Like so many businesses, All Seasons Resale Shop was born in a garage.
For several years, licensed realtor Helena Mills operated a consignment business out of her garage to help her clients, many of whom are elderly, earn extra money for the things they no longer used or needed. She was (and continues to be) passionate about helping people gain a sense of freedom from the clutter that often overwhelms them, “but I could only do so much,” she recalled. “It ended up feeling more like a hobby.”
Now that hobby has become a full-fledged, multi-pronged business for Helena and her husband Brian. In March, the Hooksett couple opened All Seasons Resale Shop in the Community Plaza, a few doors down from Second Brook Grill. They resell high-quality, gently-used clothing, shoes, handbags, home decor, furniture, and an assortment of vintage and antique items.
Stroll through the shop, and you may spot name brands like LL Bean, The North Face, Hollister, Vineyard Vines, and Talbots. The shop has an extensive collection of women’s clothes as well as an area labeled the “Man Cave,” which houses men’s fashion — everything from jeans and leather jackets to sports coats — and men’s décor, including fun mirrored pub signs.
The shop’s inventory is constantly changing. An item spends just 60 days on the sales floor, so everything is “priced to move,” in Mills’ words. At press time, the shop’s inventory included a Prada handbag and a $295 pair of Versace sunglasses, but many items are priced between $10 and $30.
“I’m very particular,” Mills admitted. “I curate high quality, good condition items. I want people to get a good value, but I want to help consigners make money too.”
Consigners are paid 40% of the price of the item, paid on the 15th of every month. Last month, Mills sent out 30 checks, and “they were not small checks,” she confirmed.
The Mills also applied for a non-profit designation under the name “Good Tidings,” which the state recently approved. Now, when items do not sell in the 60-day window, consigners have the choice to take back their items or donate them through the “Good Tidings” program, which the Mills have set up to benefit Harmony House in Manchester and the Hooksett Food Pantry.
The Mills’ company also provides home staging, home organization and decluttering, and junk removal.
Mills admits that decluttering might be the most difficult for her clients. Often, they are simply overwhelmed, they don’t know where to start, and they have attached sentimental value to their items. “They’ll say, ‘I got this from my mother, my mother-in-law, my grandmother.’ They don’t want to throw [their things] away,” Mills explained.
Her advice for anyone looking to declutter is simple: Get three big bins and label them “keep,” “garbage,” and “donate.” Look at the items in your home and be honest about whether you really need those things.
“If you haven’t used something for a month, maybe you don’t need it,” she argued. “Do this every week. One room at a time. It’s going to help your life.”
She also recommends that you declutter every time you buy something new. If you buy three new items, remove three older items that you no longer use or wear, and repeat this process until it becomes a routine.
“You really have this freedom once you do that,” she said.
All Seasons Resale Shop has been open for three months now, and Mills said they have already received “incredible support” from the Hooksett community.
“People are so nice in this town,” she noted. “Customers refer people to our business. You don’t get that a lot in big cities.”
Her husband echoed this sentiment. “We’ve had some amazing conversations with people in here,” he said. “There are so many box stores. People used to know store owners by name, and that’s what we’re bringing back.”
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Store Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
Email: allseasonsconsignment@yahoo.com
Phone: (781) 462-8777
