Monday, March 2, 2009

Sisters We Three Consignment Shop


I have a shop on Etsy.com, the selling site for all things handmade (plus fab vintage and supplies). I love being a part of the handmade community, interacting with like-minded people who have the same job I do. Another perk of being on Etsy is being contacted for opportunities I might not hear about otherwise. No, not the chance to accept a bogus cashier's check from some overseas scammer's "shipping agent", I'm talking about legitimate invitations to apply for craft shows, and also possible consignment and wholesale gigs.

Late last year I got a nice email (called a "convo" in Etsy parlance) through my Etsy shop. Cathy was letting local people know that she and her two sisters were opening a consignment gallery in Newburyport, Massachusetts and would love it if I would apply to jury in. I wrote her back and we had a nice exchange through which I determined she knew what she was doing.


Newburyport is a seaside town north of Boston. It's a tourist destination with quaint streets, old brick buildings, stately homes, a harbor, and it's great for a day trip in the summertime as it is less than an hour from Lowell. Dell and I have been there several times, but it had been a few years and I thought I had heard where it was struggling retail-wise, maybe slipping in quality. Cathy said she'd been living there 20 years and she was bullish, so I decided to trust her.


I made an appointment to bring my goods in and on one sunny February Saturday, Dell drove us up there. We found the shop easily and as a bonus, it is conveniently located across from the municipal lot. Though the sun was out, it was chilly, snow and ice still pushed parked cars away from the curb, but man! That town was HOPPING! I mean wow. Every other shop seemed to be a super cute boutique or gallery, some looking pretty high end. We also saw independent coffee shops, restaurants, a yarn shop, a book store!


And the people walking down the street were hip-looking couples in their thirties with new additions to the family, older couples, ladies out in groups, handsome gay couples dressed so nice I felt a little frumpy, you maybe get the picture, Newburyport is thriving! Need I repeat that this was in February?? It made me very excited. But I still didn't know what to expect for the shop and I was nervous.


The sisters were set up in a newly painted gallery space. They were seated around a large wooden table, there were empty glass shelves pushed up against one side of the space. Though they were still working with another artist when we came in, they immediately said hello and did we need the bathroom or a bottle of water? Which put us at ease. They were so friendly and professional and their combined experiences; one had been a merchandiser for CVS, one had been a banker for 20 years, one a music teacher, seemed perfect for this task. Also, one sister makes mosaics and another makes jewelry, from that I knew they would understand artisans.


I started putting my goods on the table, I brought pincushions, necklaces, brooches and hair pins. They cooed and exclaimed and made me feel special. But mostly because they were being genuine and friendly. Jan looked up my Etsy shop right there on her laptop and saw my mom's cards and requested I submit those to the shop too. That sealed the deal, praise my mom, get a friend for life.

The deal is this: you rent space from them for a monthly fee based on the size of the space, you sign a year contract, they take 15% of each sale and that's it! You don't have to work there, you don't have to arrange your shelves, they are going to take care of all that. All you have to do is replenish your goods when the supplies run low.

I especially liked that they aren't going to shackle my goods to one shelf, but put that merchandising expertise to use in arranging the items throughout the store for maximum sales and exposure. Maybe they will have a theme and pull items from several artists that fit the theme. I love that! You never know if the spot you have is a good spot for selling and with their careful curation, I think everyone's items will be showcased in the best way.

I know consignment deals can go horribly awry. If you look it up in the Etsy Forums you'll see what I mean; shops taking your goods then going out of business, not paying on time, things getting damaged or stolen with no recourse. I've read it all.

So far my two experiences with consignment have not been brilliant, nothing lost but not much gained. This is more like a craft co-op that masquerades (in a good way) as a gallery. I am also in the process of starting another consignment relationship with a gallery that will follow the more standard route of 60/40 split and no monthly fees. I'll let you know how that one goes.


Meanwhile, Sisters We Three is opening in April and still seeking artists so if this sounds like something you are interested in, you can contact them at: sisterswethree@gmail.com

19 comments:

  1. I think you will do very well in Newburyport - it is always hopping and full of fun shops and restaurants.

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  2. I loved reading about your adventures in Newburyport and seeing the photos of the shop and the lovely Sisters 3. And of course they admired your beautiful crafted wares.

    I am touched and delighted that they also want to display our cards.

    It all sounds like a great idea.

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  3. I hope that your experiences are successful and that it allows more doors to be opened for something at home in Lowell.

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  4. I love the name of the shop! Sisters We Three. Could it be because I have two sisters? :) Actually we could call ourselves: One Bro and Sisters We Three. And so could you, Liz. ;)

    Super congrats and good luck with the shop.

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  5. Sisters We Three sounds like the perfect shop for my favorite daughter-in-law. Moo

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  6. How very exciting! I wish you much success on your new venture.

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  7. We thought this was neat! So we shared a link to it from our blog- thanks for sharing your experience!

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  8. Oh. I love Newburyport! It's one of my favorite places to photograph couples. I hope Lowell can bring in some of the same new england quaintness this summer.

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  9. sounds so exciting, super luck Liz :D:D:D

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  10. Thanks so much for all your support! I'll keep you posted on how it goes :)

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  11. Hi Liz,
    I went through the same experience when I got an email from Cathy inviting me to apply. My firend and I both make jewelry and are active in Newton Open Studios where Ctahy found us. So, we drove all the way up to Newbury port to meet them ans see the shop. I was impressed with the well lit, freely painted corner shop and the glass display cabinets. The three sisters were friendly and so excited about their new venture. I'm looking forward to the opening and hope it does well. See you there!

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  12. Hi Deb, I'm glad you are giving SW3
    a try, I think the shop looks fantastic and I'm very excited about the possibilities, good luck!

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  13. hi liz-i just wanted to say thank you for this posting. i too have begun selling at SW3 and found this blog post to be very helpful. it's my first experience in consignment and your first hand experience made it a little bit less scary! thank you, thank you! xoxo, brigid
    http://www.etsy.com/shop/mbrigid

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  14. Hi liz, just wanted to have an update as how things are going for you at SW3 ? I am thinking of putting some pins there.. thanks for any info.

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    1. Maureen, I ended up pulling out of the shop as I just couldn't move enough volume of product there to justify the cost. But the shop is still open and doing well and I still love the Sisters! Good luck to you.

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  15. Thanks for the info.... as I am new to this & the rent with a year committment is what I am also concerned with...will I sell enough to cover that expense along with a commission.??!!. I appreciate your honesty.now it is a matter of pricing my pins to make sure I sell enough...P.S. maybe I will see you at Western Ave. I have a friend with a studio there who has offered to put my pins out on her open house days...
    Thanks again!!!!

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    1. I hear you. Maybe start in a shop that charges consignment but not a fee? Just to get a feel for what sells for you. Please introduce yourself if you ever stop by Western Ave during 1st Saturdays!

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  16. Are you still at Sisters We Three? If so, how are your sales? I'm curious for selling my own things there. Thank you for any information you can provide!

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    1. No, I pulled out. I didn't sell enough to make rent. I loved the people, though! Lovely ladies and nice things in the shop.

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