posted 04/05/10 05:36 AM | updated 04/07/10 05:11 AM
Views: 391 | Comments : 1 | People & Personalities

Notes Music Store Hitting New High Notes With Its Consignment Store: Alley Cat Trading

By Music Rules
(0 votes) ( report abuse ) ( add your comment )

By John Pluntze

The popular and eclectic Notes Music store in Hailey (108 N. Main Street, right next to the Liberty Theatre/ 788-2496) owned by Mitzi Mecham and Bob Hall is hitting a number of new high notes as well now among its many assorted customers with its recently-opened consignment store, Alley Cat Trading, which is located in the rear part of the music store.

Mecham and Hall, who also own the long-established and well-regarded Music 'n' Me music schools in both Hailey and Ketchum ( www.notesmusicnme.com ) -- schools that were featured in an extremely popular February, 2010 "Harmonic Convergence" local music scene-oriented column article for sunvalleyonline.com (see direct link:
http://www.sunvalleyonline.com/2010/02/04/valleys-music-n-me-music-schools-are-ensuring-a-new-generation-of-musicians ) -- decided earlier this year that it might be an "interesting and fun experiment" to see if a consignment store located in part of their large music store would be similarly successful.

And judging from the response they've received so far to their new Alley Cat Trading consignment store, the "experiment" is paying off nicely.

"The response we've gotten so far has been very, very encouraging and exciting, I must say," Mecham" told me recently, as she eagerly showed me around the Alley Cat Trading portion of the Notes Music store. "And we've had a good increase in our music store sales, too, because what often happens is that someone'll come into the store for clothes, and then they see all the music stuff we have here as well, and they end up buying something from BOTH stores, which obviously is what we were hoping for!"

While the Notes Music store offers an impressive array of acoustic and electric guitars, drum sets, song books, and just about every other item aspiring musicians might need or want, the Alley Cat Trading consignment store offers stpe ely-discounted new and gently-used clothes and accessories.

Currently, Alley Cat Trading only has clothes and accessories for women, teens and tweens, but Mecham said she hopes that guys will start dropping off items there for sale as well, since much of the clientele for their Notes Music store is comprised of men.

Among the large selection of new and gently-used dress and casual shoes and boots for kids and women are brands from Evolution, Mudd, Chinese Laundry, Club Zone, Restricted, On Your Feet, Gotta Rock, Nomad, Blowfish, Gotta Flurt, Xelement, Sun Valley Shoes,  Dirty Laundry, Aeropostale, and The Dust Factory.

Alley Cat also currently offers a wide array of vintage and on-trend jeans, dresses, jackets sweaters, belts, short- and long-sleeve shirts, blouses, T-shirts, hats, hosiery, lingerie, scarves, skirts, slacks, hand bags, jewelry, and other assorted eye-catching must-haves for the fashionistas here in the Wood River Valley.

Mecham said that because of her various contacts in the fashion world, the Alley Cat Trading consignment store has been receiving a steady flow of overstocked new merchandise from warehouses in places such as Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland -- a fact which has given their consignment store further "fashionista appeal."

Consignment contracts typically run 45 days (depending upon the items in question), and the split between the consigner and Alley Cat Trading is 50-50. Consigners can pick up checks EACH DAY -- not each week, or every other week, which is usually the case with consignment stores.-- another fact that Mecham is obviously very proud of.

"Well, especially with the way the economy is right now, a lot of the gals who drop stuff off for consignment here are obviously having money issues, so we thought it'd be a nice gesture on our part if we could issue checks daily and not weekly ... and that seems to have really resonated with our customers here."

The Notes Music/Alley Cat Trading Consignment store is presently open from 10:30 -6 pm. (Mon-Fri), and 11-4 (Sundays). Call 788-2496 for more information on both its music and its clothing offerings.

Share this post:
Permalink
Tags: Mitzi Mecham, John Pluntze, Music Rules, Bob Hall, consignment stores, clothing, boots, shoes, scarves, shirts, jeans, jewelry, watches, hosiery, teens, tweens, ladies, lingerie, dresses, skirts, hats, music store, guitars, drums, picks, song books + add tags
savecancel
Powered by

SunValleyOnline Buzz Newsletter Sign-up - Don't miss a thing with our Daily newsletter

For Email Marketing you can trust

advertisement

Join the Conversation

Follow us on Twitter

Email us Breaking News information

 

Mitzi Mecham & Bob Hall: good luck w. Notes Music/Alley Cat Trading consignment!!!
Thanks so much, Mitzi and Bob, for opening that much-needed and obviously greatly-appreciated consignment shop in the rear part of your wonderful Notes Music store!! If EVER there was a time when people in this Valley needed MORE good choices for readily affordable clothes, footwear, accessories it's NOW!!! You guys totally rock...
Comment by Music Rules
April 05, 2010
( 0 votes )
Comments (Real Names Please. All or overuse of CAPS will be deleted)RSS Feed
Add Your Comment - Using your real name adds credibility. Fake name or anonymous comments are subject to moderation. Off topic and off color comments will be removed.
Name:
Email:
(will not be displayed)
Subject:
Comment: