By Jenny Neyman
Redoubt Reporter
Photo by Jenny Neyman, Redoubt Reporter. Michelle Naujeck browses for vintage items in the Curtain Call Consignment Boutique at the Kenai Performers’ Old Town Playhouse in Kenai on Saturday. Naujeck consigns clothes at the boutique, and shops for new ones.
Mary Krull and Kelly Keating-Griebel admit they have an addiction, but they aren’t looking to kick the habit. Instead, they’ve set up a way to get their fix locally without having to drive to Anchorage.
Since they began their endeavor, they’ve discovered a whole population of other women with a similar habit, enough to create a growing support group that helps each other indulge in their compulsion — consignment shopping.
“We have an addiction to clothing, purses and accessories. This is to help feed our own addiction,” Keating-Griebel said.
In a consignment boutique, people bring in high-end new or gently used clothes, shoes, purses, accessories and the like, which are sold at prices discounted from what the same item would fetch in a regular retail store. The boutique retains a percentage of the sale price, and the consignor gets the rest.
For the fashion-forward shopper, it’s a way to splurge and get new items without taxing the bank account. Meanwhile, consignors get something back from items they no longer — or never did — wear.
“We’re trying to offer more of a high-end selection of clothing, and it’s more affordable,” Krull said. “It’s a good thing to reuse and recycle in this day and age, I think. And that’s what consignment is all about — passing something that you’ve enjoyed on to somebody else who may enjoy it as much, getting something back for yourself, and someone else doesn’t have to pay as much.”
Keating-Griebel and Krull opened Curtain Call Consignment Boutique in the Kenai Performers’ Old Town Playhouse in Kenai on March 27. The idea was the result of a brainstorming session at a Kenai Performers’ annual meeting of ways to raise funds for the theater organization. The two figured consignment was a way to support the Kenai Performers while offering a unique service the community would enjoy, Keating-Griebel said.
“We hope to be able to provide this to the community for as far as everyone can see. As long as have the good stuff coming in,” Keating-Griebel said. “Our main goal is to be able to help Kenai Performers and pay for the rent. So far we’ve been able to do that.”
Half the purchase price of items in the boutique goes to the consignor and half goes to the Kenai Performers, except for expensive purses and handbags, worth several hundred dollars, where 75 percent goes to the consignor.
Photo by Jenny Neyman, Redoubt Reporter. Curtain Call volunteer Selia Butler hangs new items in the boutique in Kenai on May 2. The shop gets a constant supply of new consignment pieces.
The labor is all volunteer, including Krull, Keating-Griebel, Brenda Bryant, Judy Imholte and Tana Butler, and the teenage workers — Keating-Griebel’s daughter, Hayley, her friend Cheyenne Stetler, Butler’s daughter, Selia, and Krull’s daughters Alyeska and Elan.
The boutique is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. That may seem like a daunting time commitment for volunteers, especially on sunny summer days, except that being in the shop is more playtime than work.
“It’s like Christmas every day. It’s the ultimate shopping experience,” Krull said.
The response to the boutique has been amazing, Keating-Griebel said — “We had no idea it would be such a hit.” Their record so far is $900 in one day’s sales, and they’re up to 75 consignors. Local shops are adding consignment merchandise, as well — Foot Flare and Wear, Chez Moi and Little Depression Girl. There’s so much merchandise that it’s overflowing from the retail area built through volunteer labor by Batir Construction, and there’s more items constantly coming in. All of which are happily sorted, priced and artfully displayed in the boutique.
“We’re having a ball, we are really having a good time, and I am blown away by our success. In this economy, I think these kinds of businesses tend to do well,” Krull said. “There’s been a pretty good amount of us that did go to Anchorage. It’s so much more convenient not to have to do that, and to be able to (consignment shop) right in our back yard,” Krull said.
On Saturday, Michelle Naujeck was browsing in search of a flapper dress. She had previously found “the quintessential little black dress” and was heeding Keating-Griebel’s advice to come back every week, because they are constantly putting more items on display.
Naujeck said she loved consignment shopping before moving to the central peninsula 10 months ago to teach ninth- and 10th-grade language arts at Soldotna High School, and is happy to have found Curtain Call.
“It’s economical, it’s good-quality clothing and it’s not wasteful,” she said. “So many people throw away clothes and I think it’s a wasteful practice. It’s also fun to find some really interesting things.”
She said she appreciates being able to support the Kenai Performers, and she also enjoys the variety of items available — especially having a place to shop for vintage apparel.
“Around here there’s really just Fred Meyer, and they sell some nice things, but this is much more eclectic, and the quality of items is really impressive compared to other consignment shops I’ve seen,” Naujeck said. “I think it’s very much needed here. It gives people another opportunity to be part of the community and have an economical way of purchasing clothing, and you get something back for it. Everyone wins, and it’s funky.”
Funky is fine, but Keating-Griebel said the volunteers make sure items aren’t too far out there. Consignment merchandise must be in good condition, name-brand — Coach, Free People and CAbi are just a few of the high-end lines they carry — and be current, meaning sold within the last five years or so. Or be vintage — prior to the 1980s.
“No stone-washed jeans? I think they’re coming back,” Naujeck joked. “What about stirrup pants?”
“We don’t have anything from the ’80s,” Krull said. “It didn’t survive the ’80s. We wore it all out.”
Clothing styles range from casual denim and fitness apparel to ultraformal gowns and even a luxurious fur coat on display. Prices range from $5 up to several hundred dollars, and are not subject to haggling. Keating-Griebel said they hope to offer more plus-sized clothes in the future. Currently, most sizes are from 0 to 16. There are also hats, jewelry, scarves, purses and various other accessories and shoes.
Oh, the shoes.
“Look at these shoes. Mary, why would you get rid of these?” Keating-Griebel said, holding up a pair of faux-fur, high-heeled ankle boots in a tan and black zebra stripe that Krull offered for consignment.
“I bought them in Rome. In the store I thought they were great. But they’re a bit high,” Krull said.
“Please. No shoe is too high,” Keating-Griebel said.
Keating-Griebel and Krull said they see new shoppers in the store every weekend, adding to the pool of those already hooked on consignment — including the volunteers.
“We do help support the store,” Keating-Griebel said.
“It’s pretty hard to go home without something,” Krull added.
The Mouth of The Kenai 