S h o p Ta l k The consignor newsletter of the

Woman’s ExchangeMarch 2017

She’s the furniture goddess Linda Ploger says, “I’ve been selling things since the first time they handed me a box of Girl Scout cookies.” And now she’s selling at least 30-35 pieces of furniture a day at the Woman’s Exchange. Linda and her husband Dan have owned a condo on Siesta Key for 22 years – bought from his grandparents – and ten years ago moved here full-time. It was about six years ago that Linda came to the Exchange to consign some linens. She became frustrated when there wasn’t enough help, so began volunteering in the intake department. Four months later she was hired on full-time to manage the furniture department.

A native of Tennessee – no surprise to anyone who’s heard her talk – Linda owned three ladies’ boutiques called All That Jazz. Two were in Tennessee and one in Alabama. She and her husband of 23 years also owned a 260-acre farm so, after selling her stores, she became a “lady farmer” while also helping stores with their merchandising and window decoration and staging people’s homes. Her own home seems to be in a constant state of redecoration as she finds treasures at the Exchange, garage sales and other consignment shops. As the “new” moves in, the old often ends up being consigned at the Exchange. Linda has two married stepsons, one in Sarasota and one in St. Pete, along with three grandchildren - Lillian, 4 years old, Lyla, 3 years old, and Olivia is almost 2 years old. She can’t wait to take all the girls shopping! Despite what is often a stressful job – such as when people are demanding to know prices when furniture is barely off the truck – Linda says there’s also the laughter and the joy of helping people, whether they’re getting rid of furniture or looking for a special piece. She says, “I love my job!”

Linda Ploger furniture sales manager

Women’s clothing, accessories and linens:Consignment will be Wednesdays, March 1, 15 and 22 for clothing and accessories such as purses, shoes, belts. Linens will be accepted the second Wednesday, March 8. Miscellaneous: Tuesdays and Fridays, March 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, 31. Mirrors and artwork on Tuesdays.Furniture: Accepted by appointment. Photos of furniture to be considered may be e-mailed to furniture@sarasotawex.com (Include phone number) or brought in Mon.-Fri. between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. All large outdoor/garden items are handled through the furniture department.

Only a limited number of oversized items due to space constraints.Fine Jewelry: Accepted by appointment, 955-7859.Art: Appointments are no longer necessary for art work. Bring in on Tuesdays only. Consignments expire on the 60th calendar day (includ-ing weekends and holidays). Items can be reclaimed Monday-Friday only; the business office is closed on Saturdays. Hours for pick-up are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Items not reclaimed before the last ticket date and price are considered a donation to the Woman’s Exchange. Checks will only be issued for more than $10. The lesser money will be accrued for the next check.

Call the 24-hour Hotline to hear what & how many items are being accepted for the week: 941-364-3858, Press 1.

Hours for clothing and miscellaneous are 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Hours are firm.

CONSIGNING IN MARCH

The Woman’s Exchange has awarded more than $7.8

million in art scholarships and grants to local arts

organizations. Thank you for participating in our mission.

Notes from the office• Consignement checks are only valid for 90 days from date of issue. Please cash as soon as possible to avoid any issues as we cannot reissue a check.

• If you have a change of address please let the Office know in a timely manner so there is no delay with your consignment checks.

• Always call the consignment hotline before you come to hear what & how many items are being accepted.

The Consignor Tip Sheet is the Woman’s Exchange’s newsletter that helps consignors keep up with everything that is going on at the Exchange.

The Woman’s Exchange, 539 S. Orange Ave., Sarasota, FL. 941-955-7859Open Monday-Friday 9-4, Saturdays 10-4; 9-5 first Friday of the month

Carl Johnson, our housekeeping &

maintenance staff member retired

recently. We all will certainly miss our big friendly giant! Happy retirement! Best wishes to you

Carl, our friend.

Waterford CrystalIs all Waterford crystal made the same? Waterford crystal dates back to 1793 when George and William Penrose founded their crystal manufacturing business in the busy port of Waterford, Ireland. In 2009, the U.S. equity firm KPS Capital bought WWRD Holdings, Ltd. and then in 2015, Fiskars Corporation acquired 100% of WWRD Holdings.Today, most crystal is produced in Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Germany, with the exception of a limited amount of mostly Commemorative pieces produced in the small factory in Waterford.

Unfortunately, many imitators of the Waterford style deliberately copy the most popular pat-terns. At first glance,

the patterns may look alike, but comparing an imitation wine glass, for example, against a true Waterford set of wine glasses is the best way to see the differences, according to crystalcollectors. Other ways to determine whether or not a piece is genuine Waterford crystal include checking for a gold label with the seahorse emblem, examining the thickness of the item and holding the piece up to light to check for a prism effect.

Things to know about Waterford Crystal• Waterford Crystal is no longer synonymous with Waterford, Ireland. • Commemorative pieces are still made by Master Cutters - but in limited production.• Waterford Gallery in Waterford, Ireland holds the largest collection of Waterford Crystal in the world. Most pieces are very high end & costly.• A seahorse has been the official Waterford trademark since 1947.

Information taken from

APLACECALLEDROAM.COM & WWW.WATERFORDVISITORCENTRE.COM

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