Visit Newport Beach
Search
An Unmatched Experience

Newport Beach Blog

Consignment on the Coast

August 18, 2014

I’ve always heard the saying, “One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure,”  exploring Newport Beach’s vast array of consignment, vintage and antique shops — where you can find everything from clothes to furniture to cars — I definitely experienced that phrase up close and personal.

Jimmy Choo pumps for $99? And yes, that’s the same pair you would purchase from $450 to almost $1,000 for at any luxe department store. Or how about a McGuire designer table? Available for $2,500 on eBay (just for the base), you can find it in one of our local consignment shops for just $1495 (complete with a three-quarter-inch beveled glass top). These and many more great steals are yours for the taking from one end of the city to the other … just get in your car and go on a consignment cruise.

One of the ladies’ favorite clothing shops around these parts is Best Kept Secret, tucked away in the rear of a small shopping center on Westcliff Road. For more than two-and-a-half years, Owner Allison Wood has been offering great deals on gently-used contemporary and designer clothing from brands such as Lululemon Athletica, Tory Burch, Elie Tahari, Trina Turk, Theory, J.Crew, Joie, and Marni; shoes from Keds to Prada; YSL, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Kate Spade handbags; and much more. Merchandise is ever-changing, with new pieces arriving daily, and on any given day, you can find items reduced to half-price and 75 percent off, along with the occasional $2 sale.

Nearby, on Newport Boulevard, you can always find something interesting at cult-following and kitschy Swellegant Vintage. This store has been offering 1,500 square feet of stylish vintage clothing, shoes (known for their huge selection), accessories and much more (mostly from the 1940s-’80s) for women and men alike for more than 15 years. The store also is packed with costume jewelry, framed pictures, stationery, clocks and other eclectic knick-knacks from a stuffed Garfield the cat to Tiki glasses.

You’ll receive service with a smile at the family owned and operated store The Find Consignments on West Coast Highway at The Shops at the Cove. Seven days a week, you’re likely to run into Owner Kitty Canada and her mom, Babe, as well as their friendly staff. Open for five years (expect a special anniversary celebration on Oct. 1), this museum-like store presents good-quality new, used, custom and inherited furniture and accessories at a fair price to furnish your first apartment, dorm room, waterfront dream home and everything in-between, with new merchandise arriving every day. Just a small inkling of what you can locate here: outdoor furniture; a sizable log cabin model found in the rafters of a home in Aspen, Co.; butcher block countertop table from the old Alpha Beta grocery stores; Baccarat crystal chandelier; pearl necklaces with sterling-silver charms; and African masks. “We have ordinary things, too, but I like the more rare, custom and unique items, not cookie-cutter. Kitty says. “The quirkier the better.” And if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, just let them know and they’ll track it down for you. And don’t forget: Everything is marked to half price after 90 days.

In the market for a classic or collector sports car? Take a short walk down West Coast Highway in Newport Beach to Phillips Auto, where you will find a large collection of pre-owned luxury and exotic cars. Established in 1984 by Malcolm Phillips, this specialized boutique store offers a hands-on, turn-key approach — from consigning your vehicle to a large selection of services including purchasing, service and financing options to let you drive your dream car right out of the showroom. And with exotic to luxury imports ranging from $10,000 to more than $1 million, Phillips Auto definitely has a vehicle to suit every budget.

You’ll find everything from furniture to clothing and much more at the antique, vintage and consignment shops scattered along East Coast Highway in the lovely Corona Del Mar village. If you’re looking for high-end clothing for women and men, check out Recycled Rags for formal to casual wear, accessories, shoes, bags and hats from designers including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Valentino. Of note: Items are marked down by as much as 40 percent at a parking lot party on the last Sunday of every month from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. And, at Bellissima Designer Retail Boutique, you’ll find a wonderful selection of women’s clothing, shoes, luxury handbags and couture jewelry. The store is known for having one of the largest collections of St. John Knits on the West Coast, as well as for a variety of items from other brands including Fendi, Roberto Cavalli and Christian Dior.

Looking for the perfect antique? Visit Charlene Asdourian Antiques & Decorative Arts for 17th through 19th century European finds including furnishings, lighting, tapestry pillows, garden elements and accessories from candlesticks to plates; and Tres Belle Antiques, where interior designer Elizabeth Foote offers one-of-a-kind 17th, 18th and 19th century treasures ranging from French limestone fireplaces to an array of English silver.

But that’s not all! There are yet more fun shops to be found in around Newport Beach. Lido Consignment Gallery, on West Coast Highway, features 20,000 square feet of upscale furniture and accessories including rugs, art, lamps, bronzes and one-of-a-kind pieces. Look for brands such as Karges, Baker, John Witticomb, Hendredon and Marge Carson, with new items accepted daily. Magnolia Mews Consignments, on Old Newport Boulevard, focuses on antique to modern and contemporary furniture, decorative accessories such as silver, crystal, lamps, chandeliers, mirrors, area rugs, pillows and original artwork, as well as vintage, costume and some designer jewelry. Some of the more unusual items you might find here? A crystal chandelier that hung in a French casino and vintage “Gone with the Wind” movie poster in Italian. And Cannery Exchange Design Studio, on Avon Street, offers a collection of antiques, decorative accessories, consignment and original art.

Photo Credit: Recycled Rags

Written by Visit Newport Beach

Related Shopping & Fashion Posts

Destination Guide

Start planning your vacation today