Middletown Native Offers Women Chance to Cash in on Closet Cleaning

When Middletown native Ann Maire Elia opened her first consignment shop, more than two decades ago, she had one simple goal: to allow women to turn the contents of their closets into cash.

So, she opened her first consignment shop, Pretty Woman, in Oceanport. She later moved her business to The Farm House in Long Branch. And just last September, she brought a new shop with the same old idea and a new name over the river from her Middletown hometown to Fair Haven — All Things Consignment.

"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."

Elia isn't just a woman who likes to see her follow womankind turn their closet leftovers into cash. She's an interior decorator by trade and that designing background is evident in the layout of her shops.

Located on River Road in Fair Haven, All Things Consignment offers high-end items at a discounted price. The store sells Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Kate Spade, Coach hand bags and and designer clothing, shoes and accessories.

"We carry a wonderful line of lingeri," said Forbes. "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." This room showcases affordable items for high school and college-aged girls, such as denims, dresses, shoes and accessories.

According to "Z" Otchy, an assistant at the shop, most of the store's business comes from the women who consign with All Things. "They like to bring in their consignment items and shop at the same time," she said.

Consigning with All Things Consignment is simple. Customers bring in their items and leave them with the shop. Once they are sold, the customer gets 50 percent of the sale price. "We only accept high-end items," Forbes said. "To keep the shop's wonderful reputation we do not accept things that are stained, ripped or too worn." Most of the items on the storie have never been morn and still have tags on them.

In addition to the very lightly used merchandise, the store also accepts unique accessories and trinkets, as jewelery boxes or interesting jewelery.

In a bad economy, shops like All Thing Consignment are very popular. "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