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Business & Tech

Fair Haven Shop Turns Women's Closets Into Cash

All Things Consignment in Fair Haven offers high end items at an affordable price.

When Ann Marie Elia opened her first consignment shop over two decades ago she had one simple goal: to allow women to turn their closets into cash.

Elia opened her first consignment shop called Pretty Woman in Oceanport over 20 years ago. She later moved her business to The Farm House in Long Branch. Just last September, she brought her second shop to to Fair Haven and called it All Things Consignment, which is now the name of both her shops. 

"She saw a need for a high end consignment shop in the area," said Pat Forbes, manager at All Things Consignment. "Fair Haven was the perfect place to open shop."

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Elia grew up in Middletown and has been an interior decorator by profession. She has a knack for design which can be seen in the layout of her shops. After leaving the corporate world behind, Elia was thrilled to open her consignment shops.

Located on River Road in Fair Haven, All Things Consignment offers high end items at a discounted price. The store sells major brand named hand bags such as Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Kate Spade, Coach and more. Other merchandise includes high end clothing, shoes and accessories.

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"We carry a wonderful line of lingeri," said Frobes. "We also have adorable greeting cards and a portion of the store is dedicated to the younger crowd."

In the back of the store is a section called the "college closet." In this room there are affordable items for high school and college-age girls. There are denims, dresses, shoes and accessories in this area.

According to "Z" Otchy, an assistant at All Things Consignment, most of the stores business comes from the women who consign with the shop. "90% of our customers are from the Rumson, Fair Haven and Red Bank area," Otchy said. "And a lot of these women consign with us. They like to bring in their consignment items and shop at the same time."

Consigning with All Things Consignment is simple. Customers bring in their high end items and leave them with the shop. Once their items are sold, the customer gets 50 percent of the sale. "We only accept high end items," Frobes said. "To keep the shop's wonderful reputation we do not accept things that are stained, ripped or too worn."

Besides high end items, the store also accepts items that feel unique to the store. Such an item might include a hand made jewelery box or interesting jewelery. According to Frobes, a lot of the items in the shop have never been worn and still have the tags on them.

In a time where people do not like to pay retail price, shops like All Things Consignment are just the key. "It's exciting to have such a mix of great items," said Otchy. "We have something for everyone here and I believe that's what makes this store unique."

Can't make it into the shop? Check out All Things Consignment online at www.allthingsconsignment.com

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