Pittwater Life April 2017 Issue

Local Call
Consigned
to succeed
When friends Jen
Munro and Jules
Medlyn opened their
Furniture On Consignment
(FOC) shop in Avalon in 2012,
they were expecting to have
“a bit of fun” – little did they
know that five years on they
would be swamped with
inquiries to sell goods.
“It appeals to everyone,”
Jen tells Pittwater Life. “It’s
so easy for sellers and a lot
of people have been put off
other avenues like Gumtree –
they don’t like being mucked
around when people don’t
turn up as promised.”
Jen explains the business
model is simple: FOC displays
the furniture and homewares,
they price tag the goods after
liaison with vendors, then
take a 40% cut of the sale.
“We’ve had around 95%
‘1000 Flowers’
for Mother’s Day
Millefiori is a term
which is a combination
of the Italian
words “mille” (thousand) and
“fiori” (flowers) – hence the
English word of one thousand
flowers.
Renata Phegan
from RitzyRocks
explains this is a
creative technique
which produces
distinctive patterns
of glassware. “The
technique was lost
in the 18th century
and not revived until
the 19th century,”
said Renata. “It
involved producing
glass canes or rods
known as ‘murrine’
with multi-coloured patterns
which are viewable only from
the cut ends of the cane.”
She explained the rod
was heated in a furnace and
pulled until thin, while still
turnover since
we started,” says
Jen. “Mostly
there’s a home for
everything but on
the odd occasion
something struggles
to sell, after
six months we
might suggest returning to the
owner, or they may consider
donating the item to charity.”
Jen says while other shops
rely on seasonal sales, their
goods are “always” on sale.
“That’s because customers
can always make us an offer on
the ticketed price,” she said.
Items in demand depend on
the season.
“Christmas is all about
tables – for dining and outdoors
entertaining,” she said.
“Winter is about couches and
everything indoors.”
maintaining the cross sections
design, then cut into
beads or discs when cooled.
Renata has managed to
obtain a variety of these
delicate discs which either
have gold or silver
bezels and are presented
on a beautiful
sterling silver
or 14ct gold-filled
snake chain. She
has also sourced
some spectacular
Millefiore watches
with leather bands.
“These pieces
are the perfect
Mother’s Day gift
being presented in
an elegant display
box, with all purchases
Express Post delivered
in time for the big day,” she
said. More info see ad on P25
or view the unique designs
and order at www.ritzyrocks.
com.au
When they started in
October 2012, most of their
business came from the Palm
Beach to Bayview corridor
– now it’s extended to the
eastern suburbs, north shore
and even the country.
“A lot of goods come from
people who are selling up and
downsizing,” Jen observes.
Research and appraisal
can sometimes lead to some
surprise treasures – like a
Turkish rug that the owner
had no idea was worth its selling
price of $4500.
Jen and Jules have recently
settled into impressive new
digs at 36-38 Old Barrenjoey
Rd (the former Video Ezy
store), 100 metres south of
their former site, which is being
redeveloped.
They love their new shop,
which is double the display
size of the old space, with
great display windows and
easier parking. If you have
something to sell, give them a
call on 9918 9954.
APRIL 2017 37
Local Call