Newport Consignment Gallery – Review

In short, it sucks.

It’s in Newport Beach, and a few blocks away from my work, so I thought it’d be fun to frolic there during lunch sometimes. They’ve changed their name a few times and there’s always a “For Sale or Lease” sign up. For a couple years now. Every once in a while they put out the “Going out of business – 75% off!” sign. Also, going on for a couple years. Not sure what’s happening there, may be a shady sales technique.  They don't seem to be going away, and nothing in there is 75% off.  Not even the Christmas stuff.  (More on that later)

They used to be called Rags to Riches. It seems the name implied that they purchase Rags and expect to get Riches. At your expense, of course. Now it’s called Newport Consignment Gallery/Thrift Shop.

I don’t know what offends me more.. the fact that at the end of January their Christmas stuff is more expensive that Target’s Christmas stuff before Christmas, or the fact that they write their offensive pricing in permanent marker right on the merchandize – wood furniture, fabric, paintings, etc. I love me a thrift shop skirt, but do I really want my ass to say “19.99”? And WHO pays 19.99 for a skirt at a thrift shop?

Jesse pointed out at some very well run in gym shoes for 39.99. The New Balance ones that TJ MAXX regularly sells, new, for about as much. NEW. I’m not a big thrift store shoe person anyway (gotta draw a line somewhere, and mine is shoes – I think other people’s foot sweat is pass out gross, and it’s not like I can throw leather pumps into an extra hot wash for 4-5 cycles.)

Their stuff does get marked down, the longer it stays there. But the Christmas stuff speaks for itself. There’s also a bent plywood chair that has been $3000 the entire time the shop’s been open. That one ain’t getting reduced. There was a pretty cool natural crystal (the rock kind) chandelier for $900.

And a painting I liked. ($399)  I can get behind expensive paintings, I guess.  Art and all.  This one looked like a Picasso nobody knows about.  Except it was signed by a different dude. 

They also had this awesome rocking/high chair that I would like to have made in my full adult size.  It has a screw type mechanism in back, that would lower and rise it, and the little tray lifted up.  $199

Their greatest offense was two sewing machines out by the exit. Both were treadles, a Domestic one, with a pretty wood cabinet with wood appliques, and drawers full of original parts, tin with attachments, bobbins, needles, etc. It was $199.

And then a remake of a treadle machine. The ‘made in China’ "modern antique" version of the treadle machines is inferior to the original ones in every way, anyway and this one looked tacky, in a super crappy plywood cabinet, that was falling apart, and looked like a poor Ikea assembly job to begin with. Glue and screws everywhere and gross all over. That one was $399.   It's an offense to humanity and should be burned, with the cast iron bits remelted into some pots and pans. 

Actually, I take the above back.  The above sewing machine business offended me as a proud sewing machine owner.  Somebody's school craft project took the cake: 

$14.99.  (I mean, I appreciate the religious theme, but)  And, it was on the Christmas clearance shelf. 

On the way out we saw a bicycle from the 80’s, going for $200. I don’t know why they bothered chaining it – nobody would dream of even test riding it.

Bad. All, very very bad.

So, instead I ventured into Huntington Beach's awesome Goodwill and picked up two brilliant skirts for $10.  Which was $4 less than a Christmas craft yarn candy dish type thing.  Go figure.  (Even though I *really* wasn't supposed to get any more clothes till I clean out my closet.  Fail)

In a related story, is it OK to wear mini skirts over yoga pants?  Giraffy said yes, and she's typically the first to jump all over me over really minor fashion offenses..  I LOVE the idea of mini skirts.. but every time I put one on, it's like Slutty Central..  Yoga pants might be the answer to a Snork's severely underused mini skirt closet shelf.