in our house one afternoon. We couldn’t find it’s owner or origin, so I used it, which was so much more satisfying than a blue BIC from the drawer.
On giving/selling things: Usually after listing a few items for sale and watching them fail or return less than was worth my time, I box the remaining lot up and drop them off at the charity shop. The local shop is run by elderly ladies who ohh and ahh over just about anything you bring them, and send you off with a chorus of thanks.
Rachael Ringenberg
Oh my word if goodwill hired those ladies I would be there in a second.
and yes–finding the odd, clearly loved, but lost, item is really thrilling and special. You’re right.
Joanie
I never consign anything. I miss every single thing I have ever sold, given away or consigned. It’s true. People say put some clothes away and if you don’t think about them for three months give them away. But I do think about them, about a week later and I have to dig under my bed into the old suitcase and try and find it.
Rachael Ringenberg
this is an amazing comment.
Jess
I recently went through my closet and pulled out 15 or so pieces of clothing (I almost said ‘things’, but that sounded so cast off…). I carefully wrote down every item, and even ironed a few. And yet, here in DC, my clothes weren’t good enough for the consignment store. They took 4 out of 15 and sent the rest home with me. Oh how I miss the Midwest sometimes.
Blaze
I am definitely way too attached to my clothing! I adore the idea of purging seasonally & I loved the wardrobe post but its just not me. I have regretted almost everything I’ve ever given away. (Luckily usually just to one one my sisters & I am then forced to steal it back ha) I like shopping at consignment stores though, does that count 😉
Rachael Ringenberg
I think it’s really good that you’ve decided it’s not for you. Otherwise every other month some magazine will try to guilt you into it.