As many of you know, my career prior to opening the shop was in the Financial Industry. I have always had a passion for clothing as well. In working with individuals who were saving, entering or even in retirement, I learned from the more financially sound among us that one of the things they did that we ‘regular’ folks did not do, was buy quality items at a reasonable price. They looked at things on a per use cost. It made sense to me since I love to shop but HATE paying retail. So I started shopping at nice consignment boutiques. See my previous blog for more on this.

When the company I worked for closed its doors, I took the time to give birth to an idea and I opened my shop. I stayed home with my ‘baby’ during her formative years to make sure that she was growing, and finding her way in the community. Was she self-sufficient? Could she stand for me to be away from her for longer periods of time? Could I,gasp, stand to be away from her?

Well, that time has come. It was always my intent to go back to my career once my ‘baby’ and I were ready!  I have been given a wonderful opportunity to get back into my field. My goal is to still provide my clients with better quality, more affordable woman’s fashion and accessories, in an environment that is personalized and service oriented. The store is still going strong and here to stay, with your help of course.

We have a wonderful team in place. All of my staff have been trained by me and I will still be a presence in the shop, just mostly on the back-end, online and on Saturdays.

I want to thank all of you for the success of our shop. Keep spreading the word, support local, and shop small. Our continued success and the ability to bring you the items we do depend on you, our customers. Mandy, Darien and Jessica are excited to have more responsibilities and I am excited to let my baby have her wings.

Consignment, unlike resale, is a relationship between you as the seller and the owner/manager of the store. When you go to a resale shop, they give you cash and the transaction is complete. When you leave your clothes at a consignment shop, you re trusting them to sell your items. Some important things to consider when deciding on a shop.

1. Does the store have a clearly written contract? Is it available for you to see prior to consigning? Both the store owner and the consignor have responsibilities to each other. A store should be very clear about their policies and procedures.

2. Does the store have set business hours? Most shops are individually owned so times will  vary but overall, is the store open consistently?

3. Does the shop promote its business? Do you see ads, Facebook pages, a website?

4. Will the shop pay by check? Sounds silly but all cash transactions, while easy, may not reflect a true business presence. (was that PC enough?)

5. Lastly, do you enjoy doing business there? We all want to get great deals and make some extra cash too but it is also important to ENJOY the environment. I know we enjoy our clients and many of them are now our friends!

Take care!

As many of you know, this is an exciting year for me. My store is approaching its 3rd birthday, and I am approaching my Xth (not a typo) birthday. I made a New Years goal to make this year one of self reflection, refocus and discovery. As women, we are very outwardly focused; our careers, husband,  and children, often come ahead of ourselves. I have felt, in the last few years, a very strong urge to make it more about me. Not in a selfish way but in a healthy way,a way that self-nutures and self-reflects. Right before the holidays, a lovely woman came into my store and introduced herself as a photographer. She was interested in growing her business by working with other local businesses in our area and guess what, she and her husband do “pampering’ photo sessions just for woman. As I am a FIRM believer in people being brought into your life for a reason, I jumped on the opportunity. So starting today and periodically throughout the upcoming months, I will be blogging about my journey to my Xth birthday and my upcoming photoshoot with Lindsay and Brian. I would now love to introduce you to Lindsay and Brian. Make sure you read all the way to the end as they give you great tips on how to take BETTER pictures!

     
1. Tell us a bit about yourselves?
Well Brian and I have been married for 6 years now, we met when we were both
working as photographer and videographer onboard the cruise ships for Princess
Cruises. I am originally from England and Brian is from San Francisco, but we are
happily settled in Santa Clarita now. After leaving ships, I started working as a
glamour and fashion photographer in Los Angeles, I worked in this industry for 4
years until I got laid off in 2011. Not a lot of people can say this, but it was a real
blessing for me to be laid off, as it gave Brian and I the opportunity to build a dream
together. Working in the glamour and fashion industry was amazing but the greatest
asset I take away from it is the knowledge and ability the offer these genre’s to real
women who deserve to be photographed in the most beautiful and fashionable way.
On top of being complete photography and video geeks (we love geeking out on
what we do!) Brian and I are really into travel, fitness, food and movies.
2. Tell us a bit about your business?
Our business is SchlickArt.com and we create pampering fashion and beauty photo/
video sessions just for women! Our photo/video sessions consist of a fabulous day
with champagne, chocolates, a gift box, a full hair and makeover; and a chance for
every woman to enjoy feeling like her best and most beautiful self, inside and out!
It is your day, a day just for you to celebrate who you are, away from life’s
distractions. A day for us to show you just how beautiful and amazing your truly are
and document it for you through fashion, glamour, beauty and/or boudoir. You then
have these breathtaking and meaningful photos and video to keep with you for the
rest of your life, reminding you of your power and beauty as a women. It is a very
empowering day all round! To learn more about us please visit: http://schlickart.com/
home/About_Us.html
3. How did you decide you wanted to do what you do, how did you get into it?
As I mention earlier in the interview, a while back I was laid off from my Glamour and
Fashion job in LA. I loved what I did and the beautiful women I photographed but
there was something missing.
All of the women I photographed were professional models; and when I
photographed them, they never saw the true value in the images, they just saw it as
another job they had to go to, to get paid. The pictures were no longer special to
them, or me! These models were also a specific look, age and size. You know, that
‘look, age and size’ that apparently represents the women of the world but in reality
absolutely none of us have that particular ‘look, age and size!’ And it frustrates the
hell out of all of us!
Well when I got laid off it created an amazing opportunity for Brian and I to take our
skills and use them for a higher purpose! Why not offer the fun, pampering super
model experience to real women? Real women of all shapes and sizes who just
want a ‘Me Day’ with all the fun hair and makeup, the champagne and chocolates;
along with the coaching they need to get them into the best poses to flatter their
figure and look. On top of this another paramount part of what we do is to tell each of
our clients individual stories. Who they are and why they came to us is a very
important part of their day. And we want to honor that and make it a focusing point in
their images and video. After all when they take their products home and view them
over and over again, we want our client to fully embrace and value the power and
beauty they had on their day and cherish it forever.
4. What genre’s of photography do you shoot?
The main genre’s of photography and video we shoot are Fashion, Glamour, Beauty
and Boudoir (we are open to other requests also though). We chose these as they
are the most flattering and empowering narratives for our clients. These are also the
genres our clients crave and strive for in life. And we want to show our clients we are
all capable of being the gorgeous woman on the front of a magazine, we just all
need a little help a long the way sometimes (even super models get help, guidance,
pose coaching and retouching lol).
When it comes to a boudoir session with us, it is all down to personal choice. We do
not push or pressure any of our clients to have a boudoir session done, you are
either into it or your not. Their are plenty other beautiful, sexy and empowering
genre’s you can choose from, that will inspire you and make you look and feel on top
of the world! So you choose, what kind of session would you like to do???
5. Who is your photography and video experience for?
Our photo/video experience is for all women, of any age. Any women, who wants to
have a day for herself, who wants to feel pampered, who wants to tell her story; and
wants to celebrate herself and look and feel amazing. You can be shy, a little
nervous even, relax we will coach you through it and make sure you feel like your
best and most beautiful self, inside and out!
Our sessions make great gifts also! If you’re a husband who wants to buy his wife
something extra special or if you are a fiancé who wants the day for herself, but give
the photos and video to your future husband to be a gift. SchlickArt is here for you
all.
6. What do you love most about your business?
The greatest love we have for our business is the way we make our clients feel and
how happy they are when they see their images and watch their story unfold in the
video. Our clients are amazing women and to see their faces and the joy they feel
with the finished products is a gift to us!
We could not ask for more!
7. What do you love most about your clients?
Their stories! Getting to know our clients and watching them open up to us and
becoming friends is the best feeling. We love our clients they all touch our souls in
their own unique and powerful way. These women are truly powerful and
courageous.
8. Where can people learn more about you?
Website: http://schlickart.com/home/SchlickArt.html
Blog: http://theschlickartblog.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Schlick-Art/328008120511
Twitter: http://twitter.com//schlickart
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/schlickart/
Or for even more info or to book a consultation, email Lindsay at:
lindsay@schlickart.com or call us at: 1 661 313 3907
9. Where are you located?
We are located on the cross streets of Magic Mountain Parkway and Fairways Drive
in Valencia, Santa Clarita. (North of Los Angeles)
10. A Treat from SchlickArt to try at home: 5 easy tips for getting the best candid photos
of your face with your own cameras:
- Photograph your face straight on, don’t turn slightly to the side, can make your face
look distorted. – Looking straight at the camera with no head tilts or shy angles
show’s confidence and gives a very sexy clear look.
- Chin forward and down – Most of us have a habit that when someone points a
camera at us, we either retract our heads back into our neck and give ourselves an
unnecessary double chin; or we throw our heads up high, we look down our nose at
the camera and we show off our neck, chin and right up our noses. Both of these
poses are very unflattering and look nothing like us! Instead try this… try to elongate
your neck, bring your chin slightly forward and down; look straight into the camera
and smile confidently. This will help hide a double chin if you have one, it will give
you a more confident and sexy profile and it will make all faces slim and beautiful.
Give it a go.
- Hold the camera slightly above your eye line – looking up at any camera with your
beautiful eyes is very sexy. Also other parts of your body that are further away from
the camera will appear slimmer, for a more flattering look.
- Smile with your eyes – I love this one, I use it a lot! When people have trouble
smiling and they feel they either over do it or under do it, I tell the to smile with their
eyes first and then tell them to bring in a slight smile with their mouths also. It gives
an amazing result and everyone is always happy with the way they look. So go on
try smiling with your eyes first…
- Pop a hip and put your weight on your back foot – The is for head and body shots…
I am pretty sure every women is guilty of this at some time when they have their
photo taken. I know I sure am! We are women, we have curves, it’s a fact of life. We
all carry a certain amount of weight in a part of our body we don’t like and if we stand
straight on to the camera with no decent pose we are not going to be happy about
where our weight is distributed.
There is a better way… try this… Turn yourself lightly on an angle to the camera, pop
you hip back away from the camera and put all your weight on you back foot (the
foot furthest away from the camera). You see, everything further away from the
camera will always appear smaller, it is the way lenses work. So if you were to put all
the weight on your front foot and pop you hip forward, your front thigh would look
abnormally large, no matter how small you are. So give it a go and make yourself
feel super sexy in your own images.
We hope you enjoy these tips. Let us know what your think by leaving us a
comment.
To check out SchlickArt’s Photography and Video website and to see what wonderful
things we do for women – Click Here: http://www.schlickart.com/home/SchlickArt.html

Stay Beautiful, inside and out,
Love SchlickArt!

Why don’t you want this item? I only wore it 1x? It’s brand with the tags on it?  As a consignment store owner, we often hear comments such as these when we process intake items in our store. More and  people are looking to be more frugal, smarter shoppers and also be more ecologically minded, so I thought it would be helpful to re-address selling your clothes. While there are no hard and fast rules, there are some very basic things to keep in mind AND there are some nuances that will differ depending on your market. Lets look at the basics first.

1. If you are selling items, make them sellable! What does this mean? Look closely at your items? Are they clean? Do they smell fresh? Are there signs of wear or flaws? Are they ready to go on the floor,are they wrinkled? An item that has not been worn or is stored in a closet or box for a period of time may be ‘clean’ but it’s not fresh. That ‘funky’ smell when you go to a thrift store, that’s from unwashed items or clothes that have been hanging in a closet for a long time without being worn. Do you smoke? Then your items will smell like smoke. Even if you put them in your car, nice and clean and in bag,s and then smoke on the way to the drop off, they will smell. Pilling on sweaters, fading, small tears or pulls, yellowing on white items and the oh so common ‘self tanner rub off’ will all prevent items from being taken in by a store or sold.

2. Just because it has a tag on it, doesn’t mean it’s ‘new’. Many times items with tags are past their prime. An item that has been hanging in your closet for 15 years from Casual Corner is not going to generate much interest or get you a good price.

3. Coats appearing in August at the department stores, doesn’t mean they’ll sell in August. For every 1 person who says they will buy a coat in August, 30 are still buying tank tops because it’s 90 degrees outside! Department stores sell items based on manufacturing order requirements NOT buyers requirements. If you only have a 60 day cycle for your items to sit on a store’s shelf, don’t waste that time selling something out of season? Hold on to your pre-season clothes and only try to sell those items that are approriate for the weather.

Now for some of the nuances. Most consignment stores are individually owned and have requirements as diverse as their communities and owners.  I can only speak for my shop and some of the shops who have mentored me, so this may not apply to everyone who owns a resale/consignment store. Our goal is to GET YOUR ITEMS SOLD! We know what sells and when it sells. A cute item sitting on our shelf at the wrong time doesn’t make money for the store or the consigner. So some thoughts for you.

1. Visit the store to see what they carry. Don’t see athletic clothes or wedding gowns? Chances are they don’t take them. Not a suit in sight? Give a quick call and see if it is because they don’t take them or they just haven’t gotten any in but really want them.  Feel free to ask, most stores will happily let you know what they will take. It’s alot of work for clients to go through their closets, clean and hang items and lug them to a store. We get it! Ask away.

2. Check the stores website. Most stores will include detailed information as to the what, where’s and how’s of their process. We do this to make the transaction as transparent and smooth as possible. If you have many vintage items and the store ‘s website says ‘no vintage’ or ‘current styles only’then chances are they won’t take your items. Does the store have a max intake amount and you have waaaay more than the max? You may not want to bring in 100 items ‘just in case’ . Store owners have a two-fold process, one is to conduct their business in a successful manner and be profitable and the other is to satisfy the needs of their clients. A small shop with limited floor space may love to take all your designer pieces but they do not have the space to keep them until they are tagged and on the floor. A vintage item may be lovely and a true find but if the demographic is more into current casual fashion, that wonderful piece will languish on the floor. Again, DO YOUR HOMEWORK and when in doubt, call and ask.

4. If an items is turned down don’t take it personally. If a store owner is kind enough to explain why, it’s because they want your business and may want to clarify some things so it is easier for you the next time. The intake process is like a first date, we want to see if there is a potential for a second and hopefully for a relationship. We can’t do it without you but like any relationship, you really want to have one where the 2 parties are compatible.  Many times I have turned down items because they are stained or wrinkled but otherwise I would take them. Or perhaps I have alot of size 8 shoes so it would sell better when what is on the floor is cleared out. Yes, we know we risk you taking those items elsewhere but if that is what is best for you rather than bringing it back, then thats ok.

Many consignment store owners will tell you, our business is our passion! Where else can you help people, meet new friends, see lot’s of great clothes super great prices and help people make and save money!  It is also a BUSINESS. If you do not make money, we do not make money. Get to know your stores, understand their policies and when in doubt, ask. If a store won’t accept your items, maybe they know a place that will. Don’t get mad, don’t get insulted, ask. Our favorite part of our business is writing out a check to someone! Really, it is. Happy closet cleaning. See you soon.

As I approach my 1 year anniversary of opening Just Between Us  Boutique, I am spending quite a bit of time researching, compiling data and gathering feedback from my wonderful clients! The first year of any business is the most crucial as many businesses close their doors within that time frame. Between now and August 2 (my official opening day), I will looking at ways to make consignment shopping easier than ever. I thought I would start by really simplifying just how much consignment shopping helps your community.

When you shop at any of the chain stores, Macy’s, Kohls, etc….you don’t really impact your community directly. Yes, the store provides jobs to local individuals and generates revenue in terms of taxes but overall, the dollar goes to the corporation and to the manufacterers that are most often overseas. When you shop at a local boutique, you impact your community much more as the boutique owner is a local community member, maybe even a neighbor! Local boutiques often get involved with community charitable organizations as well.

Consignment impacts much more than you think. All the items in the store have been owned by an individual! They may or may not live locally but the majority do! When you purchase an item, you provide income to both the owner of the store and the consigner. When I pay my consigners I often hear how that check regardless of size, helps them to pay a bill down, get their car repaired, have a night out with a friend, etc. Since ,most of my client/shoppers live locally, they spend locally. They often suppport other locally owned businesses. Like me, these businesses are run by someone who lives in the community! With so many of us struggling during this economic downturn, this income helps many of us stay afloat. It’s a great circle of support (Ok, everyone “Kumbayah”).

When any of my clients chose to donate their items, I bring the clothing to organizations that also directly support individuals in the community. Single Mothers Outreach, Domestic Violence, Assistance League, or pop-up donation opportunities. Lets face it, we do have many individuals who are in need in the SCV.

So remember, when you shop consingment, you help yourself by getting a great ‘new to you’ item at WELL BELOW retail price. You help the person who brought the item in by providing a check to them through me. You help keep locally owned businesses afloat, which directly impacts our community, vs a chain store. You help an individual in need via a charitable organization.