Detail To Resale 101. When Rags become Riches.

Detail To Resale 101. When Rags become Riches.
An Update of: Thursday, January 10, 2008

Original Writing of: Monday, January 7, 2008

ASK’s Note:

Attn: Ellis Island Immigrants, Cubans escaping from Dictatorships, Mexicans jumping the border…

They all can find Life richer and easier by ‘shopping Resale.’ Read Adrienne’s Account below to see how she’s discovered Ways on ‘saving’ and still ‘having IT all.’

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KOOPERSMITHin' #18
A Look @ Pop Culture at its Cheapest

By: ASK: Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith
Koopersmith's Global Communications
"People read what Adrienne writes about..."
Chicago, Illinois USA

askoopersmith@hotmail.com

DateLine: Friday, January 11, 2008

TOPIC: The Goodies discovered when you know how to properly 'Shop CHIC-ago' and/or You, too, can appear as ‘most glamorous’ and realize any (miserable) Season of the Year on a Resale Budget. Many do. Many (more) should. ATTN: Newcomers. You’re in the Big City now – on The Verge of finding your Fame & Fortune, but first there are a few Pointers you need to know. Listen up as there are a few Insider Tips you must know. This is all for your Benefit and Trust-FUNding whose Root Word is FUN, of course.

FURNISH YOUR APARTMENT CHICAGO-STYLE:

One of the most exciting Elements about moving into a New Town is The Stores. That means Shopping in an Environment that may be totally different from the one you left. This means a different Style than you were ordinarily accustomed to, plus The Fact that each and every Region has its own Charm & Personality, like you, a Person(ality) chock-full of C&P and exploding at ‘The Seams.’ However, there are better Ways to shop than most People are unaware. Trust me. I know.

“IF I HAD ONLY KNOWN: Slews of Great Deals beckon and await YOU at RESALE STORES. Unbeknownst to me when I first arrived in Chicago circa May of 1974, I could have probably saved over $100,000 the last 3.5 Decades of being a Resident of the ‘Windy City.’ That, indeed, may be the reason why it’s called ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ – because of those ‘Sweet Deals.’”

Quote of: ASK
Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 1:32 PM

There are super(b) Deals to be found. It is now My Mission to absolutely know where each and every one of them is located.

LET ME EXPLAIN:

By methodically checking out Resale Stores you are finding one-of-a-kind Items that:

1. may have never been worn;

2. are slightly used (or altered);

3. were merely given away as The Owner didn’t like them for unknown Reasons; or

4. may have been from great Estates and must be liquidated, thus giving the Thrift Store Customer an astounding Deal.

I have gotten the best-known Bargains in Furniture, Knick-Knacks and Clothes at Resale Outlets since Boyfriend #31 (Buc) turned me on to them circa 1994. If I had only met him 30 years earlier! The Money I would have $aved could have been The Downpayment of nearly any thing my happy little Heart desired.

INSERT: In reality, I have a BIG Heart. Just ask my Friends. But let’s continue:

Furthermore, I highly recommend these Resale Stores to Creative Friends and Artists (who are usually on a strict Budget or a classic ‘Starving Artist’) as well as Seamstresses or Toy Makers. These Aisles are flanked and chock-full of fabrics, quilts, tableware, napkins, terrycloth and endless textiles that can be transformed into anything your uninhibited Mind dreams, at pennies compared to any of the major retail Fabric Stores. All it takes is Imagination & Vision to transform a Resale Store into your very own Craft Outlet.

THE HIERARCHY IN SHOPPING PREVAILS:

For the picayunish Shopper, there’s Designer Resale whose price-tag is somewhat higher dependent on the name and location (for overhead)

Regular Resale Stores follow in second place in that hierarchy. ‘Junk Shops’ fill the lower tier. It’s now CHIC to ‘shop’ Resale whereas 40 years ago, only the Poor Kids (in Class) would go to Salvation Army Outlets. Usually the Mark-Downs hover between Seventy-five to Ninety-Percent (75-90% off the regular price due to its former ‘ownership’). This is what I call RECYCLING at its Best. You do have to realize that when you shop for FINE ANTIQUES, these Relics are actually Recycled Items, Furniture, Chandeliers, etc. from an earlier Age and Era that were consistently well-cared-for. These Furnishings are salvaged Estate Pieces that are then cleverly resold (sometimes) at a Fraction of their original Worth.

After all, let’s not forget: Compared to 1928 Economics, the American Dollar is only worth 6-3/4 cents today. Therefore, because of its pristine State, Antiques can and do command Top Dollars. Their Rarity coupled with Supply and Demand are also leading factors in their pricing. The same Principle holds true at the fine and ever-popular Auction Houses where bidding is the order of the Day.

INSERT: If time allows, please feel free to check out my BLOG, KOOPERSMITHin’ ® #20, entitled:

Direct Auction Galleries, Inc., Chicago's Top Auction House

at

http://adriennesiouxkoopersmith.blogspot.com/2008/01/koopersmithin-16-by-ask-adrienne-sioux.html

whose Theme is primarily the same but its Angle is directed towards Auction Houses and not Resale Shopping.


HOW IT IS DONE. TRICKS OF THE TRADE LEARNED FIRST HAND:

If (by chance), you are invited to a Party where you really don’t like the Celebrant (as a future Mother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law or Friend-of-a-Friend-of-a-Friend) all you need to do is GO TO RESALE, buy a Vase for 90¢, put it into a fancy Macy, Nordstrom’s or Neiman Marcus’ Gift-Box; buy a Card (2 for $1 at a Dollar Store) and some colorful Wrapping Paper (again found at a Dollar Store ) and voila: There you have it: a stunning Gift for less than $3.00. This is nearly cheaper than ReGifting and much more Fun! Pertinent Degrees of Creativity flourish here that cannot be found elsewhere. These existing Fun & Creative Elements cannot be beat! Sometimes the Tax seems higher than The Present (itself). Listen: No one needs to know…That’s THE REAL SECRET OF RESALE although THE TEMPTATION to spill “The Beans’ is very difficult to contain because the Thrill is so addicting. Is this Blog spilling those Beans? You decide while shopping Resale today!


With the Money $aved from this Eco-Gifting, treat yourself to something else you really want; or sock it away till a larger Sum is accrued and then splurge. May I suggest you now refer to my BLOG #14 dated December 21, 2007 (therefore, it is neatly archived away under the 2007 Tab) for my National Splurge Day ©1994 Expose. Its cryptic Title reads as:

From The Creator of NATIONAL SPLURGE DAY ©1994
or merely click here:

http://adriennesiouxkoopersmith.blogspot.com/2007/12/from-creator-of-national-splurge-day.html

to read about another Day when ‘The Act & Art of ‘The Sale’ taken an URGEnt turn.

It is bound to furnish you other Ideas how to effectively enjoy THE URGE TO SPLURGE.

TO CONTINUE:

Because Chicago (as a major Metropolitan City) is actively participating in THE GREEN MOVEMENT and our newly-achieved SAVE-OUR-EARTH CONSCIOUSNESS is in full-swing, by either shopping or donating to Resale, you are cleverly Recycling that equates to bettering the Life and Longevity of THE PLANET. Even leading US TV Networks (as CBS, CNN & NBC) are maximizing Coverage to GO GREEN and to educate their Viewers in doing it as easily and quickly as possible.

MINI-REMINDER: “Painting the Town GREEN” is indeed the Motto of this Century and beyond. Do not forget that what you find at Resale is ‘cheap enough’ to fix over. Many times for a nick or some minor or slight damage, a few inches of duct tape and/or dabs of paint will fix and cover-up the imperfection quite well, if you can’t find a pleasing tablecloth (at Resale, of course) to throw over it.

Since Shopping is a pivotal Part of our Lives, Resale Shopping is a Win-Win Situation from all Sides of The Coin – Pun intended! This is the Best Method to use up that loose Spare Change. After all, ‘The Change’ will do you good; make you feel better; spark up your home, office or both and ultimately upstart the (ailing) Economy. Even if you wear the outfit (shirt, dress, slacks, sweater, pantaloons, blouse, shoes, knickers, belt or scarf, etc.) only once and then recycle it, it’s well worth its minimal Investment.

“After all, where else can you look like a Million on $5 or less a Day?”

Quote of: ASK
Thursday, January 10, 2008 – 8:07 AM

For those Individuals serious about THE ART & ACT OF RESALE SHOPPING, if you develop a real Pension, Passion, Flair and Skill for Resale, it can be(come) a very lucrative Business. Because an Item can be purchased for a few Dollars, it can then be sold on eBay for 100 Times the Price (or whatever higher amount you can obtain) than it was initially purchased for. After all, there is a Buyer for every Thing. With the Internet at our Fingertips, it’s extremely easy to quickly locate that Person, which can become a life-long client and/or friend.

One of the major Canons when Resale Shopping is: TAKE THE ITEM(s) WITH YOU. Even if you are not really sure if you need or want said Item, PICK IT UP AND CARRY IT WITH YOU until you are ready to check-out. Trust me. You'll be glad you did. Years ago, I dashed in to my Favorite Resale Store and luckily found 8 awesome Items I wanted. However, I wasn’t going directly home, could not carry them with me, so I opted to hide them. I thought I hid them very well. Later that Day, I returned to buy them all. I looked here. I checked there. I searched everywhere. High and low. All had been found, retrieved and bought while I was gone. Broken-hearted, I left without a Single Stitch, only the Clothes upon my back. Although that was a wicked Lesson to learn, I haven’t broken it since.

Unfortunately, Resale Stores do not hold your Items. Their Policy is CASH & CARRY (only) with the goal of securing a Rapid Turnover for all the newer Items that continually arrive (on a daily basis – numbering in the thousands). Finders keepers. Losers weepers. Even if you wear the Item once, it’s well worth the cut-rate Price.

“Once bitten by The Resale Shopping Bug, you will never ‘go back’ to Retail Shopping, even Wholesale looks too expensive.”

Quote of: ASK
Tuesday, January 08, 2008 – 11:25 AM

THE IRREFUSABLE DEAL THAT CREATES A WIN-WIN SITUATION:
The New ‘IN’ Crowd…

Resale Shopping puts ‘The CHIC’ into CHICago (as I say) and the Money back in your Pocket (where it belongs). After all, with Global Warming, Foreclosures and the Iffyness of daily Living, Rainy Days are much more prevalent in the 21ST Century due to larger Numbers of People who are no longer insulated as they were 40 years ago. Being prepared with Cheaper Creature Comforts separates the Smart ‘n Savvy Shopper and Consummate Clothing Connoisseur from The Crowd. Looking good for less is what really does put ‘THE CHIC into Chicago while wisely saving for a rainy day…

What's one Man's (or Gal’s) Rags are another's Riches. CONTACT INFO:

Email ASK: Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith at:

askoopersmith@hotmail.com

to schedule a Day of Deluxe Resale Shopping.

Cost: 6 Hours + The Limo = $750.00. Fifty percent deposit required.

©2001-2008. Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.