By Stephen Etre, Co-Owner, Stephen’s, A Consignment Gallery (An Interview with Rey Post)

Q I understand the gallery enjoyed some very good business activity in 2012, correct?

A Yes, Rey, we saw a very steady flow of clients throughout 2012 and I attribute that to a variety of reasons, including a recovering economy, a fine selection of items at the gallery, and our excellent customer service. Our business relies on a lot of returning clients, so the professional attention to detail our staff gave in 2012 was a major contributor to this success.

Q You also saw an uptick in a real estate-related service you have been offering for many years, namely consulting with home buyers on items in the new property they purchased.

A This is a phenomenon that is tied to the desire of many buyers to purchase a home in a “turn-key” fashion…taking all of the contents of the home as part of the overall purchase experience. We are retained to evaluate the value of furniture and accessories in a property so that the buyer can work with the seller in purchasing items that obviously fit well within the home.

Q Yes, we as real estate brokers have seen this more often, as buyers wish to simplify their lives and offer the seller a sum for items that already exist in the home. This is typically a separate transaction that the buyer enters into with the seller outside of the actual home purchase process.

A You and I agree that this can make the process of buying and moving into a home easier and our ability at the gallery to offer a market value assessment of the home’s contents is appreciated by both parties to the transaction.

Q What are you seeing for 2013 in the way of activities at the gallery?

A Well, we are starting the New Year with a strong surge in consumer activity, which I believe parallels the busier activity that the real estate market saw at the end of last year. We also are getting ready for a series of estate sales that we administer on behalf of banks and real estate brokers and lawyers who are handling personal trust matters for their clients. And, of course, new arrivals of unique items at the gallery, as well as our annual Spring Sale on Mother’s Day, are major activities we are focusing on. All in all, we expect 2013 to be a good year for the gallery and we thank all of our loyal customers for their support!