When one of Angie Furbee’s clients couldn’t stand to see custom window treatments thrown away or donated to Goodwill, she knew she had to do something about it. She created Curtain Call, a consignment sale for custom window décor. Two years later, Furbee, a former textiles sales rep, bought the business and turned it into the event it is today.
Twenty years after its creation, Curtain Call’s annual sale now reaches more than 5,000 customers buying from more than 400 consignors. No longer limited to window treatments, Curtain Call sells home accessories, furniture and art as well. Furbee, who now runs the sale with her business partner, Kimberly Dawson, attributes its success to its diversity and the quick turnaround time for consignors. Instead of items sitting in consignment shops for months without being sold, the sale takes place over nine days and consignors can make money quickly, receiving 50 percent of the selling price on items.
“We bring the foot traffic,” Furbee says. Though some have requested that the sale take place more than just once a year, she insists that it remains an annual event. “It’s a Richmond tradition,” she says. “It’s a reunion for the community.”
When Curtain Call began, it was held in a 2,000 square feet space. Today, it has grown to 10,000-square-feet location with more than 6,000 items. “We have over 400 consignors, they’re people just like you and I, or they’re retailers, designers and architects getting rid of samples,” Furbee says. “People normally just think of used items at consignment sales, but it’s a lot of new stuff.”
Curtain Call also has a charitable focus. All of the items not sold are donated to Caritas and Habitat for Humanity. A portion of the are also donated to these organizations, and consignors can receive a tax write-off for items that do not sell.
Curtain Call will begin accepting items for consignment beginning this weekend, Feb. 17 to 19. For details on how to consign, visit Curtain Call’s website. Consignors are invited to attend a private event the night before the sale opens to the public.
“It’s a community of people we’ve become friends with,” Furbee says. “We just love what we do.” Curtain Call’s sale begins March 18 at 10616 Patterson Ave. Get more details here.
