Consignment shop gets facelift

San Francisco resident Darlene Sanders used to visit Ragtime in Grass Valley every weekend.

"I was and am a consignment junkie," Sanders said. "So, on one of my many visits, I said to the then owner, 'Listen, if you ever want to sell, I'm interested. The owner said, 'Funny you asked ...'"

Before she knew it, Sanders was the new owner of Ragtime, taking over on Jan. 1 of this year.

"Not a great time!" she said. "Rain, snow, sleet, what a way to start!"

Sanders comes to the "rag" business with deep experience in fashion, clothing and accessories. She was a dresser for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, sewed her own clothing, made jewelry, created advertising for the Embarcadero Shopping Centers, worked with the designer who created clothes for Marvin Gaye and other performers and, most recently, worked as a marketing supervisor for an ad agency.

"I took this experience, put it with my love of fashion and have created what I like to call 'A Shopping Party!'" said Sanders.

Joanne Wolfe, who had worked with Ragtime's previous owner for 12 years, helped with the transition and encouraged Sanders to make changes that would improve the store. And, indeed, the "new" Ragtime seems to bring out the sense of fun in its customers. Laughter floats from dressing rooms and strangers chat with one another, modeling outfits while Sanders and Wolfe advise and customers chime in.

"Oh no," said Sanders to a customer. "That's not for you." Then, turning to another customer, "Now that's gorgeous. I hope you have a party to go to tonight!

"I am very picky and particular about what I take in. I tell consignors when things won't sell. And I am very honest with my customers. If something doesn't look right, I tell them.

"I want this to be a joyful experience," said Sanders. "I want people to get lost in browsing. I've worked to make it fun, friendly and an adventure."

Changes in the store layout have helped. Sanders opened up the entire space, making it more shopper friendly. She changes the window display often, usually because items have sold, and she has filled large new front display cases with both vintage and new jewelry. Vintage pieces range from Victorian cameos to art deco pins to 1940s Bakelite. Sanders has also created a showcase for local jewelers, featuring the work of Rosemary Stokes and Elizabeth Kalb of Nevada City, Angel Day of Yuba City, and Judy Sobrero of Grass Valley.

These modern jewelry artists create necklaces, earrings and bracelets from semi-precious stones, sterling silver and antique findings. Wolfe, an expert in vintage jewelry, is always happy to tell customers the stories behind the merchandise and how to tell sterling from plate or real stones from manufactured ones.

Sanders has also brought in more high-end clothing, acquiring consignments from all over the United States, including San Francisco, Berkeley and Florida. Designer labels such as Citron and Nolan Miller and department store tags from Saks and Neiman Marcus in sizes from small to XXXL appear often and are snapped up as fast as Sanders gets them in. She tells her customers, "I try to get everything before you get it!"

While this writer was there, a customer was happily purchasing a black evening dress that, in a department store, would have cost three times what she paid for it.

"This is my favorite consignment store. It's got such great things and it's so well organized. Best of all, I'm always laughing when I leave," she said.

Fashion advice, individual attention to personal style, great prices, top notch accessories and jewelry and a 50/50 split for consignors makes the "new" Ragtime a great destination for stylish, budget conscious shoppers.

Ragtime is located at 107 West Main St., Grass Valley. It is open Monday-Saturday, 10-5:30. Consignments must be made by appointment at 273-5707.