In the heart of SE Portland, on Division Street, there are two well-loved and appreciated consignment stores, Artifact Creative Recycle and Village Merchants. These second-hand stores create incomes for their consignors, in addition to attracting many buyers in the SE area. But what exactly is consignment, and why does it play such an important role in our community?
Consignment sales are a trade agreement between the seller (consignor) who provides product to another party (the buyers) to sell. The party who sells the product on consignment receives a portion of the profits, either as a flat rate or commission. Using the flat rate, once a consignor’s product sells, they are able to take a check with their earnings. When it comes to commission, you can use your consignment balance to purchase other products within the store. At Artifact and Village Merchants, both are options. The items a consignor might attempt to sell will be assessed as both stores are curated in a certain way. Employees who work and are trained specifically for the “buy rooms” decide whether or not products will be accepted and sold in the stores. These items could be pieces of clothing, funky furniture, cool decorations, or even collectibles.
While Artifact and Village Merchants are totally different stores and vibes, they are very closely related. Both fall under the ownership of the Meijer family, with Village Merchants opening first and Artifact second. It all started with Marcee Meijer, who began consigning at a local store when her two daughters were only young girls. The owner of that local store saw the passion and potential within Marcee, and suggested they opened a thrift store together. “My business partner knew the business end of things — my least favorite part — and I had a knack for what people wanted to buy. So we found a small building on 33rd Place and Division and dove in.” Marcee knew that consignment would be a major part of their store, but that creates a need for curating as well. As Village Merchants began to grow, she eventually bought out her business partner and “Village [Merchants] became like [her] third child.”
Village Merchants opened when Marcee’s daughters were only eight and 11 years old. They grew up in the store, hanging around while their mom worked. Melanie, the youngest of the two, remembers this fondly: “I remember being a little kid and hanging around the funky shop ladies while my mom was working. They would tell me stories and dress me up in tutus and boas. I thought they were the coolest. And they were.” While the business had many ups and downs, such as theft and relocating to a new building, things always seemed to work out in the end.
As Marcee continued to work and grow with Village Merchants, her eldest daughter Leah found her own love for consignment and recycling of used goods. Leah stated, “With the culmination of being my mother’s child, working in Village Merchants for over 10 years, and sourcing at garage sales and the outlets since I was 12, I felt like I finally knew the language of this business like the back of my hand and was ready to put my own spin on it.” Artifact Creative Recycle was born in 2013, and recently celebrated its 10 year anniversary with a storewide celebration for all of Portland to enjoy!
After some years, Marcee decided to take a step back from Village Merchants for physical reasons. At this point, Artifact was up and running with Leah, so she looked to her youngest daughter Melanie, who had worked at Village Merchants throughout high school. “My husband and I bought the business about four years ago,” Melanie explained. “So far it has been an awesome place to run while having a family. I’ll be forever grateful to my mom for starting this crazy place for me to continue.”
While the backstory of the sister stores is heartwarming, why are they important? How does consignment fit into all of this? Artifact owner Leah said, “Selling and trading is one of the oldest forms of human survival that exists. I believe consignment shops have become the ‘market square’ in our modern age and essentially allow people to have micro-enterprises without starting their own brick and mortar store.”
Have you ever wondered how you can make money on a Saturday morning without leaving your house? Leah gave a great answer: “Artifact is open on Saturday mornings and if you have items on consignment, they could be selling [your consigned goods] right as you are enjoying that breakfast you made and are dipping a pancake in syrup.”
As Portland has such a large thrifting scene, picking and consigning has become a major source of income for people of all ages and lifestyles. Picking at the two Goodwill Bins locations seems to be the liveliest and most common way to maintain a stream of items to eventually consign. There are also the options of estate sales, garage sales, or your spring cleanout. After speaking with some consignors who participate at the sister stores, it was clear how well-loved and appreciated they both are within the community.
Bonnie, a consignor of over 50 years who was introduced to it by friends, has found it to play a great part in her income. She stated, “I found out first about Village Merchants, and then about Artifact because I’ve lived in the neighborhood for many years. I’ve been shopping and consigning at both stores since they opened.” In terms of the energy of these sister stores specifically, Bonnie admires that “each store has a wonderful staff and fulfills its own particular niche. I feel entirely safe and comfortable at both stores, and we’re very fortunate to have both so close by and convenient.”
Another consigner who sells at both stores, Toni-Rae, has been selling since the 1980s in Berlin, Germany. She said, “I was a single mom and it provided a way to get items and money for necessities. I feel very comfortable at both shops, I feel like they are an extended family in a way.” When speaking about the overall experience at both stores, she had much to say. “I’ve met so many acquaintances waiting to drop off stuff. Sometimes in the dreary Northwest weather days, I think OK: what can ‘be gone’ and put it in my bag just to motivate me to get going and out the door. I then go to await the opening of Village Merchants. The regular consignors have created a sort of little social network due to regular drop off and mornings while waiting for opening.”
Finally, Wanda who enjoys shopping on Division, with Artifact and Village Merchants being her favorite stores, found a hobby in consigning. “I really value the input and friendly customer service at both stores and the local charities that benefit from their support; they’re the best!”
Melanie Meijer, Village Merchants’ current owner, takes the role that consignment stores play in people’s lives very seriously and is impressed by the drive of consignors. “I’ve heard countless stories of how selling at Village [Merchants] has helped people pay for car repairs, medical bills, rent, Italian vacations, their kids’ weddings, etc. When folks were out of work during COVID-times, many kept afloat by selling at Village [Merchants] and other places,” Melanie said. She added that many of her employees have a genuine side hustle doing consignment, therefore creating side or even full incomes.
The impact of both Artifact Creative Recycle and Village Merchants is evident within the SE neighborhood. These close-knit stores share a community of vintage lovers, climate activists, and of course, consignors. They create incomes for people all over Portland, but are especially convenient to those living in the area. Leah, creator of Artifact, mentioned how important consignment shops are: “For the sake of the planet, I really hope that buying second hand and consigning will become the first choice for people in years to come, especially for people who have never tried it before.” But Leah warned, “Beware, once you start, it can be super addictive!”
Marcee Meijer, the matriarch and consignment store founder, stated, “I have never been more proud of Village Merchants and Artifact and that my daughters love and appreciate how lucky we all are to be in the position we are in. We are proud to recycle, to involve the community in the business, and to be a resource for so many people. And most importantly, we love what we do.
