A Trove of Treasures at Sussex's Newest Business

Residents in Sussex have a new place to buy and sell furniture and trinkets for their homes. From chiffarobes to mink bowties, you’ll likely find something at Consign w/US. 

Consign w/US opened earlier this month, and celebrated a Grand Opening on Saturday. The shop, located at N64W24360 Main St., is already filled to the brim with couches, dining room sets, tea sets, and much more. The shop is tucked away next to Anytime Fitness and Marcelino's Pizzeria. 

The business started as an offshoot of Lannon-based Universal Services, which helps seniors move into downsized homes or senior communities.

Rather than ship furniture and other house items off to outside consigners, Universal opened its own space. The task for opening the store fell largely into the hands of 19-year-old Thomas Gavin, who signed up to be a mover at Universal before getting handed the keys to the business.

“I had originally signed up to be a mover, but they asked if I had retail experience to help them out. I’ve been helping set up the computer system and setting up the store,” Gavin said. “I’m pretty big into technology, so I helped them out. I just ended up staying here.”

Consign w/US is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. While most of the current inventory they have on hand comes from a storage facility in Lannon, they’ll definitely take in more items. Individual appointments must be made with a Consign appraiser to submit items. Currently, they are looking for knick-knacks and smaller home items.

“We’re looking for smaller things like knick-knacks, vases, and chinaware. Once we move some of our inventory, we’ll be looking for larger items again,” Gavin said.

The bulk of their inventory comes from senior citizens who are downsizing their homes. Universal Services helps seniors with that transition, which can be stressful and saddening at times.

“We wanted to make it an all-in-one service for our customers,” Gavin said.

However, there is some comfort for people departing with their items. They know that their treasures will stay alive in the homes of appreciating individuals for years to come. 

Gavin, who is studying public relations at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, said opening the business has been a big learning experience. Gavin will head back out to UWW in fall, but plans to come back for the summers at Consign. It’s a job he will take a lot of life experiences with him.

“I’ve learned that building a business is a lot of trial and error, and you just go day-by-day,” Gavin said. “It’s an interesting place to work. This is definitely the most interesting job I’ve had. I’ve learned how to run the store and appraise antiques.”

If you’d like to consign any items from your own home, you’ll need to set up an appointment with Consign w/US.

For larger items, Gavin said it’s best to send a photo of the item to universalconsignment@gmail.com, and they’ll get an appraisal from the photos. For smaller items, set up an appointment through the same email, or call the store at (414) 397-5987.

The contract for off-the-street consigners is a 50 percent split. Consignors sign a 90-day contract, and after 45 days Consign will look at the customer’s inventory for possible discounting. After 90 days, customers are given the opportunity to take their items back, or they become property of the shop.