Consignment shop changes hands, upgrades merchandise

Fran’s Classic Consignment has been here for several years but recently changed owners, added a twist to the name at its 1240 E. State St. location, next to Mom’s Diner and rearranged the store.

Pat Diamond said she kept the Fran’s Classic Consignment name because it was established and recognizable but added Emporium &Shop to it.

Diamond said before she purchased the shop outright, she had rented a space in the corner from the former owners. “I am an interior designer by trade. I had my own interior garden store before the economy tanked and leased the corner for the items in my store.”

Diamond also has staged homes for builders and for Realtors to elicit a faster sale.

She said she began helping the former owners stage the store and arrange the decor to be eye-catching and clean. When the opportunity to purchase it arose, she took the reins with barely a hitch and changed her consignment contract to better move the merchandise. She also changed the inventory to “upscale items instead of taking just anything.”

“I had to practically give it away,” she said. “I wanted more classic, well-made pieces. I find people are interested in the more traditional pieces.”

She also doesn’t handle antiques, including antique glassware and sets of dishes unless they are exceptional. “I find antiques don’t sell well in Pahrump, and what does sell is usually re-purposed into something else. Young professionals look at them not for preservation but what they can do to bring them into the modern world like painting them.”

She said during her time as owner, she has upgraded the inventory and elevated the overall appearance.

The entrance to the store is deceiving. Diamond said people are surprised to see 5,000 square feet of interior floor space.

The revamped consignment contract is “a three-month contract and the split is 50/50. We keep the option open to lower the price every 30 days.

“Space is money and if I can’t move an item it’s not doing anyone any good.” She said there is an option to renew the contract.

The best selling items right now are dining room tables and chairs. “It happens for different reasons. People may need a larger space to accommodate family dinners and others may bring me a big set because they are downsizing.”

There is quite an art collection hanging on the walls but Diamond said she has some paintings she can’t bring to the store. “I don’t keep the very valuable items here.”

Diamond said people asking for Fran are introduced to a flamboyantly dressed doll with her hair in an up-sweep. It is adorned with jewelry and long eyelashes.

She said the doll has become a big part of her advertising as it appears in any photos for the shop.

She said she lets the big stores decide what is going to be the top seller at any given time. “I watch TV to see what they are advertising and follow their lead. In January bedroom sets and mattresses will be the big sellers.

All of the items in the store are in excellent condition. Lamps, artwork and sculptures, sofas and love seats, individual comfortable chairs, wardrobes, dressers and chests of drawers are artfully arranged and decorated just enough to accent the piece.

The corner Diamond leased from the former owners is now being leased by outdoor enthusiast and author Dan Simmons, who said, “My house looks like a museum from the things I’ve collected from my hunting adventures, so I brought my man cave here and put some items up for sale.”

Along with artwork, there is expensive fishing equipment, black and brown bear hides, mounts, collectables, handmade sailing ships and a space for Simmons to hold book signings every Saturday through Christmas. Copies of Simmon’s book, “Sportsman’s Quest,” can be purchased as well. He is there from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.